Janakpur, a holy city in Nepal
Janakpur, or as it’s also known Janakpurdham which denotes a
sacred place, is unquestionably Tarai’s most fascinating and mystical city just
165km to the east of Birgani. It is at religious sites here that those
traveling the Hindu pilgrimage circuit are required to make a stop to show
their respect.
Janakpur has been identified through Hindu mythology as the
capital of the ancient kingdom of Mithila. It was here that much of northern
India was controlled during the tenth and the third century BC. Mithila finally
came under the strict control of the Mauryan Empire in the third century BC.
Thereafter it came under hardships and was neglected for two millenniums until
the arrival of Guru Ramananda, founder of the sect of the formidable Sita and
in doing so revived the city to its former glory as a religious center during
the seventh century.
It can be quite disconcerting as everything in Janakpur is
immersed in the Indian culture to the point that one could mistakenly think
they were in India. The only difference is the political government governing
the area. Janakpur is a great delight to visit. Traffic is all but non-existent
with all motorized traffic banned from the center of the city, which means you
can have a relatively peaceful stroll around the city.
At the same time though, Janakpur is a thriving city with so much going on its hard to keep up, so if you are thinking of a limited stay its best to rethink and allow for a couple of days to fully absorb this amazing atmosphere that will surround you for the duration of your stay. It must be noted that accommodation, restaurants and other facilities for tourists do not really exist in this area and so its important to speak to your travel agent, do research and make sure your prepared. Something else of great fortune to the city is its only operational railway in existence in all of Nepal just so happens to resides here making for an entertaining adventure to say the least!