Janakpur Municipality
Janakpurdham |
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Janakpur,
also known as
Janakpurdham, is one of the historical and religious cities of Nepal. Janakpur is the administrative headquarters of Dhanusa District of the Janakpur Zone and has a population of approximately 80,000.
[1] The city is located about 123 km
[2] south-east of Kathmandu, 20 km from the Indian border
[1] at 26° 42' 44" N, 085° 55' 18" E
[3] Janakpur has a substantial tourism industry due to its significance in the Hindu religion
[4] and is home to the only operational railway in Nepal, the Janakpur Railway.
History
Main articles: Mithila (ancient) and Kings of Mithila
Deities of Sri Sita Devi (far right) and Sri Rama (center) (with Sri Lakshmana (far left) and Sri Hanuman (below seated))
Janakpur, historically called Mithilanchal, is the centre of the ancient Maithil culture, which has its own language and script.
The first millennium BC text Shatapatha Brahmana tells that the king Māthava Videgha, led by his priest Gotama Rahugana, first crossed the Sadānirā (Gandaka) river and founded the kingdom of Videha, whose capital city was Mithila. As Gotama Rahugana composed many hymns in the Rgveda, these events must date to the Rgvedic period.
The most important historical reference to Mithila/Janakpur is in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama's wife Sita Devi (also called Janaki) is said to have been the princess of Videha. Her father, King Janak, found baby Sita in a furrow of a field and raised her as his daughter. When she grew up, the king announced that she should be wed by whoever was able to string the divine bow of Shiva. Though many royal suitors tried, Lord Rama, prince of Ayodhya, alone could even lift the bow. As Rama and Sita are major figures in Hinduism, Janakpur is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus.
In addition, both the great saints Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, and Vardamana Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara of the Jain religion, are said to have lived in Mithila/Janakpur. The region was an important centre of Indian history during the first millennium.
Geography and climate
Janakpur is located in the Terai, alluvial, forested and marshy terrain at the base of the Himalaya mountain range. The major rivers surrounding Janakpur are Dudhmati, Jalad, Rato, Balan and Kamala. Janakpur is famous for its temples and the numerous ponds which carry significant religious importance. One can see all the six seasons in Janakpur. Basant ritu (Spring-February/March), Grisma ritu (Summer- April/May/June), Barsha ritu (Rainy - July/August), Sharad ritu (Autumn- September/October), Hemanta ritu (Autumn-winter: November/December), Shishir ritu (Winter: December/January). The best time to visit Janakpur is from September to March as the weather is pleasant and several festivals fall during this period.
Economy
Janakpur is one of the fast developing cities of Nepal and is on the way to meet the criteria for being the seventh Sub-Metropolitan city of Nepal. The city has good health care facilities, as well as good private schools and colleges and Internet service providers. The economy is mostly based on agriculture.
Janakpur attracts migrants from the surrounding area, who move to the city for medical care, education and jobs. The largest employer is the Janakpur Cigarette Factory Limited. There are also two poles factory and one hume pipe factory like Shri Janaki Poles Industries,Shri Janaki Hume Pipe Industries,Nepal poles Industries.
Transport
A train at Janakpur railway station.
Janakpur has a domestic airport with most flights connecting to Kathmandu. The narrow-gauge Janakpur Railway is the only operational railway in Nepal. It connects Janakpur to the Indian town of Jaynagar. Bicycle is common mode of transportation. Frequent bus services operate between Janakpur and other cities of Nepal. Within the city, travelers may hire manually pulled cycle rickshaws or City bus.
Demographics
The Maithili language is widely spoken in the area as the first language. Nepali and Hindi are well-understood. Other similar languages like Bhojpuri and Awadhi are also understood but relatively less frequently used.
Culture
Temples and festivals
The centre of Janakpur is dominated by the impressive Janaki Mandir to the north and west of the bazaar. This temple, one of the biggest in Nepal, was built in 1898 (1955 in the Nepali calendar) by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwar of Tikamgarh.
[5] It is also called "Nau Lakha Mandir" after the cost of construction, said to be nine (nau) lakh. The oldest temple in Janakpur is Ram Mandir, built by the Gurkhali soldier Amar Singh Thapa.
[5] Pilgrims also visit the more than 200 sacred ponds in the city for ritual baths. The two most important, Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar, are located close to the city centre. The Vivah Mandap temple where Lord Rama and Sita are said to have been married. It is situated next to the Janki Mandir.
Major religious celebrations include the major Hindu festivals such as Deepawali, and Vijayadashami.
[5] followed by spectacular Chhath Puja (sun worship) six days after Deepawali. Both the festivals Deepawali and Chhath are heavily celebrated with a carnival-like atmosphere. The locals take pride in the way these festivals are celebrated.
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