Janakpur

Janakpur was Mithila, the kingdom of King Janaka, and in the Ramayana it is where Sita was born and where Rama won her hand by breaking Shiva's bow, which makes the city one of the principal Hindu pilgrimage centres of the Terai. The Janaki Mandir at its heart was built in 1910 by a queen of Tikamgarh in a mixed Rajput and Mughal style, white marble with domes, arches and latticework, and it is unlike anything else in Nepal. Around it are ponds used for ritual bathing and the smaller Ram Mandir. The city is also the centre of Mithila painting, the bold figurative wall and paper art made by women of the region, which can be seen at the Janakpur Women's Development Centre outside town.

What you actually see

• Janaki Mandir - the white marble temple in Rajput and Mughal style.
• Ritual ponds - the sacred tanks used for bathing around the city.
• Mithila painting - the women's art tradition and its centre outside town.
• Pilgrim life - the crowds and offerings around the temple.

When to go

November to February for bearable heat; the Terai is severe from April to June. Vivaha Panchami in November or December, marking Rama and Sita's marriage, is the great festival and fills the city entirely.

Honest expectations

The Terai heat outside winter is punishing. The city is crowded, dusty and has limited visitor facilities. Non-Hindus may find access to inner shrines restricted. Festival periods make accommodation unobtainable.

Nearby

The Indian border lies south; Koshi Tappu is east.