Jānakī Mandir () is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

in Jānakpurdham,

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, dedicated to the Hindu goddess

Sītā Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

. It is an example of

Koiri The Koeri (spelt as Koiry or Koiri), also referred to as Kushwaha and more recently self-described as Maurya in several parts of northern India are an Indian non-elite caste, found largely in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, whose traditional oc ...

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

architecture. Fully built in bright white and constructed in an area of 1,480 square metres (15,930 sq. feet), it is a three-storied structure made entirely of stone and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

. It is a major destination for the

tourism in Mithila The region of Mithila in the Indian subcontinent is believed to be the ancient inhabitat place of the Videha, Videha Kingdom in the text Ramayana. The Mithila (region), Mithila region is widely known for its rich culture, tradition and historical h ...

. The walls of the temple have Mādhubānī paintings. All its 60 rooms are decorated with the

flag of Nepal The national flag of Nepal is the world's only non-rectangular symbol which is used as both the National symbol, state and civil flag of a sovereign country. The symbol is a simplified combination of two single pennon, pennants, known as a doubl ...

, coloured glass, engravings, and paintings, with lattice windows and turrets. The '' Sītā Svayaṃvara'' (groom choosing ceremony) of Jānakī (Sītā) and

Rāma Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda'' ...

as described in the '' Rāmāyaṇa'' is believed to have occurred here at the

wedding mandapa A Vivaha Mandapa (), also referred to as Kalyana Mandapa () or simply Wedding mandapa is a mandapa (pavilion) temporarily erected for the purpose of a Hindu or Jain wedding. It is the term used for the ''wedding canopy'' in Dharmic religions. The ...

attached to this temple. The site was designated as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

tentative site in 2008.

History

The mandir is also popularly known as the Nau Lakha Mandir (meaning "nine lakhs"). The cost for the construction of the temple was about the same amount of gold coins: nine lakhs or nine hundred thousand gold coins, hence the name. Queen Vrisha Bhanu of Orchha State (also known as Urchha, Ondchha and Tikamgarh) built the temple in 1910 AD. This temple lies at Janakpur, Nepal. In 1657, a golden statue of the Goddess

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

was found at the very spot, and Sita is said to have lived there. The legend said it that it was built on the holy site where Sannyasi ''Shurkishordas'' had found the images of Goddess Sita. In fact, Shurkishordas was the founder of modern Janakpur and the great saint and poet who preached about the ''Sita Upasana'' (also called ''Sita

Upanishad The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...

'') philosophy. Legend has claimed it that King Janak (Seeradhwaj) performed the worship of Shiva-Dhanus on this site. , the temple is reported to have partly collapsed from the earthquake in April 2015.

Pilgrimage

Every year, thousands of pilgrims from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and other countries visit Ram Janaki Temple to worship Lord Ram and Sita. Many worshippers visit the temple during the festivals of Ram Nawami,

Vivaha Panchami Vivaha Panchami () is a Hindu festival celebrating the wedding of Rama and Sita in Janakpurdham which was the capital city of Mithila (region), Mithila. It is observed on the fifth day of the Paksha, Shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in the ...

Dashain Dashain or Bada'dashain, also known as Vijaya Dashami in Sanskrit, is a Hindu religious festival in Nepal, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, South India, and Sri Lanka. It is also celebrated by other religions in Nepal and elsewhere, including the Lho ...

and Tihar.

Gallery

File:Pano of Janaki Mandir-Janakpur Nepal-.jpg, Panoramic view (2016) File:Janki Mandir of Janakpur Dham(Nepal).jpg, Front view (2007) File:Sunset view of the Janaki Mandir (Janakpur, Nepal) captured on Nov. 02, 2012..JPG, Sunset view (2012) File:Janki Mandir (Janakpur, Nepal) as seen in the early morning of Nov. 02, 2012..JPG, Early morning view (2012) File:Inside view of the Janki Mandir of Janakpur, Nepal..JPG, Inside view File:Ganga Sagar Janakpurdham- MG 3584.jpg, Ganga Sagar File:Dhanush Saagar.JPG, Dhanush Saagar

References

External links

''Sita Upanishad''

Janaki Mandir
on Google Maps
Janki Mandir
official Website {{Hindu temples in Nepal Purana temples of Vishnu Hindu temples in Janakpur Sita temples 1910 establishments in Nepal

History

Pilgrimage

Gallery

See also

References

External links