Janakpur
Janakpurdham or Janakpur (Maithili: जनकपुर, Nepali pronunciation: [d͡zʌnʌkpur]) is a sub-metropolitan city in Dhanusha District, Madhesh Province, Nepal. The city is a hub for religious and cultural tourism. A headquarter of Dhanusha district, Janakpur is also the capital for Madhesh Province.[2]
Janakpur जनकपुरधाम (हिन्दू राज्य) | |
|---|---|
| Janakpurdham | |
Clockwise from top Janaki Mandir, Ganga Sagar, Train in Janakpur and Vivah Mandap | |
| Nickname: The City of Ponds | |
| Motto(s): City of religious and cultural significance | |
Janakpur Location in Madhesh Province Janakpur Janakpur (Nepal) | |
| Coordinates: 26°43′43″N 85°55′30″E / 26.72861°N 85.92500°E | |
| Country | Nepal |
| Province | Madhesh Province |
| District | Dhanusa |
| Settled | Vedic Period |
| as Municipality | 1962 |
| to Sub-Metro | 2017 |
| Previously part of | Mithila |
| Named for | King Janaka |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council government |
| • Mayor | Manoj Kumar Sah (NC) |
| • Deputy Mayor | Kishori Sah (NC) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 91.97 km2 (35.51 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 74 m (243 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 195,438[1] |
| • Rank | 11th |
| • Density | 820/km2 (2,125/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 4th |
| Demonym | Janakpurians |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Nepali |
| • Local | Maithili |
| Time zone | UTC+5:45 (NST) |
| Postal code | 45600 |
| Area code | 041 |
| Website | janakpurmun |
The city was founded in the early 12th century. According to tradition and an archeological evidence found at the site,[3] ancient civilization indicates Janakpurdham as the capital of the Videha dynasty that ruled the Mithila region in ancient times.[4]
Janakpur is located about 225 km (140 mi) southeast of Kathmandu.[5] As of 2021[update], the city had a population of 195,438 and density 2,125/km2.[1][6] Janakpur is currently the fourth most densly populated city of Nepal. Janakpur is located about 23 km away from the Bhitthamore border of India.[7] Nepal Railways operates between Janakpur and Jaynagar of India.
Etymology edit
Janakpurdham, popularly known as Janakpur is Named after the late King of Videha in Mithila region - Janaka.The rulers of the Videha kingdom were accorded the title Janaka, meaning 'father' in Sanskrit, and this character is the best-known bearer of the same.
History edit
Accounts from ascetics, pandits, and bards indicate that Janakpur was founded in the early 18th century. The earliest description of Janakpur as a pilgrimage site dates to 1805. Earlier archaeological evidence of the presence of an ancient city has not been found. King Janaka's palace is thought to have been located in ancient Janakpur as it is believed to be the capital of the Kingdom of the Videhas. According to Ramayana, he found a baby girl in a furrow, named her Sita, and raised her as his daughter. When she was older, he offered her in marriage to anyone who was able to lift the bow of Shiva, left near Janakpur a thousand years earlier. Many royal suitors tried but only Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, could lift the bow. According to an old song, this bow was found northeast of Janakpur.[4]
Until the 1950s, Janakpur was a cluster of rural hamlets inhabited by farmers, artisans, priests, and clerks who worked for the monasteries that controlled the land. After the Independence Act in India, Janakpur expanded into a commercial center and became the capital of the Dhanusa District in the 1960s.[8]
As Rama and Sita are major figures in Hinduism, Janakpur is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. According to the first millennium BC text, Shatapatha Brahmana, the Maithil king Videgha Māthava crossed the Sadānirā (Gandaki River), led by his priest Gotama Rahugana, and founded the Kingdom of Videha with Janakpur as the capital city. As Gotama Rahugana composed many hymns of the Rigveda, these events must date to the Regvedic period.[9][improper synthesis?]
Gautama Buddha and Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara of the Jain religion are said to have lived in Janakpur. The region was an important center for the history of Mithila during the first millennium.[10] Following the Sugauli Treaty in 1816 between the Nepali rulers and the British East India Company, the northern part of ancient Mithila state, including Janakpur, became part of Nepal, while the southern part went into India.
Demographics edit
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 54,710 | — |
| 2001 | 74,192 | +35.6% |
| 2011 | 97,776 | +31.8% |
| 2021 | 195,438 | +99.9% |
| Data is based on Census in Nepal . Source: Census in Nepal | ||
As of June 2011[update], the Janakpur municipality had 19,195 households and a population of 98,446 people with a density of 4,000 people per square kilometer.[11] In 2015, it was declared a sub-metropolitan city that incorporates 11 surrounding villages. The current population is 173,924 people, making it the sixth largest city in Nepal.[12]
Maithili is widely spoken in the area as the first language and is also used as the lingua franca. Nepali, Hindi, Marwari, and English are well understood. Languages like Bhojpuri and Awadhi are understood but less frequently used.
More than 90 percent of the total population is Hindu, with the rest being Muslims and Buddhists.
Economy edit
Janakpur is one of the fastest developing cities of Nepal and is the largest sub-metropolitan city in the country.[13] The city has good health care facilities, a number of parks, private schools, colleges, and internet service providers. There are medical, engineering, and management colleges that are affiliated to Tribhuvan University. The economy is mostly based on tourism, agriculture, and local industries.
The paintings on pottery, walls, and courtyards made by Maithili women are known as Mithila art.
Janakpur attracts migrants from the surrounding area, moving to the city for medical care, education, and jobs. The largest employers were the Janakpur Cigarette Factory Limited and Janakpur Railway until they closed in 2013 due to political corruption and heavy loans. By the end of 2018 service was resumed.[14] Zonal Hospital, Zonal Police, and the Banking Sector help the locals live a relatively easy lifestyle.
The city has many commercial banks, such as Nepal Rastra Bank, the State Bank of India, Nepal, Everest Bank LTD. Machhapuchhare, NIC Bank, Nepal Bank LTD, and Agriculture Development Bank.
Geography and climate edit
Janakpur is located in the Terai, where the climate is humid subtropical: the months of March and April are hot, dry, and windy. The wet season lasts from May to September, followed by mild dry autumn from October to November. It is a cold winter from December to February.[8]
The major rivers surrounding Janakpur are Dudhmati, Jalad, Rato, Balan, and Kamala.
| Climate data for Janakpur (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 21.6 (70.9) | 26.2 (79.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 34.9 (94.8) | 34.8 (94.6) | 34.1 (93.4) | 32.8 (91.0) | 33.0 (91.4) | 32.7 (90.9) | 31.9 (89.4) | 29.5 (85.1) | 24.6 (76.3) | 30.6 (87.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.4 (59.7) | 19.0 (66.2) | 23.6 (74.5) | 27.9 (82.2) | 29.5 (85.1) | 30.1 (86.2) | 29.7 (85.5) | 29.9 (85.8) | 29.2 (84.6) | 27.1 (80.8) | 22.6 (72.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 25.1 (77.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 15.8 (60.4) | 20.9 (69.6) | 24.2 (75.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.7 (80.1) | 25.7 (78.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 15.7 (60.3) | 11.0 (51.8) | 19.6 (67.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 12.1 (0.48) | 8.3 (0.33) | 13.2 (0.52) | 54.6 (2.15) | 123.7 (4.87) | 259.4 (10.21) | 437.9 (17.24) | 319.1 (12.56) | 179.6 (7.07) | 54.3 (2.14) | 1.4 (0.06) | 2.8 (0.11) | 1,466.4 (57.73) |
| Source: Department of Hydrology and Meteorology[15] | |||||||||||||
Transport edit
Roadways edit
Frequent bus services operate between Janakpur and Nepalese cities. Within the city, cycle rickshaws, electric rickshaws, tempos (three-wheeled vehicle), and buses are available. A few Bus services operate for Indian cities of Sitamarhi, Patna, Delhi and Ayodhya as part of the Ramayan Circuit to promote religious tourism in Nepal and India.[16][17]
Railways edit
Nepal Railways is the only operational railway in Nepal. It connects Janakpur to Siraha at the Nepal-India border and goes further to the Indian city of Jaynagar, Bihar. There is a customs checkpoint in Siraha for goods.[14]
Airways edit
Janakpur has a domestic airport (IATA: JKR, ICAO: VNJP) with most flights connecting to Kathmandu, There are plans of expanding it as a regional airport.[18]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Buddha Air | Kathmandu[19] |
| Yeti Airlines | Kathmandu[20] |
| Shree Airlines | Kathmandu[21] |
Culture edit
Religious sites edit
The Janaki Mandir temple is in the centre of Janakpur, northwest of the market. It is one of the biggest temples in Nepal and was built in 1898 (1955 in the Nepali calendar) by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwari of Tikamgarh. It is also called Nau Lakha Mandir after the cost of construction, said to be nine lakh gold coins.[22] The temple is architecturally unique in Nepal: its inner sanctum contains a flower-covered statue of Sita that was found in the Sarayu near Ayodhya. Statues of Rama and his brothers Lakshman, Bharat, and Satrughna stand by Sita.
Adjacent to the Janaki Mandir is the Rama Sita Vivaha Mandir, a building that marks the event in which Rama and Sita were married.
The oldest temple in Janakpur is Sri Ram Temple, built by the Gorkhali General Amar Singh Thapa.[22] Pilgrims also visit the over 200 sacred ponds in the city for ritual baths. The two most important ponds – Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar, are located close to the city center.
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Deities of Sri Sita Devi (far right) and Sri Rama (centre) (with Sri Lakshmana (far left) and Sri Hanuman (below seated))
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Pond in front of Mani mandap, Rani Bazar. The place where the marriage of Ram and Sita actually happened.
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Ram Janaki Biwaha Mandap
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Hanuman Mandir, Kadam Chowk
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Janaki Mandir
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Ram Mandir, Janakpur, Mithila
Other religious sites edit
- Vivah Mandap temple is situated next to the Janaki Mandir
- Ram Tower is also next to Janaki Mandir. It was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, located to the south of Ram Temple.
- Kapileshwar Temple
Festivals edit
Major religious celebrations include the Hindu festivals Vivaha Panchami, Dipawali, and Vijayadashami,[22] followed by Chhath Puja, which is celebrated six days after Diwali and Makar Sankranti.
On the night of the full moon in February and March, before the festival of Holi, a one-day Parikrama (circumambulation) of the city is celebrated. Many people offer prostrated obeisances along the entire 8 km (5.0 mi) route. Two other festivals honour Rama and Sita: Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama,[23] and the Vivah Panchami that re-enacts the wedding of Rama and Sita at the Vivah Mandap temple on the fifth day of the waxing moon in November or early December.
Education edit
Janakpur has educational facilities where several of the country's elites went to school, including the first president of the Federal Republic of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav and former DPM, Bimalendra Nidhi. There are many private and government schools and colleges located in Janakpur. One of the oldest government colleges of Nepal, Ramsworup Ramsagar Bahumukhi Campus, which is a constituent campus of Tribhuvan University is homed in Janakpur. Janakpur also has Rajarshi Janak University for higher studies.[24]
Janakpur also has a medical college, Janaki Medical College which is also affiliated with Tribhuvan University.[25] Similarly for engineering studies, the city has Central Engineering College affiliated to Purbanchal University.[26] Janakpur also have one autonomous institute named Madesh Institute of Health and Sciences (MIHS)
Libraries edit
Gangasagar Public Library was established in 1955 and is situated between two historical ponds of Janakpur—Dhanuschatra Pond and Ganga Sagar. The library was reopened to the public in 2012. In recent times, a team of active and committed local youth workers has contributed to the revival of this library by organizing public book collections for the library. It is open daily for three hours, mainly for newspaper-reading but has few daily visitors.[27]
Ramswaroop Ramsagar Multiple Campus library is also accessible to the general public.
Media edit
The local media of Janakpur primarily consists of several community radio stations, some TV channels, and a few print newspapers, such as Janakpur Today. Local Janakpur media primarily consists of radio shows, such as Mithila Jagaran.
Sister cities edit
Gallery edit
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Night view of Janaki Temple
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Inside view of Janaki Temple
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Way to Vivah Mandap
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Vivah Manadap
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Former Deputy Prime minister and NC Vice president Bimalendra Nidhi at Janaki Mandir
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Indian PM Modi in Janakpur wearing famous Maithili cap, Paag
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Sunset over railway track near Janakpur
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Vedi, mani mandap, Janakpur
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Abandoned Old Train at Janakpur station
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Mithila art
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Puctue depuctin King Janak ploughing to discover Sita Mata
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Janakpur in 2000's
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First president of Republic Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav visiting Janakpur
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Janakpur-Ayodhya bus
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Old picture of Janaki High School
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Murali Chowk in 2000's
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Construction of New Airport buildings
See also edit
- List of cities in Nepal
- Bimalendra Nidhi
- Janakpur–Jaynagar Railway
- Ramswarup Ramsagar Multiple Campus
- 2022 Janakpur municipal election
- First Lassi Shop in Janakpur
References edit
- ^ a b . Archived from the original on 2 September 2017.
- ^ "Breaking ! प्रदेश २ को स्थायी राजधानी 'जनकपुरधाम' बहुमतले पारित !". enewsbureau.com/. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Ancient Houses and their Cultural remains of Mithila found at 12 Biggha of Janakpur".
- ^ a b Burghart, R. (1978). The disappearance and reappearance of Janakpur. Kailash: A Journal of Himalayan Studies 6 (4): 257–284.
- ^ "Distance from Kathmandu to Janakpur". www.distancefromto.net. from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "ICP Bhithamore | Land Ports Authority of India". lpai.gov.in. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ a b Burghart, R. (1988.) Cultural knowledge of hygiene and sanitation as a basis for health development in Nepal. Contributions to Nepalese Studies 15 (2): 185–211.
- ^ "Nepal-India relations: Ramayan circuit". The Himalayan Times. 22 November 2017. from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ Rastriya Samachar Samiti (2004). "More Indian tourists visit Janakpurdham" 2 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Himalayan Times, 17 January 2004.
- ^ Central Bureau of Statistics (2012). National Population and Housing Census 2011 (PDF). Kathmandu: Government of Nepal. (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ^ "National Population and Housing Census 2011 - (Village Development Committee/Municipality) - Dhanusha" (PDF). Government of Nepal, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Central Bureau of Statistics. March 2014. (PDF) from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ . 103.69.124.141. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Janakpur railway nears completion". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ (PDF). Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "Modi, Oli launch Janakpur-Ayodhya bus service | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. PTI. 11 May 2018. from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Piyush Tripathi (4 September 2018). "Patna buses: Soon, 4 AC buses to ply from Patna to Janakpur | Patna News - Times of India". The Times of India. from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Magar, Arpana Ale. "India permits new air entry routes over Biratnagar, Janakpur". My Republica. from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ . Buddha Air. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
- ^ . Yeti Airlines. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
- ^ . Shree Airlines. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
- ^ a b c Mishra, K. C. (1996). Pilgrimage centres and tradition in Nepal. In: D. P. Dubey (ed) Rays and Ways of Indian Culture. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
- ^ "Janakpur | Travel | NepalVista.com". from the original on 6 September 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
- ^ "Rajarshi Janak University". Edusanjal. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "Janaki Medical College". from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ "Central Engineering College, Janakpur Nepal | Colleges Nepal". www.collegesnepal.com. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ Mishra, P. "Book Collection and Donation Program". Facebook. from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
- ^ "PM Narendra Modi signs 10 agreements with Nepal, inaugurates bus service". The Times of India. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ "MoU on Twinning arrangements between Kathmandu-Varanasi, Janakpur-Ayodhya and Lumbini-Bodh Gaya as sister cities". pib.gov.in. from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.