The presence of Mata Janaki in Shri Ram Katha is eternal and universal like the essence of life. On the basis of evidence, it is known that the kingdom of Videhraj Janak was spread till present day Sitamarhi, Madhubani of Bihar and Dhanusha district of Nepal. Janakpur is situated in this Dhanusha district. As soon as Janakpur is remembered along with the incident of Shri Ram’s marriage, the divine story of Mata Janaki’s Swayamvar comes alive.
Mother Sita was born in Sitamarhi at a time when King Janak and Queen Sunayana were plowing the agricultural land. Because he appeared from the womb of the earth, he is called Bhumija. After his birth, Janakpur became prosperous with wealth, grains and greenery and the state was free from famine. It was a great good fortune for the Janak couple to meet Shakti Swarupa Mata Sita in the form of their daughter. In Indian tradition, the birth of a daughter is considered equivalent to the arrival of Goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi Shri is the presiding deity of prosperity, wealth and happiness and peace and is the destroyer of all kinds of worries.
The story of bow-breaking in Ram Vivah is related to Lord Shiva’s Pinaka bow, which was handed over by Lord Parashurama to King Janak. During her teenage years, Mother Sita would often move this bow from one place to another with ease. Seeing this, King Janak vowed that the brave man who picks up this bow and breaks it will be Sita’s husband. Many glorious kings could not even climb the throne in the theatre. Janak knew that his daughter was Shaktirupa, hence only an extraordinary man would choose her. According to the scriptures, kings of 56 countries were present in the Swayamvar. The twelve bigha area of Janakpur still preserves the memory of this historical Yagya Bhoomi. Before Swayamvar, Sita had come to the temple of Mata Girija in Phulhar situated on the banks of Dudhmati river on the Bihar-Nepal border. The first meeting of Shri Ram and Sita took place in the flower garden near the temple. The marriage of four brothers including Shri Ram and Sita took place with the four daughters of King Janak’s younger brother in Mani Mandap of present Janakpur.
The grand Janaki temple located in Janakpur was built by Queen Vrishabhanu Kunwari of Tikamgarh between 1901 and 1911. This temple, which is a wonderful confluence of Hindu, Koeri and Mughal architecture, has 60 chambers. It is also called Naulakha temple. Apart from this, Janak’s Kuldevi Temple, Ram Temple, Janak Temple, Shiv Temple, Bhootnath Temple, Teentis Koti Temple, Dhanushsagar and Gangasagar are the major tourist places in Janakpur Dham. Ganga Aarti is performed every day at the 12 ponds of Gangasagar. Devotees from all over the world reach Janakpur for the Shri Ram-Janaki marriage festival organized on Shri Panchami of Agahan month, whereas even on normal days, there is a constant crowd of visitors here.
