Janakpur
Janakpur (pop. 72,000) is situated in the south of the Tarai 22 km (131/2 mi.) from the Indian border. The town is the heartland of the ancient Maithili culture which gave birth to its own language and script. Janakpur is also a popular pilgrim center; it was here that Sita (also known as Janaki), the heroine of the Ramayana, was born
and where Rama was married.
Maithili is still spoken by sections of the population in both the Tarai and the adjacent Indian state of Bihar. Maithili women also keep up their traditional folk art, principally in the form of elaborate paintings on the mud walls of the houses and courtyard floors. Recently they have started to paint on paper.
The town is centered around the large Janaki Temple adjoining which, to the south and east, lies an area of narrow, bazaar-filled streets where traditional merchandise is traded (in the more southerly part especially). The Ram Mandir, a temple in the Nepalese pagoda style, is located there too.