Janaki Mandir

Janaki Mandir
Abode temple of Maithali people
Janaki Mandir Location in Nepal
Name
Other names	Nau Lakha Mandir
Proper name	Janaki Mandir
Geography
Coordinates	26°43′50″N 85°55′32″E / 26.73056°N 85.92556°E / 26.73056; 85.92556Coordinates: 26°43′50″N 85°55′32″E / 26.73056°N 85.92556°E / 26.73056; 85.92556
Country	Nepal
District	Dhanusa District
Locale	Janakpurdham
Elevation	78 m (256 ft)
Culture
Primary deity	Sita (Janaki), Rama
Important festivals	Vivaha Panchami, Rama Navami, Dashain, Tihar-Deepawali and Chhath
Architecture
Architectural styles	Russian architect (Hindu-Rajput style)
Number of temples	70
Number of monuments	27
History and governance
Date built	1967 B.S (1910 AD)

Janaki Mandir (Nepali: जानकी मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple in Janakpur in the Mithila region of Nepal, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sita. It is the primary temple of Maithali native indigenous to Nepal. It is an example of Hindu-Rajput Nepali architecture. It is often considered the most important model of Rajput architecture in Nepal. Fully built in bright white and constructed in an area of 4,860 sq. feet in a mixed style of Islamic and Rajput domes, the temple is 50 meters high. It is a three-storied structure made entirely of stone and marble. All its 60 rooms are decorated with the flag of Nepal, colored glass, engravings and paintings, with beautiful lattice windows and turrets. According to legends and epics, King Janak ruled this area (called Videha) during the Ramayana period. His daughter Janaki (Sita), during her swyambar, had chosen Lord Rama as her husband, and become queen of Ayodhya. Their marriage ceremony had occurred in the nearby temple.

The temple is popularly known as the Nau Lakha Mandir (meaning "nine lakhs"). The cost for the construction of the temple was about the same amount of money: rupees nine lakhs or nine hundred thousand, hence the name. Queen Vrisha Bhanu of Tikamgarh, India built the temple in 1910 AD.

In 1657, a golden statue of the Goddess Sita 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) philosophy. Legend has claimed it that King Janak(Seeradhwaj) performed the worship of Shiva-Dhanus on this site.