The 7 Best Things to Do in Janakpur, Nepal

Information for Visiting

How to Get from Kathmandu to Janakpur

You can get to Janakpur by flight, bus or minivan. There are only night buses that go to Janakpur, but if you take the minivan, those go during the day.

The trip by bus takes pretty long (12-13 hours), and it’s a bit faster by minivan (8 hours), but both are exhausting. If you want to save time, the flight is only 25 minutes.

I took the night bus on the way to Janakpur and found it tiring but okay. On the way back to Kathmandu, I took the minivan. It was faster as it goes on a shortcut back to Kathmandu, but still, it took the whole day to get back.

You can book bus tickets on BusSewa or at one of the travel agencies in Thamel. The bus ticket costs Rs. 1,300-1,500 (USD 8.50-10), the minivan ticket is Rs. 1,200 (USD 8), and the flight ticket to Janakpur is Rs. 6,000 for Nepalese and USD 74 for foreigners.

Best Time to Visit

Janakpur can be visited all throughout the year, but the best time is in the autumn (October- November) and spring (March-April). The weather is the most pleasant during this time.

In the winter, it can get very cold in Janakpur as it gets cloudy with little sunshine. While, during the monsoon season, it get extremely hot and humid.

If you are curious to see what Janakpur is like during major Hindu festivals, you can visit during Chhath or Ram Navami.

Although, it can be interesting to see Janakpur during Hindu festivals, also keep in mind that there could be a lot of people – so if you don’t like crowded places, you may want to plan it otherwise.

Is Janakpur Worth Visiting?

Janakpur is worth visiting if you are interested to know more about the Hindu religion.

According to Hindu mythology, Janakpur is said to be the place where Sita and Ram got married. It is a significant, religious place and people come here to perform worship ceremonies at the temples located in the city.

Janakpur has 3 important Hindu temples but even if you don’t follow the Hindu religion, Janakpur is a great place to spend a few days.

The Best Things to Do in Janakpur, Nepal

1. Visit the Janaki Mandir (Janaki Temple)

• Janaki Mandir Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Times: 5:30-11 am, 4-8:30 pm

Janakpur is probably the most famous for the Janaki Temple. The temple is an important Hindu site and is dedicated to Goddess Sita.

The temple is quiet big with smaller shrines inside its courtyard. It is made of marble and stone, and beautifully decorated with colourful Mithila paintings.

In the evenings the temple is lit up in colourful lights. So, make sure to check out the temple both in the day and night time.

It can be interesting to see the rituals at the temple during major Hindu festivals (e.g. Ram Navami) when a lot of people come here for worship. Although if you prefer a more peaceful time, then better to avoid visiting during Hindu festivals. 

2. Visit the Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandir

• Entry fee: Rs. 10
• Opening times: 4 am-11 pm

The Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandir is right next to the Janaki Temple. It is believed in the Hindu mythology that this is where Sita and Ram got married.

Inside the temple there are sculptures of Ram and Sita recreating their marriage. In the back of the temple, there is also a small park where it is a nice place to relax a bit.

3. Visit the Ram Mandir

• Ram Mandir Entry Fee: Free

The Ram Mandir is another significant Hindu temple in Janakpur. It is a smaller temple but a nice place to check out if you are interested in Hindu culture.

A lot of people come here to perform rituals and worship ceremonies, so here you can also see it happen. Outside the temple, there are many vendors selling sweets and flowers for the worship ceremonies.

4. Chill at One of the Ancient Ponds

There are over 70 ponds in Janakpur and due to that, Janakpur is also referred to as the “City of Ponds”.

Some of the more significant ponds include: Ganga Sagar, Dhanusa Sagar, Parshuram Kunda and the Ratna Sagar.

Ganga Sagar is one of the most significant of all the ponds. It is said that the water in the Ganga Sagar was brought there from the Ganga River.

5. Check out Mithila Art Paintings

Mithila paintings originate from the Mithila Kingdom (used to be parts of India and Nepal).

Originally, Mithila paintings were painted on the walls of homes during special occasions, such as festivals, marriage or birth. Later, the Mithila art evolved and has also been prepared on canvasses.

As you walk along Janakpur, you will find Mithila paintings around on walls in many places. If you would like to buy some paintings, there are also a few galleries in town where you can buy them.

6. Janakpurdham Railway Station (Nepal’s Only Railway Station)

Nepal’s only railway station is in Janakpur and it connects Janakpur to Jaynagar in India. Trains only go a few times a day, so ask ahead to know what time to come to the station.

The trains are only a few (about 4) cars long and the station is very small. I was excited to see the railway station but in the end, it was just like a small railway station.

7. Try Indian Street Food and Sweets

As Janakpur is close to India, the city is greatly influenced by Indian food. There are many street food vendors and restaurants selling Indian dishes and sweets.

Although you can find most of these in Kathmandu too, you can still try some samosa, samosa chhat, litti (also called kachori) or sweets while in Janakpur.

How to Get Around Janakpur

On Foot or Tuktuks

The centre of Janakpur and the main attractions are nearby each other and can be easily discovered on foot.

However, if you are tired and you just quickly want to get from one place to another, you can hail a tuktuk. There are many tuktuks and usually can get you around the town for around Rs. 30-40. 

Half-day Trips from Janakpur

Generally, I would say that spending 1 day in Janakpur is plenty of time to visit all the attractions.

However, if you are staying in Janakpur for longer than a day, you can also go for a half-day trip nearby. If you like to discover Hindu temples and watch worship ceremonies, these two places are a great option:

Jaleshwor

Jaleshwor can be reached from Janakpur in about 1 hour by bus. It is a popular spot to visit for the Jaleshwor Mahadev Temple.

Dhanushadham

Dhanushadham is also maximum 1 hour from Janakpur by bus. The main attraction to check out here is the Dhanush Mandir. 

Restaurants in Janakpur

Janakpur is mainly visited by Nepali and Indian tourists, so the restaurants mainly serve Indian and Nepali dishes. Also, as Janakpur is located close to India, you will find lots of street food vendors selling Indian snacks.

I found two restaurants to be pretty good. One is the Laxmi Misthan Bhandar. It was recommended to me by the hotel reception where I was staying. They serve mainly Indian dishes. When I was there, they only had the menu in Nepali but the staff helped me translate the menu and recommended food to try.

I love pizza, so I also checked out a pizza place in Janakpur, the Laziz Pizza. It reminded me of fast food restaurants in Europe, but was happy with the pizza.

FAQs: Best Things to Do in Janakpur, Nepal

Conclusion

In conclusion, Janakpur is a place that is less visited by foreign tourists. So if you are looking for a place with less tourists, Janakpur is a great place to check out.

Janakpur is located in the south of Nepal, close to the border to India. It used to be part of the Mithila Kingdom and according to Hindu mythology, it is said to be the place where Sita and Ram got married.

It is a significant, religious place and people come here to perform worship ceremonies at the temples located in the city.

The main attractions in Janakpur include the Janaki Mandir (Janaki Temple), Shree Ram Janaki Biwah Mandir, Ram Mandir, Ancient ponds, Mithila art paintings, and the Janakpurdham Railway Station.

Generally, all attractions in Janakpur can be visited in a day, so if you are short on time, it can be a quick trip.