Janakpur, the birthplace of Goddess Sita and home to the unique Mithila culture of Nepal lies in the terai lowland area. Janakpur is also known as Janakpurdham (Dham meaning a scared place). Named after the legendary King Janak, Janakpur was the capital of the ancient Mithila Kingdom in the Indian subcontinent. Today Janakpur stands as the most cleanest and interesting place among all the towns of Terai. Janakpur has become a great pilgrimage site for Hindus today. The most sacred sites are the Janaki Mandir, dedicated to goddess Sita, the Ram Sita bibaha (marriage) mandir, built over the spot where Ram and Sita were said to have been married, Ram Mandir, dedicated to lord Ram and the holy pond Dhanush Sagar. Hundreds of Indian devotees come here every year to pay their respect to the goddess at this temple. Besides the religious importance, Janakpur is also the center for the revival of the ancient Mithila art and craft. As a tradition, Mithila women have always been decorating the walls of their houses with paintings depicting figures from Hindu mythology in abstract forms, sometimes resembling a mandala. Janakpur is accessible by flight from Kathmandu. If you are entering Nepal via Darjeeling or Sikkim, Janakpur can be a worth stop before heading onwards to Chitwan National Park or Kathmandu.