An account of our visit to Nepal - Day 2

 Day 2: 5th April 2026

The dawn of our second day carried with it a sense of reverence. We set out to Purana Dham, the ancient site where legend says King Janaka unearthed Sita from a pot while ploughing the famine-stricken fields. Imagine the scene: a king, desperate to save his people, performing penance with sweat and soil – and destiny itself rising from the earth in the form of a child. Today, the site is a pond (and we performed pooja there), flanked by a temple adorned with idols of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Lakshmi, Narayana, Shiva, and more.

       

Deities in the temple

Pond where Sita was found by Janaka

As tradition demanded, Suma stepped forward with offerings – bead garlands, vastras, naivedya, and aarti – her devotion setting the tone for the day.

From there, we moved to Janki Sthal, the grander temple complex, often debated as Sita’s true birthplace. The air here was thick with history and dispute, but also with devotion. Idols of Ganesh, Hanuman, Radha-Krishna, Ram-Lakshman-Sita, and Garuda watched over us. The priest urged us to stay for the morning aarti, and we did. The chants, the bells, the rising incense – it was a symphony of faith. The prasad, though modest in portion, was rich in spirit, enough to whet our appetite for breakfast.

             

      

       

Some of the Deities at the Janki Sthal

Back at the hotel, roadside masala tea revived us while Rajneesh and Kamlesh, our ever-faithful charioteers, loaded the luggage. A small travel tip emerged from experience: keep a backpack with two days’ worth of clothes handy, so the big suitcase can rest undisturbed.

Breakfast was self-prepared – khichadi, quinoa khichadi, bisi bele bath, and upma. Simple, hearty, and comforting.

By mid-morning, we reached the border checkpoint. Permits were secured for our vehicles, granting us seven days of passage into Nepal. The sun was already blazing as we entered Janakpuri, another contested site of Sita’s birth. Amidst the heat, Sridhar or Vasu (memory blurs here) played the role of a good Samaritan, treating us all to chilled lassi. A blessing in disguise!

Then came the jewel: Janaki Temple, also called Naulakha Mandir. Built in the early 1900s by Queen Vrisha Bhanu of Orchha, it cost nine lakh gold coins – a fortune turned into devotion. Legends abound: a golden statue of Sita discovered in 1657, the holy site where Sannyasi Shurkishordas found her images.

     

    

        

Few pics at Janki Temple, Janakpuri

The sanctum was closed until 4:00 pm, so we wandered. A marriage was underway in one corner, bhajans echoed in another, and young girls filmed TikTok dances in yet another – modernity and tradition colliding in the temple courtyard. We explored the animated Ramayan exhibition, walls alive with Mithila art narrating Sita’s story.

By then, hunger roared. Hotel Ramayan Misthan came to the rescue with a vegetarian feast.

When the sanctum finally opened, the crowd surged. Students on holiday had swelled the numbers, and chants of “Jai Sita Ram!” filled the air. Amidst the melee, we glimpsed the idols, resplendent in opulence. From there, we visited the nearby Ram temple, its pagoda-like structure reminiscent of Tibetan Buddhist architecture, housing idols as ancient as the stones themselves.

The evening carried us to Dhanush Dham, 20 km northeast. A massive bow spanned the highway, a reminder of the legend: Rama stringing Shiva’s bow at Sita’s swayamvara, the bow shattering into three parts. The middle fragment is said to have landed here, leaving behind mysterious elements that even scientists failed to identify. Mysticism and science stood side by side, shrugging at each other.

         

        

Pics of what is believed to be parts of Shiv Dhanush

    

      

Villagers sold cucumbers and wood that burned like camphor, its shavings fragrant like incense. We bought some souvenirs of faith and earth.

Finally, under the night sky, we reached Varaha Kshetra at 10:30 pm. Suma had wisely chosen the Bhandari Shakhahari Hotel, close to the temple and the river Koshi. Beds claimed, bodies weary, spirits full – we surrendered to sleep once more.