The white front
Lacework and coloured domes.
Nirmal Dulal — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bijaya2043 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bijay chaurasia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Suyash.dwivedi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bijay chaurasia — CC BY-SA 4.0
Janaki Mandir is a white Hindu temple in the city of Janakpurdham in southern Nepal, dedicated to the goddess Sita and the leading religious place in the Mithila region. Its scale and richly detailed front amaze visitors, setting it apart from the pagoda temples of the Kathmandu Valley. Pilgrims and tourists come in large numbers from Nepal and India. Queen Vrisha Bhanu of Tikamgarh built it in 1910, and it is also known as the Nau Lakha Mandir. It is a three-storey building of stone and marble covering 1,480 sq m, with 60 rooms. Hindus believe the marriage of Sita and Rama took place here, according to the Ramayana. It was placed on UNESCO's tentative list in 2008. You stand in a broad courtyard before white walls like lacework, topped with small domes and towers in green, blue and red, with lattice windows and coloured glass. Traditional Madhubani paintings appear on the walls. The courtyards fill with people during religious seasons, and the building looks very different when lit after sunset. It stands in the city centre, and you can reach Janakpur by air from Kathmandu, about 125 km away in a straight line. Visiting times vary, with sources giving morning until midday and then afternoon until evening, so ask. Cover your shoulders and knees, remove your shoes, do not take photos inside the shrines and respect worshippers.
Lacework and coloured domes.
Mithila art on the walls.
People and movement in season.
Central Janakpurdham, Madhesh Province, Nepal
Yes, according to most sources, though it is worth carrying a little cash.
By air from Kathmandu, and day tours run this way.