Revisiting the glory of Janakpur

The ancient city of Janakpur celebrated the bow-breaking ceremony as part of Vivah Panchami celebrations marking the marriage of Lord Ram with Goddess Sita (Janaki) on Dec 6 in the presence of a large number of devotees and pilgrims. 

On the day of Vivah Panchami, a special marriage procession from Ayodhya, the birthplace of Ram, also arrives in Janakpur, the birthplace of Janaki. 

On this occasion, let’s revisit the glorious past of this ancient city.

In ancient times (Treta Yug), an arena was prepared for the contest of the bow at Rangbhoomi, located close to the famous Janaki temple. The great poet Tulsi Das mentions about the grand preparations in his Ramayan thus: “The two brothers reached the eastern quarters of the city where the ground had been prepared for the contest. In the midst of a fair and spacious paved area, a spotless altar had been richly adorned.”

He goes further: “On all four sides of this altar were erected broad platforms of gold to be occupied by the princes. Not far behind and surrounding them on all sides shone another circular tiers of platforms of somewhat greater height and beautiful in every way, and where the citizens might come and sit. Close to these were constructed spacious and beautiful pavilions, glistening white and painted in different colours.”

Sita, a paragon of beauty, was wandering with her girl companions hither and thither in the royal garden. She used to pluck fresh flowers to worship Girija, her favourite goddess. After bathing in the lovely pond, she went with her friends to worship at Girija’s temple. She offered worship with deep devotion and asked the goddess for a handsome husband worthy of her. By chance, Ram and Lakshman were also visiting the royal garden as it was so famous and worth visiting. Ram saw beautiful Sita with his own eyes. He was overwhelmed to see her unparalleled beauty. Tulasi Das has described this marvelous meeting of the two in the following lines: “Hearing the tinkling of her bangles, the small bells on her girdle and the anklets, Ram thought within himself and then said to Lakshman, ‘sounds as though Cupid has sounded his kettle drum, ambitious to conquer the universe’.”

After getting a glimpse of Sita’s beauty, Ram drew the conclusion that she is no other than Janaki, the daughter of Janak for whom the contest of the bow was going to be held. The most famous Rajarshi was Shirdhwaj Janak, the father of Sita, also known by her family name (Janaki).

Tulasi Das has aptly and rightly described this fact in the following lovely lines: “Dear brother, this is no other than Janaki, to win whom the contest of the bow is being held. She has been escorted by her girl companions to worship Gauri and is moving about in the garden diffusing light all about her.”

There’s an interesting story about the birth of Sita. It goes something like this:   

A dreadful drought had occurred in the Kingdom of Mithila. King Janak himself tilled and sanctified the land in the capital of Mithila, Janakpur. He discovered a beautiful baby girl lying in a furrow. He brought the baby to his palace where she grew up into a beautiful princess. When she reached marriageable age, Janak held a great bow-breaking ceremony where one wishing to get married to his daughter had to bend the divine bow of Lord Shiv, gifted to him by the Lord himself. Princes and kings came to face the challenge from far and wide, but nobody could bend the tremendous and powerful bow. 

It so happened that Ram and his brother were in the vicinity of Janakpur with his Guru (teacher) Vishwamitra. They were also invited to that historical and celestial contest. With his Guru’s permission, Ram broke the bow into three pieces, with its breaking sounding like an earthquake. After breaking the bow, the lovely Sita put the wedding garland on Ram’s neck causing a universal applause with gods and goddesses showering flowers on them from high heavens. All men and women thronged to see this sacred and celestial meeting of eternal lovers.

A grand marriage ceremony was held where Ram’s three brothers Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan were also married to Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutikriti, respectively. 

Since then, this festival of celestial marriage has been performed throughout Nepal and India but the focal point of attraction is Janakpur, the birthplace of Janaki. Janakpur is considered a sacred place and thousands of devotees from different parts of Nepal and India visit the city every year to offer worship at the famous temples of Ram and Sita. Enthusiastically, they watch the ceremonial marriage procession, which starts from Ram Mandir, passes through Janaki Mandir and ends at the Rangbhoomi where a celestial bow-breaking ceremony is held. 

The idols of Ram and Sita are taken in procession to the site of revelry. To commemorate their marriage ceremony, the garlands of Ram and Sita are exchanged in the midst of thousands of people, who flock to watch the grand ceremony. 

Devotees perform Maithili marriage rituals in the Janaki temple at night with enthusiastic participation of sages, Brahmins and priests amid marriage folk songs and Mantra recitals in an ambience filled with music.

A big fair is also held at the Janaki temple with the participation of hundreds of hermits, sages and devotees. Local artists perform Ramlila at night and, at times, theater companies also come to entertain the crowd. Different stalls put in place for the occasion provide a wide range of goods, including essentials. As the Janaki temple is the center of attraction with all roads leading toward it, the temple is decorated to attract the visitors, including dignitaries, with the involvement of local authorities. The registered saints and sages get free food and lodging facilities during the fair. On the occasion, Janakpur becomes a meeting place for families and friends also, with every family catering to a good number of guests. 

The next day, the idol of Sita is carried to the Ram Mandir (temple) amidst great fanfare in a farewell ceremony marked by offering of precious things as dowry. The idols of Ram and Sita, dressed as the bridegroom and the bride, are placed in a beautifully-decorated palanquin on the back of a caparisoned elephant.

In the Mithila region, four men carry this palanquin amid a musical marriage procession marked by the presence of a significant number of men and women, and this procession is called Barat in Maithili. These days, apart from men and women, the procession also features elephants, horses and bullock carts. 

After several days of celebration, the festival of faith ends. 

Every year, this festival offers us glimpses of the Ramayan period. We remember Ram, an incarnation of the almighty and Sita, an incarnation of the goddess whom we worship with reverence. 

Beautiful, pious, honest, courteous and loyal to her husband Ram, Sita symbolizes ideal womanhood.  According to Devi Upanishad “Sita, the consort of Ram, is nature. She is the primordial power, the embodiment of divine splendor. She is the heaven attained through penance, the nature of the universe conscious and unconscious, that which knows and that which does not  know.”

Maithil women still have an undying faith in her chastity and follow her footsteps in every walk of life to make their lives ideal and happy. She is also the embodiment of duty. The Maithil women regard her as a dutiful daughter of Mithila because she sacrificed her whole life in the service of her husband, honestly and respectfully.  

Every year, Janakpur celebrates this festival with great fanfare. Time has come to develop this ancient city while retaining its past glory.