Rajbiraj, headquarters of Saptari district in Nepal’s Madhesh Province, is one of the oldest planned towns of the Nepal Tarai and a long-standing centre of Maithil culture on the northern side of the historic Mithila region. Its Rajdevi temple draws pilgrims from both sides of the border, especially during Navratri.
A town of Maithili speech, Mithila painting and the same festival calendar kept across the frontier, Rajbiraj is a reminder that Mithila’s cultural map pays no heed to the modern boundary line drawn at Sugauli.