Janaki Mandir is the grandest temple of Mithila and the devotional centre of Janakpur, the city revered as the birthplace of Sita and the capital of the ancient Videha kingdom. Built in 1898 by Queen Vrisha Bhanu of Tikamgarh, it is a three-storey structure of stone and marble with around sixty rooms, its walls carrying Mithila motifs. Because it is said to have cost nine lakh rupees, it is also called the Nau Lakha Mandir.
The inner sanctum enshrines a flower-draped image of Sita, with Rama, Lakshmana and their brothers beside her. Adjoining the temple is the Vivah Mandap, marking the marriage of Rama and Sita — the focus of the Vivaha Panchami festival each winter, when pilgrims pour in from both India and Nepal. The temple sits on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list and anchors the 15-day Mithila Madhya Parikrama pilgrimage.