Steps afoot to enlist Janaki Temple in World Heritage list

By Laxmi Chaudhary,Janakpurdham, July 3: The concerned bodies have become active after the federal government raised the issue to enlist Janaki Temple in the World Heritage Site (WHS) list in the policy and programme of the fiscal year 2024/25.    Janaki Temple, built in Mughal style located in the capital of Madhes Province in Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City, has once again made headlines.  

The temple whose foundation was laid in 1894 and construction completed in 1911, is not only the centre of faith of Hindus but also a heritage of Mithilanchal people.

On October 1, 2014, Bhor, a social organisation had launched a signature campaign demanding that the Janaki Temple be enlisted in the World Heritage Site list. After the campaign, the voice to enlist Janaki Temple in the WHS was raised from all sides. At that time, the young citizens also became aware. 

Raj Kumar Mahato, coordinator of Bhor, said that the process of enlisting Janaki Temple in WHS could not move ahead that time because Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City did not take the issue seriously. 

“We handed over the responsibility to then Mayor of Janakpurdham, Lal Kishor Sah, to carry further the process of the campaign, he said, adding that the Sub-Metropolis should have taken the lead but could not do so. In the meantime, the height of the temple started looking shorter due to the construction of other taller physical structures in the surroundings of the temple. The drill machine used to install the lights has affected the temple,” he said. 

Manoj Kumar Sah, Mayor of the Sub-Metropolis, said the Sub-Metropolis had been active about the issue of Janaki Temple. 

He said that some work had been done in the past, but it has not been done in a planned manner.

Mayor Sah said, “The Sub-metropolis had taken the initiative about the Janaki Temple before for its inclusion in the policy programme of the federal government.” He said they had sent a map after forming a committee. “Now we need to prepare a proposal for the UNESCO, for this task a huge amount of money and skilled manpower will be required. So, we are waiting for the budget.” 

Sha said that the Sub-metropolis would prepare proposal in upcoming year if the central government allocated budget. 

Sheetal Sah, Chairperson of the Greater Janakpur Area Development Council (GJADC), said that the Sub-Metropolis and GJADC should work together to enlist Janaki Temple in WHS.  

Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City, Department of Archaeology, federal government, province government and other concerned bodies should work together to enlist Janaki Temple to the World Heritage Site, he said. 

He said, “There should be a stop in the destruction of archaeological heritage, which has happened in the past.” 

The mapped area for WHS has covered Barha Bigha, Angarajsagar, Janaki Chowk, Telha Marha Pokhari through south Shiva Chowk to Telecom, Janak Chowk, Gangasagar, Dhanush Sagar to Gopal Dharamshala via Ram Tower Rajdevi Temple to Janaki Temple.

Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City and other concerned bodies have taken the initiative after the federal government included the issue of enlisting Janaki Temple in the WHS in the policy and programme in the fiscal year 2024/25.

A discussion was held last year in the presence of officials of the Department of Archaeology, office-bearers of the Central Guthi Sansthan, Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City and Greater Janakpur Area Development Council for declaring Ramjanaki Temple as a protected monument area and enlisting it in the World Heritage Site. 

Ramesh Raj Poudel, Information Officer at the Department of Archaeology, said that it is necessary to declare a conservation area before taking it to the World Heritage Site. At present, preparations are being made for the mapping for declaring the conservation area, but the private and public places within the protected area have not been separated.

Initiatives have been taken in the past, but there is still a lot of work to be done. “The Sub-metropolitan City, the federal government and the provincial government have to coordinate,” he said. Janaki Temple, which is a cultural heritage of Mithilanchal people, celebrates one festival after another throughout the year. 

On the occasion of Ram Jayanti, Ram Navami is celebrated every mid-March/April, Janaki Navami in mid-April/May, Ramjanaki Wedding Ceremony in mid-September/October, Kojagrat Purnima in mid-October/November, Jhula festival in mid-July/August to September, 15-day Madhyama Prikrama in mid-February/March and hundreds of devotees visit every month on the day of Purnima.   

Not only this, the Janaki Temple is also used for Dekhasuni (the practice of seeing boy and girl before marriage) and also the first choice for the newly married couple. The temple is preferred for various religious and cultural activities.