# Tourism in Mithila

The region of Mithila in the Indian subcontinent is believed to be the ancient inhabitat place of the Videha Kingdom in the text Ramayana. The Mithila region is widely known for its rich culture, tradition and historical heritages. The region encompasses parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Nepal. The major parts of the tourism in the Mithila region are religious, historical, cultural, art and some natural locations.
According to Ramayana, the kingdom of Mithila was ruled by the Vedic King Janaka. The King Janaka is considered one of prominent figures in the ancient texts of the Indian subcontinent. He was the father of the Goddess Sita in Ramayana. The goddess Sita was the wife of Lord Rama. Mithila is considered as a holy destination for the Hindu pilgrimage as it is believed to be the birthplace of the goddess Sita. The Indian poet Goswami Tulsidas in his book Ramacharitmanas and the Vedic sage Maharshi Valmiki in his book Ramayana have described the land of Mithila as a holy land. It is the part of the Ramayana circuit being developed by the Government of India.

## Religious tourism

Sitamarhi is a major destination in the Mithila region for religious tourism. According to Hindu adherents, Sitamarhi is believed as the birthplace of the Goddess Sita. There are several locations related to the Ramayana circuit in the Sitamarhi district. Panaura Dham in Sitamarhi is the place of manifestation of Goddess Sita.
Similarly there is another location called as Janaki Sthan related to the temple of Goddess Sita in the city of Sitamarhi. The temple is known as Janaki Sthan Mandir. In the campus of Janaki Sthan, there is a sacred pond called as Urvija Kund. Some scholars believe this sacred pond as the place of manifestation of Goddess Sita.
After the city of Sitamarhi, the another major destination for the tourism in Mithila is the city of Janakpur. In the present time, it is the capital city of the Madhesh Pradesh province in Nepal. It is believed to be the capital of the ancient Mithila Kingdom in Ramayana. It was the location of the court of King Janaka in Mithila. The world famous Janaki Mandir is the prime location in the city of Janakpur. In 2008, it was placed in the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Ram Mandir is one of the oldest Hindu temple in city of Janakpur which was built by the Gorkhali Army General Amar Singh Thapa during 1700. It is constructed in the style of Nepalese architectural design.
In Darbhanga district, the Ahalya Sthan and the Gautam Ashram are the major destinations for Hindu pilgrimage. The Gautam Ashram was the ashram of the Vedic sage Maharshi Gautama. It was associated with the Ancient Mithila University. It is the place where the Indian philosophy of Nyaya Shastra was composed. It was one of the sacred locations in the path of the journey of Lord Rama towards the kingdom of Mithila. Similarly the Ahalya Sthan is the sacred location in the ashram where it is believed that Ahalya was converted into a hard stone statue due to the curse given by her husband Maharshi Gautama. It is believed that when Lord Rama arrived in the ashram, he freed Ahalya from the curse given by Maharshi Gautama.
In the Mithila region, a religious circumambulation of fifteen days known as Mithila Madhya Parikrama is an ancient and traditional source of tourism in Mithila. The circumambulation covers 15 major pilgrims sites of the central part of the Mithila region. In the fifteen days journey of the Mithila Madhya Parikrama, lakhs of devotees, sadhu-sants and travellers flocked from different parts of the Indian subcontinent to participate.
The Simaria Ghat on the bank of Ganga river in the Begusarai district of the Mithila region is an important religious destination of Hindu adherents for sacred Ganga Snaana. It is known for performing Hindu rituals of a month-long Kalpavas. According to legend, it is believed that the tradition of the month-long Kalpavas Mela was started by the King Janaka of Mithila. The Kalpavas Mela and Ganga Snaana tradition of Hinduism attract a huge number of devotees from different parts of the Indian subcontinent including Nepal and Bhutan.

## Archaeological tourism

Balirajgarh and Vaishali are the two major locations for the ancient archeological sites in the Mithila region.

## Historical tourism

Rajnagar Palace is a historical place in the Madhubani district of the Mithila region. It was built on the cost of 9 lakhs silver coins so it is also known as Naulakha palace. It was built by Maharaja Rameshwar Singh of Raj Darbhanga during the period of 17th century CE. It was made the capital of Mithila during that period. It is spread over approximately 1500 acres of land. There are 11 historical Hindu temples in the campus of the Rajnagar Palace.

## Mithila paintings and arts

The art and painting works of the Mithila region are also the source of tourism in the region. The Madhubani painting also known as Mithila painting is world famous painting for its unique features. Tourists from different parts of the world come here to learn and buy the art and painting works of the artists in region. It has got international attention in the countries like USA, Japan, Germany and France.