नेपाली

Vivah Panchami, Janakpur

The wedding of Ram and Sita1 min readIn 76 days

Also known as: विवाह पञ्चमी, जनकपुर · विवाह पञ्चमी · Bibaha Panchami · Ram Sita wedding

Vivah Panchami, Janakpur — The wedding of Ram and Sita
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Janakpur re-enacts the marriage of Rama and Sita on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of Mangsir, with a wedding procession, rituals at the Vivah Mandap and days of music and fairs — the city's biggest celebration.

In Janakpur, Sita's wedding is not just a story — it is celebrated every year like the marriage of a daughter of the city.

The celebration

In the days before Vivah Panchami, Janakpur fills with pilgrims, many from Ayodhya and elsewhere in India. Images of Rama and Sita are carried in a grand procession; a symbolic wedding party arrives, and the marriage rites are performed at the Vivah Mandap beside the Janaki Mandir. Kirtan, Ramayana recitations and a large fair go on for days.

For visitors

Hotels fill up, so book early. Evening aarti at the Janaki Mandir during the festival, with the whole façade lit, is spectacular.

Photo gallery

Vivah Panchami, Janakpur
1 / 3 · Wikimedia Commons

Festival dates follow the lunar calendar. Dates shown are approximate — confirm with a Nepali calendar (patro) before you travel.

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