Places to visit in Madhesh
The heart of Mithila and Bhojpur: Janakpur's temples and ponds, Nepal's only passenger railway, the ruined Karnat capital of Simraungadh and the gateway city of Birgunj.
Districts: Saptari · Siraha · Dhanusha · Mahottari · Sarlahi · Rautahat · Bara · Parsa
Koshi Barrage
The long barrage across the Saptakoshi that carries the East–West Highway over Nepal's largest river. At sunset fishermen work the pools below the gates, and in winter the water is full of birds.
Where the highway crosses the Koshi1 min →
Rajbiraj
Laid out in 1938 on a grid inspired by Jaipur, Rajbiraj is Nepal's oldest planned town — a Maithili-speaking district capital of straight streets, chowks, temples and ponds, famous for its Chhath and Holi.
Nepal's first planned town1 min →
◆ Hidden gemChhinnamasta Bhagawati, Sakhada
A revered goddess temple near the India border in Saptari, dedicated to Chhinnamasta — the fierce form of Devi who cuts off her own head. Quiet most of the year, packed with pilgrims from both sides of the border at Dashain.
Shrine of the headless goddess1 min →
◆ Hidden gemSalhesh Phulbari
A small sacred grove in Lahan linked to Raja Salhesh, the beloved folk hero of Mithila. An orchid on one old tree is said to bloom only on the eve and morning of the Nepali New Year — and thousands come to see it.
Folk hero's garden & New Year orchid1 min →
Janaki Mandir, Janakpur
The white, domed temple of Sita (Janaki) that marks Janakpur as the capital of ancient Mithila and King Janaka's city. Built in the 1900s by a queen from central India, it stands among the Vivah Mandap, Ram Mandir and the sacred ponds of Nepal's 'city of ponds'.
Sita's temple in the heart of Mithila2 min →
Janakpur–Jaynagar railway
A line first built in the 1930s, closed for years, and reborn in 2022 as a broad-gauge railway: board at Janakpurdham for Jaynagar in India, or head the other way to Bijalpura — the only regular passenger train service in Nepal.
Nepal's only passenger railway1 min →.jpg?width=640)
Dhanushadham
The temple that gives Dhanusha district its name. When Rama broke Shiva's great bow in Janakpur, a piece is said to have landed here — and devotees venerate a stone 'fragment of the bow' in the shrine.
Where Shiva's bow fell1 min →
◆ Hidden gemJaleshwar Mahadev
The temple that names the town of Jaleshwar, Mahottari's border capital: its Shiva linga sits below ground level in a sanctum filled with water — 'Lord of the Waters'. A major Shivaratri site of Mithila.
Shiva in the water1 min →
◆ Hidden gemSimraungadh
For over two centuries (1097–1324) the capital of the Karnat kings of Mithila, then sacked by the Delhi Sultanate and swallowed by forest. Today: brick ramparts, moats, scattered sculpture and two restored temples in quiet villages on the Bara border — one of the great untold stories of the Tarai.
Lost capital of the Karnat kings2 min →.JPG?width=640)
Gadhimai Temple, Bariyarpur
The shrine of goddess Gadhimai, whose month-long mela every five years draws millions of devotees from Nepal and India. It is also known worldwide for its mass animal sacrifice and the long campaign to end it.
Goddess temple of the five-yearly mela1 min →
Birgunj
The busiest border city in Nepal, facing Raxaul in Bihar — the entry point for most of the country's goods. A Bhojpuri-speaking metropolis with a landmark clock tower, the Gahawa Mai temple, legendary street food and a railway history older than any in the country.
Nepal's trade gateway1 min →
Parsa National Park
Sal forest and Chure hills joined to Chitwan's east — a tiger, elephant and gaur habitat with a fraction of Chitwan's visitors. Protected since 1984 and a national park since 2017.
Chitwan's quiet neighbour1 min →Every place on the map
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