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A palatial confection of a building in the Mughal style, the Janaki Mandir (pronounced Jaa -nuh-kee) is supposed to mark the spot where a golden image of Sita was discovered in 1657 and, presumably, where the virtuous princess actually lived. The present plaster and marble structure, erected in 1911 by an Indian queen, is already looking a little mouldy. The outer building encloses a courtyard and inner sanctum, where at least twice a day (generally 8am and 4pm) priests draw back a curtain to reveal an intricate silver shrine and perform various rituals for attending worshippers; non-Hindus are allowed to watch, and the priests even seem willing to bestow blessings on unbelievers. It's an enchanting place at night and early in the morning, when the devout gather in lamplit huddles and murmur haunting hymns. The temple is also a traditional place for boys to undergo the ritual of chhewar (the first shaving of the head), and male dancers in drag ( natuwa in Nepali), who are often hired to perform at the ceremony, may sometimes be seen here. Climb the stairs to the roof of the outer building for a view of the central courtyard and the dense, brick-laned Muslim village butting right up against the temple's rear wall: one of Janakpur's most extraordinary aspects is the way rural life can be seen almost in the heart of the city. North of the temple, the modern, Nepali pagoda-style Ram Janaki Biwaha Mandap (Ram Sita Wedding Pavilion) houses a turgid tableau of the celebrated event.
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