More Indian tourists visit Janakpurdham

Rastriya Samachar Samiti

Janakpurdham, January 17

Janakpurdham, a famous religious and cultural destination in the country, has recently witnessed a sudden rise in the number of Indian tourists visiting the historical city.

More than two dozen tourist buses, carrying a large number of Indian tourists from various Indian states like Rajasthan, Gujrat, Orrisa, Madhya Pradhesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have arrived here recently. Majority of the tourists coming here are religious devotees who pay obeisance at the Janaki temple here in Janakpurdham.

Local traders, besides those trading in warm clothes, had been suffering due to a decline in business but the arrival of tourists is said to have increased their trade as well.

Increase in the number of religious devotees visiting the Bibaha Mandap on the north of Janaki temple and performing puja is said to have doubled the income of local traders. On an average some 1,000 tourists visit the Bibaha Mandap every day, says Ram Brikhsa Shah, an employee of Janakpur municipality at the ticket counter. Prior to this, the number of people visiting the Bibaha Mandap used to be hardly 200 a day.

Flower traders on the premises of Janaki temple, Ram temple, Sankatmochan and other shrines in Janakpurdham have also been getting good business. "Flower and garlands sales have risen. Though this is a winter season, there is a good demand," says Mahendra Mali, a traditional flower seller in Janaki temple.

Despite the cold wave, a rise in the number of tourists has provided us with an opportunity to earn a good income, says rickshaw driver Rohit Paswan.

Guesthouses like the Gopal Dharmashala, Pagalababa Dharmashala, Rauniyar Dharmashala and others in Janakpurdham have been packed with pilgrims and tourists. Meanwhile, people related with the tourism industry have pointed out the need to improve the state of the sites of historical and religious importance in Janakpurdham in order to boost the number people visiting the area.