Janakpur isn’t really on the regular tourist map, but it sounded like a nice place to go for a couple of days to break up the arduous bus journey across Eastern Nepal. As more and more locals told us it was THE place to celebrate Diwali in Nepal, we got more and more excited! Although we did very nearly change our minds and not go (see previous blog.)
Janakpur was beautiful! But it could have just been the Diwali decorations. The streets were wide and clean and green with banana tree branches everywhere. And the town just seemed alive.
The markets were pumping and full of colour and we were greeted over and over by locals “welcoming” us to Nepal, and little kids who just wanted to hang with us because we were cool.
We visited the amazing Janaki Mandir which was stunning! And, along with another lady we met at the guesthouse, visited a couple of less famous temples and some of the surrounding villages where we sat and watched as kids herded their goats after school.
After Diwali, when the banana tree leaves were cleared away, it wasn’t as nice as before. It magically transformed into a normal town… But hey, it was still a great place to spend a couple of days. Especially if you want to get off the very-well beaten tourist trail.
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