Sitamarhi district is one of the districts of Bihar, and Sitamarhi town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Sitamarhi district is a part of Tirhut Division.

The district of Sitamarhi was carved out of Muzaffarpur district on 11th December 1972. It is situated in the northern part of Bihar. Its headquarter is located at Dumra, five kilometers south of Sitamarhi. The district headquarter was shifted here after the town of Sitamarhi was devastated in one of the worst ever earthquake in January 1934.

HISTORY

Sitamarhi is a sacred place in Hindu mythology. It’s history goes back to Treta Yug. Sita, the wife of Lord Rama sprang to life out of an earthern pot, when Raja Janak was ploughing the field somewhere near Sitamarhi to impress upon Lord Indra for rain. It is said that Raja Janak excavated a tank at the place where Sita emerged and after her marriage set up the stone figures of Rama, Sita and Lakshman to mark the site. This tank is known as Janaki-kund and is south of the Janaki Mandir.

In course of time, the land lapsed into a jungle until about 500 years ago, when a Hindu ascetic, named Birbal Das came to know the site by divine inspiration where Sita was born. He came down from Ayodhya and cleared the jungle. He found the images set up by Raja Janak, built temple over there and commenced the worship of Janaki or Sita. The Janaki Mandir is apparently modern and is about 100 years old only. The town however contains no relics of archaeological interest.

PLACES OF INTEREST

Janaki Temple, Sitamarhi: About 1.5 Kms. Off he railway station and the bus stand, this is the birth place of Sita. Janaki-Kund is adjacent south of the temple.

Janaki Temple, Punaura: This is about 5 Kms. west of Sitamarhi. This place claims the honour of being the birth place of Sita.

Deokuli (or Dhekuli): It is 19 Kms. west of Sitamarhi town. An ancient Shiva Temple is situated here. A big fair takes place every year on the eve Shivaratri. Legends have it that Draupadi, the wife of five Pandavas was born here. Now it lies in the Sheohar district, carved out of Sitamarhi in 1994.

Haleshwar Sthan: This is 3 Kms. noth-west of Sitamarhi. As the myth goes, the king Videha had founded a temple of Lord shiva on the occasion of Putra Yeshti Yajna. His temple was named as th Haleshwarnath temple.

Panth-Pakar: It is 8 Kms. north-east of Sitamarhi. It is said that after her marriage, sita was carried in a palanquin to Ayodhya by this route. An old Banyan tree is still standing here under which she is said to have rested for a while.

Bodhayan-Sar: This is the sacred place where Maharishi Bodhaya had written number of epics. The great sanskrit Grammarian Panini was one of his disciples. The renowned saint Deoraha Baba has laid the foundation of a Bodhayan temple here some 37 years ago.

Baghi Math: Some 7 Kms. north-west of Sitamarhi, in Baghi village, there is a big Hindu monastery which contain 108 rooms. This is a famous place for worship and performing Yajna.

Pupri: There is a famous Baba Nageshwarnath (Lord Shiva) temple here. It is said that Lord Shiva has himself had appeared as Nageshwar nath Mahadeo.

Goraul Sharif: It is situated some 26 Kms. from Sitamarhi town. This is a very sacred place for Muslims, after Biharsharif and Phulwarisharif in Bihar.

Shukeshwar Sthan: It is situated 26 Kms. north-west of Sitamarhi. This was the worship place of Sukhadev Muni, the great saint. A big and ancient temple, dedicated to Shukeshwarnath (Lord Shiva) still exists here.