Photo: JanakpurDhanushSagar · Wikimedia Commons
Dhanusha
धनुष र गङ्गा सागर
Janakpur's twin sacred ponds — Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar — where pilgrims bathe and float lamps during Chhath, Dashain, and Vivah Panchami.
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Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar are Janakpur's sacred temple tanks — ritual bathing ponds at the heart of Mithila festivals, where pilgrims gather before Janaki Mandir processions.
Ritual bathing ghats, Chhath observances, festival lamp offerings, old city quarter ponds.
Traditional tirtha tanks of Janakpurdham; essential to Mithila festival calendar.
Dawn ghat walk → Ganga Sagar lamps → Dhanush Sagar circumambulation → Janaki Mandir. 1–2 hours.
Welcome to Dhanush and Ganga Sagar. The ponds remember every festival lamp and every pilgrim's first ritual bath.
At a Glance
Location
Old Janakpur quarter
Ponds
Dhanush & Ganga Sagar
Festivals
Chhath, Dashain, Vivah Panchami
Ritual
Lamp offerings at ghats
Access
Walk from Janaki Mandir
Best time
Dawn & festival evenings
Heritage
The two tanks have structured Janakpur's festival calendar for generations. Stone ghats, pipal shade, and small shrines ring water that reflects both sky and lamp-flame during Chhath. Pilgrims bathe before Janaki Mandir darshan; processions pause here during Vivah Panchami.
Visual Journey
Sacred Calendar
Major Mithila and Hindu observances.
Suggested Schedule
Best at dawn or festival evening; 1–2 hours with ghat walks.
Morning
Dawn lamps and quiet ghats.
Circumambulate pond path.
Continue to morning darshan.
Practical Information
Footwear
Easy to remove
Ghats are wet stone
Photos
Sunset excellent
Respect bathers' privacy
Chhath
Very crowded
Plan transport early
Heat
Midday exposure
Visit dawn or dusk
5–15 minute walk to either pond.
Ask for Ganga Sagar or Dhanush Sagar.
Extend Your Journey
Sacred ponds at the centre of Janakpurdham.
From the Community
Sacred pond ghats and Chhath observances in Janakpur.
These videos are shared by devotees and travelers. They are not official productions of the heritage programme.
Janaki Mandir, Janakpur
Janaki Mandir (Nau Lakha Mandir) is one of Nepal's largest and most magnificent Hindu temples — a white marble palace-temple in Janakpur where Goddess Sita is believed to have been born.
Ram Mandir, Janakpur
Ram Mandir is among Janakpur's oldest temples — a pagoda shrine to Lord Rama built in the late 1700s by Gorkhali General Amar Singh Thapa amid the sacred pond quarter of Janakpurdham.
Ram Sita Vivah Mandap
Ram Sita Vivah Mandap is a white marble pavilion in Janakpur marking the mythical wedding site of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita — centrepiece of the annual Vivah Panchami festival.
Mithila Art Villages, Janakpur
Around Janakpur, Maithil villages preserve living heritage of Mithila (Madhubani) painting — geometric floors, narrative wall murals, and workshops where artists still use natural pigments on paper and walls.
