Nepal's Janakpur gets facelift for first 'Bibah Panchami' after Ram Lalla's "Pran Prathistha"

Janakpur [Nepal], December 1 : With the countdown begun for the 'Bibah Panchami,' Janakpur- the maternal house of Goddess Sita is getting a facelift.

Artists are busy painting murals on the walls around the city depicting the scenes from the holy scripture of Ramayana giving a fresher and new look to the ancient city.

Poonam Jha, an artist, is busy these days engraving the walls of Janakpur with the murals depicting the major events of Ramayana utilizing the Mithila Art technique.

"Every five years, the wedding procession from Ayodhya leaves for Janakpur for Bibah Panchami. In order to showcase the events of Ramayana we have scripted it on the walls. From the birth of goddess Janaki to her marriage (with Lord Ram), Dhanush Yagya, Banbas to the Agniparikshya, I have been working to show all the major events of her life through the art," Jha told ANI.
The Mithila Paintings which utilizes colour pigments and resonate the daily lives of the people, temples and other architecture are being scripted on the walls to make the city more attractive.
"Baaratis, or people in the wedding procession from India are arriving Janakpur for the Bibah Panchami celebration. To make the city more beautiful and attractive like it was in the Treatayuga for the Bibah Panchami, this time also we have the aim to make it same like that. We cannot make it exactly like those days but we are trying to give a facelift," another artist, Sonam Karn told ANI.
This will be the first Bibah Panchami celebrations to be made after the Pranpratistha of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya earlier this year. Every year, on the fifth day of the Margashirsha month, devotees celebrate Bivah Panchami, the day of the divine wedding.
The 'Baraat' of Lord Ram has departed for Janakpur to marry Goddess Sita, with great pomp and show. Around 500 devotees from Ayodhya, who have come from various corners of India, have set out for Janakpur Dham as 'baraatis' in the wedding of Lord Ram. The wedding procession is expected to reach Janakpur Dham on December 3, where the people of Janakpur will also welcome the procession.
"The Baarat of around 500 people are arriving Janakpur. They will be welcomed and felicitated at multiple locations- Batsar, Darbhanga, Bisoul, Sitamarhi, on December 2 in Matihani and are scheduled to arrive at Janakpur on December 3. As in Tretayuga when Kishori Ji (Goddess Sita) and Lord Ram along with the baraatis were welcomed, the same would be resonated, for which we have made all the arrangements and would give them a grand welcome," Ram Roshan Das, Uttaradhikari of Janaki Temple told ANI.
This is the first time such a grand celebration of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita's wedding is being held, after the Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya's Ram Temple.
Forty Vedic Brahmins from Tirupati will be performing the marriage of Sita and Ram in Janakpur Dham. These Vedic Brahmins will directly reach Janakpur to conduct the marriage rituals.
According to the scriptures, Lord Ram, son of king Dasharath of Ayodhya married goddess Sita, daughter of king Janak of Janakpurdham during the Treta epoch. The marriage was solemnized in Janakpurdham.