Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: IE
Context: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has initiated a Rs 72-crore development plan for Goddess Sita’s birthplace at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi at Mithila.
- The epic mentions Sita using names like Vaidehi, Janaki, Sita, and Mithilapuri, the last being an obvious reference to Mithila in Bihar.
About Mithila:
- Mithila, described in the Vishnu Puran as north of the Ganga and south of the Himalayas, includes present-day Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, and some areas in Bihar and Nepal.
- Janakpuri in Nepal is a modern name for Mithilapuri mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan. The Bihar government, in coordination with Nepal, has included Janakpuri in the Ramayana Circuit.
