Janaki Temple’s Ram Janaki Museum and Wedding Mandap Closed

Janakpur’s famous Janaki Temple has closed its Ram Janaki Museum and Wedding Mandap after the management committee stopped issuing tickets due to a dispute with the Home Minister of Madhesh Province, Fakir Mahat.

According to the temple management, Minister Mahat had been allowing tourists to enter for free, which led to the cancellation of ticket sales. The management claimed that the revenue generated from ticket sales was used for the temple’s maintenance and development.

The museum used to charge 15 Nepali rupees and 10 Indian rupees per person, while the Wedding Mandap charged 10 Nepali rupees and 7 Indian rupees per person. The temple management stated that they were forced to close the museum and Wedding Mandap due to the minister’s actions.

Ram Tapeshwar Das Vaishnav, the Mahant of Janaki Temple, alleged that Minister Mahat had arrived at the temple without any prior coordination and had torn up the tickets, leading to the closure. Mahant Das accused the minister of behaving like a goon and not discussing the issue with the temple management beforehand.

Minister Mahat, however, claimed that he had stopped the ticket sales because it was inappropriate to charge tourists to visit the temple.