Kathmandu, September 18
The government has declared the Janaki Temple a protected monument zone. According to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Cabinet made the declaration under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1956.
Ministry Secretary Mukunda Prasad Niraula said the monument zone was declared by defining its four boundaries.
The eastern boundary has been set along the Parikrama Path, stretching from Bhanu Chowk and Kadam Chowk in Janakpur past the District Administration Office and Land Revenue Office towards the south.
Similarly, the western boundary has been set along the Parikrama Path from Bhamarpura Chowk towards the west, passing through Yagyavalkya Sanskrit Secondary School, Gyan Kupa and Hanuman Temple before turning north.
The northern boundary has been set along the Parikrama Path from Hanuman Temple and Pidari Chowk, where the Raja Janak Memorial is located, through the Madhes Province government building and Mills Area to Bhanu Chowk.
The southern boundary has been set along the Parikrama Path from Murali Chowk in Janakpurdham, where the Vidyapati Memorial is located, to Bhamarpura Chowk.
The ministry informed the public about the decision by publishing a notice in the Nepal Gazette.
Nepal has set a goal of listing the Janaki Temple as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For this, the heritage site needs to be declared a protected monument zone. The government made the decision accordingly.
With the declaration, specified standards, including those governing the construction of buildings around the protected area, will now apply.
The government has also included the plan to list the Janaki Temple as a World Heritage Site in the budget for the current fiscal year.
