Pilgrimage tourism in Sitamarhi district is a visit down mythological lanes, as there are many places of mythological significance situated here. These include the birthplace of Sita, wife of Lord Rama and the place of origin of Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandavas of Mahabharata. There are a number of places of worship situated here, from holy sites to ancient temples. Some of the most visited places of pilgrimage located in the district are the Janaki Temple, Bodhayan-Sar, Pupri, Shukeshwar Sthan, Deokuli etc. Apart from the many Hindu places of worship here, there is also found a sacred site of the Hindus, in the form of the Goraul Sharif. Mentioned below are the various places of pilgrimage tourism in Sitamarhi district.
The Janaki Temple is 1.5 Kms away form Sitamarhi. This place has great mythological significance as it is said to be the birthplace of Sita. To the South of the temple lies the Janki Kund. Deokuli is 19 Kms. to the west of Sitamarhi town. An ancient temple of Lord Shiva is situated here. A big fair takes place every year during Shivaratri.
Legends have it that Draupadi; the wife of the five Pandavas was born here. Now it lies in the Sheohar district, carved out of Sitamarhi in 1994. Haleshwar Sthan is 3 Kms. northwest of Sitamarhi. As the myth goes, the King Videha had founded a temple of Lord Shiva on the occasion of Putra Yeshti Yajna. So the temple was named as the Haleshwarnath temple.
Panth-Pakar is said to be the route via which Sita was carried to Ayodhya. Lying 8 Kms to the northeast of Sitamarhi, there is found here an old banyan tree under which she is said to have rested for a while. Bodhayan-Sar is the sacred place where Maharishi Bodhaya had written a number of epics. The great Sanskrit Grammarian Panini was one of his disciples. The renowned saint Deoraha Baba had laid the foundation of a Bodhayan temple here some 37 years ago.
Baghi Math, some 7 Kms. northwest of Sitamarhi, in Baghi village, is a big Hindu monastery, which contains 108 rooms. This is a famous place for worship and performing Yajna. At Pupri, there is a famous Baba Nageshwarnath (Lord Shiva) temple here. It is said that Lord Shiva himself had appeared as Nageshwar Nath Mahadev. Shukeshwar Sthan is situated 26 Kms. northwest of Sitamarhi. This was the worship place of Sukhadev Muni, the great saint. A big and ancient temple, dedicated to Shukeshwarnath (Lord Shiva) still exists here. Yet another sacred place located in the district is the Sabhagachi Sasaul, 20 Kms west of Sitamarhi. This is the site where Maithili Brahmins gather every year and hold matrimonial negotiations on a large scale which ultimately culminate in marriage. This is a continuation of the ancient culture of Mithila.
Apart from the many sites of Hindu worship located here, there is also found here a holy site of the Muslims. The Goraul Sharif, located some 26 Kms from Sitamarhi town is a very sacred place for the Muslims after Biharsharif and Phulwarisharif in Bihar. These are the many places of pilgrimage tourism in Sitamarhi district.
