Jaleshwar Municipality is a municipality located in Mahottari District of Janakpur Zone, Province no. 2. It is also the district headquarters of Mahottari district. It was declared as urban Panchayat on April 3, 2010, by merging seven rural settlements. The place is named after Jaleshwar Nath Mahadev, a famous pilgrimage holy land in the entire Janakpur region. It is located at the low elevation region, which is situated at the altitude of 53m.
The area of the town is 44.26 sq. Km, located east of Ekdara village municipality and west of Matihani village municipality. There are 18 former wards and 12 wards in the city. The total population of Jaleshwar municipality is 58,549. The former VDCs included in Jaleshwar municipality are Piguna, Nainhi and Parsapatauli. This municipality shares the international border with India at Bhitthamore, Bihar.
Touristy Places
Jaleshwar Municipality is home to the popular sacred site, Jaleshwar Mahadev. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, where there are huge crowds during Maha Shivaratri, Bala Chaturdashi, and Maghe Sankranti. During these festivals, Shivalinga, which is kept under the water, is taken out with the help of armies. So, pilgrims flock here to touch and worship Shivalinga with great dedication. Moreover, devotees also visit this place in the month of Shrawan (July-August).
Besides this, there are also many other tourist attractions such as Goddess Sansari Mai Anjani Temple, Dhabauli Kutti, Khaira Bhuiyan Sthan etc.
Culture & Religion
There is a mixed settlement of Hindus and Muslims. Dussehra (Tenth), Diwali (Tihar), Chhath, Holi (Phagupurnima), Judshital (New Year), Chaurachan are the major festivals celebrated by Hindus while Eid, Bakrid, Moharram are the main festivals celebrated by the followers of Islam. The area of archeological and religious significance within Jaleshwar are the Jaleshwar Nath Temple, the ashram of the ascetic Bhargava Rishi of ancient times, Hanuman Temple, Kelly Kunj, the bridegroom of Ramjan, Bhairav Temple, Uma Mahodari (Mahottari) Shaktipeeth Temple, Trishulimai Temple, Durga Temple, Brahmachari Kuti and Rajdevi Temple, where Hindu’s worship and visit frequently. The mosque, a place of worship for Muslims, is in each settlement.
Climate
Since Jaleshwar is located at lower elevation, it has a subtropical climate. In summer, the weather is hot, and humid along with the strong haze from the sun. During winter, the weather is moderately cold with the vibe of sensational freezing. The maximum temperature goes up to 45°C and in minimum it falls up to 10°C.
Ethnic Wear
All the locals of Jaleshwar Municipality wear the same pattern of ethnic clothes. Women are found wearing Saree and blouses while men are found wearing Dhoti, Kurta and Pyjamas. They wear clothes made up of light cotton during summer and clothes made up of thick woollen during winter.
Trade & Business
This municipality relates to Indian border as a result it is one of the important places, which conduct day-to-day trade with India. The Government of Nepal is planning to make this place a business hub of Nepal and is also opening many small and medium scale industries. Because of its fastest growth, many people from outside of this place are also attracted to opening their business here.
Many banks have opened their branches in this place such as Agriculture Development Bank, Prabhu Bank, NIC Asia Bank, Rastriya Banijya bank etc. Moreover, you can also find many money transfer agencies such as Everest Bank, Mishika Enterprise etc. Furthermore, many standard hotels such as Hotel Shubham, Hotel Welcomes etc. are being opened with the intention of serving the domestic as well as international tourists.
Getting There
If you are craving to explore this place, then you have the option of both flight and overland transportation. If you want to reach there within a short period of time, then the airway is best for you. Numerous flights run daily from Kathmandu to Janakpur airport, which takes around 25 minutes. From Janakpur, Jaleshwar is located 20km away. You can get access to several local buses that depart from Janakpir to Jaleshwar, which takes around 40-50 minutes.
As an alternative option, you can also drive all the way from Kathmandu to Jaleshwar. You can use Bardibas-Jaleshwar highway or Jaleshwar road to get there. If you want your travel journey to be comfortable, then always go for a private jeep/car. Despite being a developing municipality, you can get access to better facilities without any struggle.
Final Thoughts
Jaleshwar Municipality is a perfect destination for both culture and nature lovers. From numerous pilgrimage sites to the beauty of lush green forests and cultivable land, this place serves you with the ethic lifestyle, culture, and traditions. Likewise, the infrastructure facilities of this place also make your trip memorable as you don’t have to live an isolated life here. Let’s hope that the future of this municipality is brighter along with good prospects.
-Article written by: Kusum Kharel for Land Nepal
