Mahottari, March 17 : Jaleshwor Municipality has declared today a public holiday on the occasion of the Mithila Madhyamiki Parikrama festival and fair. Jaleshwor is the administrative headquarters of Mahottari district.    

The Madhyamiki Parikrama is an annual ritual in which devotees tour various places of the ancient Mithila region including some parts of bordering districts of India as the members of the bridegroom's marriage procession in the run up enacting the marriage ceremony of the Hindu god Ram with goddess Sita.     

Today is the fifth day of the Mithila Madhyamiki Yatra (tour). The devotees carrying the palanquin for the bride (goddess Sita) travel to Jaleshwor for night stay today, the fifth day of the yatra. In this connection, the pilgrims have started coming to Jaleshwor since the morning today.    

The Mithila Madhyamiki Parikrama is a big religious ritual as well as folk custom of this region and the Municipality has declared today a public holiday, the Municipality Executive Office stated in a notice.    

Municipality's Chief Administrative Officer, Ramuraj Kadariya said hundreds of people along with sadhus carrying the palanquin of Ram and Sita are coming to Jaleshwor today and the municipality has given public holiday so that the locals would be able to welcome the guests and also observe the divine palanquin.