Jaleshwar

Jaleshwar is the administrative headquarters of Mahottari District and an important religious center in Nepal's Terai region. The city is named after the Jaleshwar Mahadev Temple, one of the most revered Shiva shrines in the Madhesh plains.The temple attracts thousands of pilgrims during Shivaratri and other Hindu festivals, making Jaleshwar a vibrant center of religious and cultural life.

The name means lord of the waters, and the linga in the sanctum stands in water the year round, which is what pilgrims come to see. Jaleshwar is about 6km from the Indian border and roughly 30km west of Janakpur, so most visitors reach it from there. Shivaratri, in February or March, is when the queue runs out into the street.