Tirtha Atlas

The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.

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Modern · Hindu · Nepal

Kapileshwar Temple, Janakpur

Janakpur, Dhanusha District, Madhesh · 26.7277°, 85.9453°

Shiva as Kapileshwar MahadevModernSimrangad
Sacred since
1934 CE
first attestation / structure
Standing structure
rebuilt after the 1934 earthquake
Modern

History & significance

One of the Shiva shrines that mark the corners of Janakpur in Dhanusha District, worshipped as Kapileshwar Mahadev; raised originally in the Simrangad style, it was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1934.

Sthala katha — the traditional account

What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.

King Janak is said to have built Shiva temples at the four corners of his capital Janakpur in the Treta Yuga, and the sage Kapil to have kept his ashram at this one, which is how it got its name.

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Sources

coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Modern