3 Lumbini and Janakpur

Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, and Janakpur, associated with the Ramayana tradition and with Mithila's scholarship, are the two oldest cultural reference points of the territory. Lumbini's identification rests on the Ashokan pillar inscription — a dated, contemporary source, which is why it carries a different evidential weight from the chronicles. Janakpur anchors the eastern plains and the Maithili cultural stream that continues to shape law and language there.