Travel & Tourism

The VDC was named after the Hindu goddess, Sundarimai. A temple is dedicated to the deity in Sundarijal.
In 1960, the Sundarijal Military Detention Camp was the location of Nepali Congress leaders B.P. Koirala (the Prime Minister), Ganesh Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Diwan Singh Rai, Ram Narayan Mishra, Yogendra Man Sherchan, and Jaman Singh Gurung. They were held without trial for eight years due to their participation in a 1960 coup.
Sundarijal is located 15 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. It is west of Gagalphedi, east of Nayapati and Baluwa, and north of Aalapot. The VDC touches Nuwakot and Sindhulpalchok Districts to the north.
Sundarijal covers an area of 5.18 square kilometres (2 sq mi). The Bagmati River flows through the VDC, where it is joined by the Shyalmati and Nagmati Rivers. Largely hilly in its terrain with few flat areas, the VDC is covered by forests. Shivapuri National Park covers large amounts of the Sundarijal.

The Janaki Mandir was built by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwar of Tikamgarh from central India in AD 1911, at a cost of Rupees 900,000. In local parlance, the temple is also called Nau Lakha Mandir or Temple of Nine Lac Rupees.

In 1657, a golden statue of the Goddess Sita was found at the very spot, and Sita is also said to have lived there. The legend had it that it was built on the holy site where Sannyasi Shurkishordas had found the images of Goddess Sita. In fact, Shurkishordas was the founder of modern Janakpur and the great saint and poet who preached about the Sita Upasana (also called Sita Upanishad) philosophy. Legend has it that King Janak performed the worship of 'Shiva-Dhanus' on this very site.