Formely a subdivision of Muzaffarpur district, Sitamarhi was inaugurated as a district on December 11, 1972 by the then Bihar chief minister Late Kedar Pandey. Situated on the Indo-Nepal border, its population is around 25 lakh.

Sitamarhi is said to be the birthplace of Hindu goddess Sita, also revered as Janaki. The legend has it that the King of Janakpur (in Nepal, 60 km from here), ploughed the land here to get rid of a devastating drought, and it was in the course of the ploughing that he stumbled upon an earthen pot out of which Sita emerged. Hence, the place came to be known as Sitamarhi.

One can visit the famous Janaki, Shiva and Parvati temples at Haleshwar Sthan, seven km from Sitamarhi, the district HQ town. Devotees as well as tourists visit these temples and the latter go on to see the famous Janakpur Dham in Nepal. The two cattle fairs - one on Navami during Navaratra in September-October and the other on 'Vivah Panchami' in the winter are held annually and attract thousands of visitors.