In a significant move ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar, the state government on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 882.87 crore to transform the revered Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi – believed to be Goddess Sita’s birthplace – into a world-class spiritual destination, drawing inspiration from Ayodhya’s Ram Temple vision.
File Photo: ANI
In a significant move ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar, the state government on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 882.87 crore to transform the revered Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi – believed to be Goddess Sita’s birthplace – into a world-class spiritual destination, drawing inspiration from Ayodhya’s Ram Temple vision.
In a message posted on ‘X’, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stated: “It is with immense pleasure that I announce the cabinet’s approval of a massive Rs 882 crore 87 lakh project for the holistic development of Punaura Dham, Sitamarhi – the birthplace of Goddess Sita. This ambitious plan encompasses the construction of a grand temple and other significant structures, and work will commence shortly, with the foundation stone to be laid by August.”
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“We are determined to complete the construction of the grand temple at Punaura Dham, Sitamarhi, soon. It will be comprehensively developed, mirroring the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra in Ayodhya. The construction of the grand temple of Maa Janaki at Punaura Dham is a source of immense pride for all Indians, and particularly for the people of Bihar,” he added.
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Recently, Nitish Kumar unveiled the final architectural design featuring a majestic 151-ft temple crafted by the same design firm behind Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. The redevelopment plans include erecting a towering statue of Goddess Sita alongside the temple, all within a sprawling 67-acre campus known as ‘Janaki Dham’.
Apart from the 17 acres of land available at Punaura Dham temple premises, the Bihar government has started the process to acquire 50 acres of additional land surrounding the temple to facilitate the development project.
The government has also constituted a nine-member trust, ‘Shree Janaki Janm Bhumi Punaura Dham Mandir Nyas Samiti’, at Punaura village in the Sitamarhi district.
Cabinet Secretariat Department’s Additional Chief Secretary S Siddharth told reporters here that Rs 137 crore would be spent on the development of the old temple and the premises while Rs 728 crore will be spent on tourism related development work, besides Rs16 crore will be spent on carrying out comprehensive maintenance for 10 years.
Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) will implement the project, he added.
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