PATNA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for Janaki temple at Punaura Dham in Bihar’s Sitamarhi on Friday. He will be accompanied by chief minister Nitish Kumar and his ministerial colleagues at the event.
The temple will be developed on the lines of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Punaura Dham is believed to be the mythological birthplace of Goddess Sita.
Several saints from across the country have already reached the venue. Amidst the chanting of mantras, the foundation stone will be laid for the grand temple, to be constructed over an area of more than 67 acres. The temple complex is likely to be completed within 11 months.
The Bihar cabinet had sanctioned Rs 882.87 crore for the integrated development of the temple complex on July 1. Of the total, Rs 137 crore will be spent on the development of the old temple and premises, Rs 728 crore on tourism-related development, and Rs16 crore for comprehensive maintenance over 10 years. The Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) will implement the project.
The state government has created a nine-member trust, “Shree Janaki Janm Bhumi Punaura Dham Mandir Nyas Samiti” at Punaura village in Sitamarhi district. Nitish Kumar unveiled the final design for the grand temple on June 22, 2025. A total of 17 acres of land is already available at the site, while 50 acres is being acquired to develop the complex on a massive scale.
The state cabinet had on July 29 sanctioned a revised estimate of Rs 165.57 crore for the 50-acre land acquisition for tourism-related development and infrastructure at Punaura Dham. Beautification of Maa Janaki Kund will also be carried out.
The complex will feature a parikrama path, yagya mandap, museum, auditorium, cafeteria, children’s play area, dharamshala, Sita Vatika, Lav Kush Vatika, parking, and other facilities.
Punaura Dham will also be connected by rail and road to Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram. State tourism minister Raju Kumar Singh called it a historic moment for the people of Mithilanchal to witness the foundation stone laying ceremony on the auspicious day of Purnima.
An estimated Rs 883 crore will be spent on the construction of the temple and surrounding complex. Shah is also expected to flag off the Sitamarhi–New Delhi Amrit Bharat Express via video conferencing from Sitamarhi. Soil from 21 pilgrimage sites and holy water from 31 rivers have been collected for the Bhumi Pujan.