Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for the grand Maa Janaki Temple in Punora Dham, Sitamarhi district, Bihar, revered as the birthplace of Goddess Sita.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attended the ceremony, which was conducted amid Vedic chants and traditional rituals.
The event, attended by Bihar ministers, Union ministers, saints, and thousands of devotees, had a deeply spiritual atmosphere.
Designers modelled the 67-acre temple complex on the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Builders will construct the ₹882.87 crore temple to a height of 151 feet and complete it by 2028. For the Bhoomi Pujan, organisers collected soil from 21 sacred sites and water from 31 rivers across India.
Following the Tirupati Balaji tradition, organisers prepared 50,000 packets of laddoos for distribution to devotees.
Devotees venerate Punora Dham as the birthplace of Maa Sita, and planners aim to make it a major hub for religious and cultural tourism.
The complex will feature state-of-the-art amenities to accommodate large numbers of pilgrims.
Locals believe that its full development as a pilgrimage site will not only boost Bihar’s religious tourism but also create substantial employment opportunities.
Similar to the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi project, the overall development plan for Punora Dham aims for completion by 2028.
The development around the Sita Temple is part of a wider initiative that includes the Ramayana Circuit and the Central Government’s ‘Hindu Circuit’, which encompasses 14 major temples such as Baba Ajgaibinath, Singheshwar, Ugratara, Chandisthan, Triveni, Matihani, and Suleshwar.
In addition, authorities are upgrading prominent Buddhist and Jain sites, including Bodh Gaya, Deoghar, Gaya, and Vaishali.
These projects in hospitality, transport, guiding services, handicrafts, and local trade will generate thousands of jobs and open new opportunities for youth, women, and small businesses in the region.
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