Patna, August 9: India’s Home Minister Amit Shah will on Friday lay the foundation stone for a grand temple dedicated to Hindu goddess Sita at Punaura Dham in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, an event hailed by political allies as “historic” and timed months before the state heads to assembly elections.
The site is revered by many Hindus as the birthplace of Sita, known in the epic Ramayana as the wife of Lord Ram. Shah will be joined by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the bhoomi pujan, or ground-breaking ceremony.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also approved the launch of the Sitamarhi–Delhi Amrit Bharat train to improve connectivity for pilgrims visiting the shrine, Shah said in a social media post on Thursday.
Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Chirag Paswan praised the project, with Paswan calling it the fulfilment of a “long-cherished dream” and a key step towards boosting Bihar’s religious tourism industry, citing Ayodhya’s economic gains after the inauguration of the Ram temple. “It will also boost Bihar’s economic development,” he told reporters.
Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal said residents of the Mithila region had long awaited the moment. “People from every household in Mithila are gathering here to witness this historic moment,” he said.
The ceremony comes as the ruling National Democratic Alliance — comprising the BJP, Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party — prepares to defend its 131 seats in the 243-member assembly against the opposition INDIA bloc led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which holds 77 seats.
