Patna: Construction work on a grand temple dedicated to Sita at Punaura Dham in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district is expected to formally begin after Kharmas, following preparatory work already underway at the site, officials have said. The project has been awarded to Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Ltd, the firm that built the terminal at Darbhanga airport. The contract value stands at Rs. 942.38 crore, with a completion timeline of 42 months from the date of award.
The proposed Sita temple will be developed at what is believed to be the birthplace of Sita and is being designed on the lines of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The project includes the renovation of the existing temple structure as well as the construction of new buildings across the temple complex.
Although full-scale construction is scheduled to begin after Kharmas, work on site preparation, including the construction of a project shed, has already started. Around 50 acres of land acquired for the project have been demarcated and fenced, officials said.
On Wednesday, engineers from the state tourism department, along with representatives of Ahluwalia Contracts, conducted a site inspection to review groundwork and planning. Bihar’s minister for art, culture and tourism, Arun Shankar Prasad, had earlier announced that construction would commence after the Kharmas period.
According to project details approved by the state cabinet, the overall development plan includes an allocation of Rs. 137 crore for renovation of the existing temple, Rs. 728 crore for tourism infrastructure, and funding for maintenance over 10 years.
Planned facilities within the temple complex include landscaped gardens such as Sita Vatika and Luv-Kush Vatika, a circumambulatory path, a museum, an auditorium, a dharamshala, parking areas and a cafeteria. Officials say the project is expected to play a key role in boosting religious tourism across the Mithila region and the wider Ramayana circuit.
The state tourism department has also proposed the construction of a five-star hotel in Sitamarhi to cater to the anticipated rise in domestic and international visitors. District authorities have been asked to identify 15 to 20 acres of land for the purpose.
The Sitamarhi district magistrate said land acquisition and demarcation for the temple project had been completed and that the remaining work in waterlogged areas would be finished shortly. The administration, he added, was fully prepared to facilitate the project’s timely execution.
