Sitamarhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Bihar on Thursday, ahead of a high-profile religious ceremony in Sitamarhi district. Shah is scheduled to arrive in Patna at 9:30 pm on Friday, before travelling to Punauradham the following day to lay the foundation stone for a grand temple dedicated to Maa Janaki (Sita).
The foundation-laying and Bhoomi Pujan ceremony, set for August 8, will also be attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and a host of religious and political figures. The temple, to be constructed in the Punauradham complex—believed to be the birthplace of Sita—is being positioned as a major national and international pilgrimage site.
The proposed temple will be 156 feet tall, just five feet shorter than the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Designed by Chandrakant Sompura, the architect behind the Ayodhya project, the Sita temple is expected to be completed within 36 months at a cost of over Rs 882 crore. Additional religious tourism infrastructure, including a dharamshala, is also planned.
In preparation for the event, Bihar’s Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena and Director General of Police Vinay Kumar visited the site on Tuesday. They reviewed arrangements at the temple premises, helipad, traffic routes, and public meeting areas. Officials were instructed to ensure crowd control, parking, and sound system setups are completed efficiently and on time.
DGP Kumar emphasised the importance of clear traffic management and hassle-free access for devotees. Sitamarhi District Magistrate Richie Pandey said efforts were underway to ensure the event is carried out with “dignity, discipline, and full security,” calling it a “historic chapter of pride” for the district.
Meanwhile, BJP workers have begun mobilising public participation. Party members from Sitamarhi’s Nagar Mandal have been distributing akshat (sacred rice) and extending invitations door to door with the slogan “Jai-Jai Sitaram, Chalu Punauradham.”
