Patna: The Bihar government has announced the formation of a nine-member trust to oversee the construction and redevelopment of a grand temple dedicated to Maa Janaki (Goddess Sita) at Punaura Dham, believed to be her birthplace, in the Sitamarhi district.
According to a gazette notification issued by the state’s law department on Thursday, the newly formed Shree Janaki Janm Bhumi Punaura Dham Mandir Nyas Samiti will be chaired by the state’s Chief Secretary. The Development Commissioner has been named Vice-Chair, while the District Magistrate and Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) of Sitamarhi will serve as Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
Other members of the trust include the Mahant of Punaura Dham Mutt, as well as senior officials from the tourism, road construction, and urban development and housing departments. The Divisional Commissioner of Tirhut Division will also serve as a member. The trust will function with immediate effect, and its bank account will be jointly operated by the Secretary and Treasurer.
The initiative comes days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled the final design of the proposed temple during an event on 22 June. Sharing the design via social media, Kumar stated: “It gives me immense pleasure to announce that the design for the comprehensive development of Punaura Dham, Sitamarhi — including the construction of a grand temple and other associated structures — is now complete. A trust has also been constituted to expedite the construction work.”
Modelled on the scale of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Janaki temple project aims to establish Punaura Dham as a major spiritual and tourism hub. During his Pragati Yatra, the Chief Minister had pledged to integrate the temple’s development with broader infrastructure and religious tourism plans for the region.
