Sitamarhi: Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi, known as the birthplace of Goddess Sita, will soon have better transport facilities. The government is working on plans to connect the holy site directly by road, rail and air. A grand temple, similar to the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, will also be built here in the next three years.
The most important road project is the Ram-Janaki Marg, costing Rs 13,186 crore. It will link Ayodhya to Nepal via Siwan, Mashrakh, Shivhar and Sitamarhi. A special 4km road will connect Punaura Dham to this highway. Other works include widening the Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi–Sonvarsha road and building a four-lane highway from Patna to Sitamarhi.
For rail travel, the Darbhanga–Sitamarhi–Narkatiaganj line is being doubled at a cost of Rs 4,080 crore. A new 28km railway line from Sitamarhi to Shivhar, costing Rs 566 crore, will pass just 1.5km from the temple.
Air connectivity will also improve. New highways will reduce travel time from Patna and Darbhanga airports, making it possible to reach Punaura Dham from Darbhanga in about an hour.
