After Ayodhya Ram Mandir Consecration, Bihar To Acquire 50 Acres In Sitamarhi For Sita Temple

The Bihar government has decided to acquire 50 acres around an existing temple in Sitamarhi for the new Sita temple. (Photo: Bihar tourism)

Days after the Ram temple consecration in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, the Bihar government has decided to acquire 50 acres around an existing temple in Sitamarhi to construct a “grand temple” for Goddess Sita, reported The Indian Express.

Sitamarhi district in north Bihar, considered to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita, is part of the Ramayana Circuit, a set of 15 important places mentioned in the Ramayana, that has been identified by the Centre for redevelopment to boost religious tourism. The decision was taken at Friday’s meeting of the Bihar Cabinet.

“Sitamarhi is to Sita what Ayodhya is to Ram. People from all over the world will now come to worship at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and they would like to visit Sita’s birthplace as well. We contend that a grand temple for Sita, befitting her stature, should be built in Sitamarhi,” Kameshwar Chaupal, a former MLC in Bihar, and a BJP member who is one of the prime movers of the idea, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

“There is a temple in Sitamarhi that was built about 100 years ago, but it is not in very good condition. We have proposed to build a new temple that is as grand as the Ram temple in Ayodhya,” said Chaupal, the person who had placed the first brick during the Shilanyas, or foundation laying ceremony, of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in 1989.

The acquisition of 50 acres would be over and above the 16.63 acres that the Bihar government had acquired earlier for redevelopment of the area around the old temple premises. The construction of the temple would have to be done by a public trust, just like in the case of Ram Temple, with money raised by it.

“The government cannot build a temple. But there have been demands from several quarters that a grand temple should be built,” Dr S Siddharth, Principal Secretary to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

“When the temple comes up, the area would need to cater to a large number of pilgrims. Facilities like hotels and public conveniences would need to be created. The decision to acquire land has been made keeping in mind the need of future development in the area. We are foreseeing greater interest in this place following the construction of Ram temple. It has the potential to develop into a Tirupati-like site, and we want to make sure that adequate space is available for that kind of development,” Siddharth said.