Punaura Dham Development Plan: Goddess Sita’s Birthplace

Art and Culture

Context: Recently, a development plan for Goddess Sita’s birthplace at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi was launched by the Bihar Government.

Sitamarhi features in the Centre’s list of 15 tourism-cum-religious places on the Ramayana Circuit.

About Punaura Dham Development Plan

Punaura Dham: Located three miles south-west of Sitamarhi district in the Mithila region of Bihar, it has a 100-year-old Janaki temple along with Sitakund, Sita Vatika and Luv Kush Vatika.
It includes renovation of the temple, parikrama path (a path to circumambulate the temple) and developing the Luv Kush Vatika, Sita Vatika, and Sita Kund.
A meditation mandap will also come up, and a 3-D film screened to show Goddess Sita’s life journey.
Budgetary Outlay: 72-crore (approx)

It is one of the fifteen thematic circuits identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

Punaura Dham

Destinations under the Ramayana Circuit theme:
- Uttar Pradesh: Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur & Chitrakoot.
- Bihar: Sitamarhi, Buxar & Darbhanga
- Madhya Pradesh: Chitrakoot
- Odisha: Mahendragiri
- Chattisgarh: Jagdalpur
- Maharashtra: Nashik & Nagpur
- Telangana: Bhadrachalam
- Karnataka: Hampi
- Tamil Nadu: Rameshwaram

Swadesh Darshan Scheme

Launched in 2014-15
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Tourism and Culture
It is a Central Sector Scheme where the centre provides Central Financial Assistance to State Governments, Union Territory Administrations for the infrastructure development of theme based tourist circuits in the country.
15 Tourist Circuits : Buddhist circuit,Desert circuit, Eco circuit, Ramayana circuit, Coastal circuit, Heritage circuit, Himalayan circuit, Krishna circuit, North-East circuit, Rural circuit, Spiritual circuit, Sufi circuit, Tirthankar circuit, Tribal circuit, Wildlife circuit
Swadesh Darshan 2.0: It is a part of country’s new domestic tourism policy which will focus on destination management rather than previously theme based circuits.
- As many as 30 cities from across 15 states are being shortlisted to be developed as sustainable and responsible destinations including, Dwarka and Dholavira in Gujarat Colva and Porvorim in Goa and Nalanda and Gaya in Bihar etc.