Patna, Aug 8 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, accompanied by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, visited Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi on Saturday, the revered site believed to be the birthplace and manifestation site of Goddess Janaki (Sita).
The Chief Minister arrived at around 12:20 p.m. and participated in a special religious ceremony during which the idols of Goddess Sita, Lord Shri Ram and Lord Lakshman were shifted from the sanctum sanctorum to a temporary wooden pavilion, known as a Kasht Mandap, at the historic site.
He also offered prayers and participated in the Aarti ceremony.
Following the rituals, the Chief Minister raised devotional chants in praise of Lord Siyavar Ramchandra and announced that the state government has set a target of completing the construction of a grand temple at Punauradham by December 31, 2028.
He said that once the temple is completed, the idols of Goddess Sita, Lord Shri Ram and Lord Lakshman, currently being kept in the temporary wooden pavilion, will be ceremonially reinstalled in the new sanctum sanctorum with full religious honours.
Later, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary visited Raghopur Bakhri, where he inspected egg and seed production facilities at newly constructed hatcheries and reviewed brood bank ponds.
He also distributed fish spawn packed in oxygenated bags among beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister subsequently visited stalls set up by various government departments showcasing development and welfare schemes being implemented in the district.
During the programme, 82 schemes worth Rs 203.02 crore were inaugurated, while the foundation stone was laid for another scheme estimated at Rs 14.88 crore.
Thus, a total of 83 schemes involving approximately Rs 218 crore were inaugurated or initiated in the district.
The Chief Minister was accorded a Guard of Honour at the helipad constructed at Raghopur Bakhri.
Local leaders and elected representatives also welcomed him during his visit.
Several ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs attended the programme, including Industries and Sports Minister and district in-charge minister Shreyasi Singh, Dairy and Fisheries Minister Nandkishore Ram, MP Devesh Chandra Thakur, Sitamarhi MLA Sunil Kumar Pintu and Parihar MLA Gayatri Devi, who also serves as the ruling party’s whip in the Bihar Assembly.
–IANS
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