Punaura Dham: Fulfilling a Sacred Promise to Mother Sita

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“Ram without Sita is incomplete, and Sita without Ram is unimaginable.” — Late Prabhat Jha

By Anjani Kumar Jha

PATNA, August 8, 2025 — Today, under the auspices of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the foundation stone is being laid for a grand and divine temple dedicated to Mother Sita at her birthplace — Punaura Dham, in the heart of Mithila. The entire region is awash in celebration, faith, and cultural pride.

For me, this is not merely a public event; it is the fulfilment of the most cherished dream of my mentor and elder brother, late Prabhat Jha. For over fifteen years, I had the privilege of working closely with him. In every gathering of the Maithil community — be it in Delhi or in distant corners of India — he would urge people: “Whenever you return to your motherland of Mithila, visit Punaura Dham and pledge to contribute to the construction of Mother Sita’s grand temple.”

Jha was not just an advocate of the temple — he became the very face of the movement for its construction. In fact, the last article he penned, published on Janaki Navami in 2024, was on this very cause. It is poignant that barely a year after his passing, his life’s most sacred mission is finally being realised.

From Parliament to Punaura Dham

The campaign for the temple took a decisive turn in 2017, when Jha raised the matter during the Budget Session of Parliament, urging recognition and development of Punaura Dham as Mother Sita’s birthplace. This brought the site to the attention of the Union Ministry of Culture and Tourism — at a time when few in the country knew of its significance.

He worked tirelessly, holding multiple meetings in Delhi with Union ministers, often alongside Bihar’s tourism officials. His cause found spiritual and scholarly reinforcement from Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya, whose scriptural testimony on Janaki Navami celebrations at Punaura Dham and the Ram Janmabhoomi case had already played a decisive role in the Ayodhya verdict. Jha made it a point to attend these discourses every year, wherever he was in India.

One such pivotal moment came when Jha and Swami Rambhadracharya met CM Nitish Kumar in Patna to seek his support. The result was historic: on April 24, 2018, during Janaki Navami, Nitish Kumar visited Punaura Dham, made several announcements for its development, and publicly lauded Jha’s efforts.

An Unwavering Campaign

Whether meeting Bihar’s chief minister or the Union tourism minister, visiting the Mahant of the site, or mobilising Maithil diaspora from across India, Jha never let the issue fade. Leaders like JDU national president Sanjay Jha, MP Devesh Chandra Thakur, former MP Sunil Kumar Pintoo, and BJP’s Manish Gupta in Sitamarhi stood with him in this cause.

The campaign gained fresh momentum last year when Amit Shah, addressing a rally in Sitamarhi, promised a grand Sita temple in Punaura Dham — just as the Ram Mandir was built in Ayodhya. Jha was present on the dais that day, his face alight with hope.

A Promise Kept, a Legacy Honoured

Today, that promise is being kept. And for me — a son of Mithila and a humble associate of the late Prabhat Jha — this is a day of pride and deep emotion. Just days ago, on July 26, we marked his first death anniversary. Now, barely two weeks later, I see the realisation of the pledge that defined his public life: “Punaura Dham will have a grand temple to Mother Sita.”

Mithila is reclaiming its ancient glory. For those of us who knew Jha, the moment is bittersweet — he is not here to witness it, but his spirit lives on in the stones that will rise in Punaura Dham.

The temple will not only stand as a monument of devotion, but as a testament to perseverance, cultural pride, and the power of a promise kept.

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