The Central Government has taken an important step towards connecting places associated with India’s religious and cultural heritage by road. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has recently approved the final alignment of the 240 km long Ram Janaki Path connecting Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) and Sitamarhi (Bihar). This route will be a cultural highway connecting places related to the lives of Lord Shri Ram and Mother Sita, which has been estimated to cost around Rs 6155 crore.
Ramayana Path from Ayodhya to Nepal border
The project of religious and cultural importance will start from Mehrauna Ghat in Uttar Pradesh and go to the Bhitta Mor of Sitamarhi near Nepal border. The total length of Ram Janaki Path will be about 240 km, which will pass through Siwan, Saran, East Champaran, Shivhar and Sitamarhi districts of Bihar. The purpose of the project is not only to promote India’s religious tourism, but also strengthen the connectivity of the border areas.
Religious tourism will get a big boost
With the construction of Ram Janaki Path, the road journey between Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram and the birthplace of Mother Sita, Puruna Dham, Sitamarhi will be made smooth. This route will give devotees an opportunity for easy and safe travel between the two religious places. On completion of the project, many religious and historical sites associated with the Ramayana circuit will be directly connected to each other, which will promote religious tourism.
Project status and cost details
The project is divided into three sections:
From Mehrauna to Siwan:
Length: About 50 km
Estimated cost: Rs 1254 crore
Status: Tender process complete
From Siwan to Masrakh:
Length: About 40 km
Estimated cost: Rs 1351 crore
Status: Tender process complete
From Masrakh to Baitha Mor (Sitamarhi):
Length: About 150 km
Estimated cost: Rs 3500 crore
Status: Alignment has been approved, land acquisition and tender process will start soon
Role of Alignment Approval Committee
The final alignment of this project has recently been approved by the Alignment Approval Committee of the Ministry. The committee has particularly approved the route between Masrakh to Bhatta Mor. This approval is considered a milestone for the project, as it will now move the process of land acquisition and construction work rapidly.
Railway project also got green signal
Parallel to the road project, the Central Government also approved the scheme of doubling of Ayodhya-Sitamarhi railway track in October 2024. The total estimated cost of this scheme is Rs 4563 crore. The state government had sent a proposal of this scheme to the Center, which was approved. This project will also enable the train journey between the two cities.
State government land acquisition initiative
The Bihar government has taken several steps to support the Ram Janaki Path project. In September 2024, the state government started the process of acquiring 50 acres of land near Puruna Dham in Sitamarhi. This land will be used for the necessary basic facilities around the temple area and stay, traffic and other arrangements for devotees.
Plan for overall development of religious places
Along with the Ram Janaki Path, the Bihar government approved the proposal of the tourism department for the development of other religious places in the state in the cabinet meeting held in February 2025. This proposal includes the following sites:
Harihar Temple, Sonpur
Someshwar Nath Temple, Areraj
Sihaneshwar place, Madhepura
Kusheshwar place, Darbhanga
Puran Devi Temple, Purnia
Composite development works will be done at all these sites, including the construction of infrastructure, roads, drainage, lights, parking and tourism facilities.
136 projects got force due to cabinet approval
A total of 136 projects were approved in the said cabinet meeting, which is a record till date. These include not only the work promoting religious tourism, but also many important decisions related to infrastructure, education, health and urban development.
