Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Janki Mandir at Punauradham in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, considered the birthplace of Goddess Sita.

The foundation stone-laying ceremony of the project, worth more than Rs 882.87 crore, was also attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, several Union ministers and other dignitaries.

Shah performed 'bhoomi pujan' and unveiled the design of the Janki Mandir for its redevelopment, officials said.

He also virtually flagged off the Sitamarhi-Delhi Amrit Bharat Express train.

The state cabinet had sanctioned Rs 882.87 crore for the integrated development of the temple complex on July 1.

Of the total amount, Rs 137 crore would be spent on the development of the old temple and its premises, while Rs 728 crore would be used for tourism-related activities, the officials said.

In addition, Rs 16 crore would be spent on comprehensive maintenance for 10 years, he said.

Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) would implement the project.

The state government recently formed a nine-member trust, headed by the chief secretary, for the construction and redevelopment of the shrine.

"Comprehensive development will be carried out on the lines of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra, Ayodhya", Bihar BJP spokesperson Niraj Kumar had told PTI earlier, adding that a large number of pilgrims visit the Punauradham.

The state cabinet also approved the appointment of a Noida-based company as the design consultant for the project.

The firm was engaged in the master planning and architectural services for the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.