The historic Panchadhuramai Temple, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths in the Madhesh region, is undergoing a significant transformation due to renewed attention and care from local authorities. Bardibas Municipality has initiated a comprehensive renovation and beautification project, including repairs, painting, cleaning, and aesthetic enhancements, making the temple premises more attractive.
The municipality has focused on restoring the temple, improving the main gate, and enhancing the surrounding areas, including the installation of a fence around the pond. The ancient Panchadhuramai Temple, located in Bardibas-4, Maithan, Mahottari, is considered the abode of Goddess Bhagawati and is accessible via a two-kilometer forest path from the East-West Highway.
Devotees from all districts of the Madhesh region, neighboring Sindhuli and Udayapur, and several districts in Bihar, India, regard the temple as a center of faith and a place of solace. According to Som Karki, a social activist from Bardibas-4 Maithan, the recent municipal efforts have significantly enhanced the temple’s appeal. “Spread over more than eight bighas, this temple is a major center of devotion for many people. However, it had become dilapidated over the years. The municipality’s recent efforts have revived its splendor,” said Karki. “Now, there is an urgent need to repair the Kamal Pokhari (lotus pond) and build a permanent fence around the premises.”
The Panchadhuramai Temple Beautification Committee reported that the ongoing renovation includes repairing and painting the main temple, laying artistic stones in the temple courtyard, maintaining the main gate, excavating the pond, constructing a concrete fence, building ghats (steps leading to the water), installing railings, and planting various types of flowers.
This year, Bardibas Municipality has allocated NPR 2.9 million for the beautification of the temple premises, according to Committee Chairman Dan Bahadur Thapa. Local leaders emphasize the need for the Madhesh Province, other provinces, and the federal government to further develop this site into a major religious destination. Ram Bahadur Rana, a resident, suggested that the temple should be developed into a trust for better management.
Rana also highlighted the need for the preservation of the temple’s land, transparency in the management of offerings, fees from religious events, and annual income-expenditure reporting by the municipality. Banikraj Kafle, another resident, stressed the importance of the municipality’s Culture and Tourism Promotion Committee in taking decisive action to preserve and develop religious and tourist destinations in the area.
“Bardibas has several religious and tourist sites, including Panchadhuramai Temple, Tuteshwarnath Temple, Raimandal Dham, and prehistoric sites like the Stone Axe Factory, Vulture Conservation Area, and various hillocks. The Culture and Tourism Promotion Committee needs to take the lead in promoting these sites,” said Kafle. “To achieve this, the attention of the municipality, provincial, and federal governments must be drawn.”
Additionally, there is a need for regular maintenance of the well within the temple premises and the construction of shelters for devotees who visit for worship, said local stakeholders. The increasing interest in the religious and tourist sites within the municipality is a positive sign, noted Hiralal Gautam, Chairman of the Culture and Tourism Promotion Committee under the Bardibas Municipal Executive Office.
“The local level has formed a culture and tourism promotion committee. The Chief Minister and ministers of the provincial government have increased their visits to the religious sites in this region. These sites have also been included in the budgets of the central and provincial governments,” said Gautam. “With growing local interest, we believe that the pace of development here will accelerate.”
Bardibas Municipality Chief Prahlad Kumar Chhetri emphasized that the protection, infrastructure development, and management of religious and tourist sites within the municipality are top priorities. The municipality is coordinating with the provincial and central governments to secure the necessary resources for these projects. “We are carrying out projects that can be completed with internal resources, but for larger projects requiring more funds, we are working in coordination with the provincial and central governments. We expect support from all concerned parties,” Chhetri stated.
