The Assam government has sanctioned ₹35 crore for the development of Madhupur Temple in Cooch Behar, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said during a visit to the historic shrine on Saturday, adding that the Assam and Bengal governments would jointly develop the site as a major religious tourism destination.
Sarma visited the temple with two Assam ministers and offered prayers. North Bengal development minister Nisith Pramanik and Bengal minister of state Malati Rava were also present during the visit.
According to Sarma, Pramanik and Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari had promised an additional ₹30 crore for the project. The stated plan would place the combined proposed funding at ₹65 crore, although the Bengal contribution was presented by Sarma as a commitment rather than through a separate funding notification in the information available.
Madhupur is associated with Srimanta Sankardev, the 15th-century Assamese Vaishnavite saint and social reformer who spent his final days there. Sarma said the governments intended to develop the site as one of the country’s leading religious tourism destinations and that it could attract visitors from Assam and other parts of India.
The proposed development is also being framed as a cross-border cultural project between Assam and Bengal. Sarma said the site would showcase traditional cultures from both states and promote lessons on what he described as “Sanatani” traditions. He also said Madhupur could become a symbol of the relationship between the people of Assam and Bengal.
The announcement links the temple’s religious significance with a broader regional development objective. Sarma said tourism at the site could contribute to the socio-economic development of the surrounding area, though the announcement did not specify the proposed facilities, construction components, implementation agency, project schedule or procurement process.
Sarma said he had invited a Bengal delegation to visit Srimanta Sankardev’s birthplace in Assam to examine how that location had been developed as a religious tourism destination. The proposed exchange indicates that the two governments may use the Assam site as a reference for planning Madhupur’s redevelopment, but details of the framework were not provided.
During the visit, Sarma also commented on the arrest of Milan Pradhan, the Congress candidate in Nandigram, and made political remarks about Bengal’s former government. Those comments were separate from the temple development announcement.
The next steps for the Madhupur project, including the release of the sanctioned funds, Bengal’s formal contribution, the scope of work and the timeline for development, remain to be detailed by the two state governments.
