West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is to lay the foundation stone of the proposed Mahakal Mahatirtha at Matigara near Siliguri on January 16, 2026, according to administrative sources.
“Chief Minister Mamata Banejee will be present at the foundation stone laying ceremony of proposed Mahakal Mahatirtha on 16th January, 2026 at Matigara, Siliguri,” a notification by the Information and Cultural Affairs Department confirmed earlier today.
Earlier on Monday, Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb stated that the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Mahakal Temple has been scheduled for January 16 following a preparatory meeting with officials of the Darjeeling district administration at the subdivisional officer’s office. While acknowledging that the chief minister is slated to be in north Bengal around the same time, Deb said the details of her participation were yet to be formally announced.
“The foundation stone of the Mahakal Temple will be laid on January 16. The chief minister is expected to be in north Bengal during that period, but I cannot share further details of her programme at this stage,” Deb told reporters.
The chief minister will personally oversee the event after she unveiled plans for the large-scale temple project in October last year.
The Mahakal Mahatirtha will be developed over an area of around 17 acres and will be administered by a trust constituted by the state government. Mayor Deb said the shrine is envisioned as one of the largest Hindu temples in the country and is set to emerge as a prominent religious and cultural landmark in the Siliguri region.
Once completed, the temple complex is expected to significantly enhance religious tourism in north Bengal and contribute to economic growth in and around Siliguri, he added.
The project is being implemented by the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HIDCO) in collaboration with the district administration and the state Public Works Department (PWD). Senior officials have already inspected the site, which was earlier vacant land. The Siliguri Municipal Corporation has undertaken extensive clearing operations to remove accumulated waste and prepare the area for construction.
