Lucknow, 2 Dec (HS): The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet authorized the

extension of the planned temple museum in Ayodhya on Tuesday, awarding the

project to Tata Sons for development and operation on the 52-acre site.

Parliamentary Affairs

Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna told reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that Tata Sons had expressed a willingness to

build a cutting-edge museum and run it through a not-for-profit special purpose

vehicle (SPV) as part of its CSR commitments. The SPV would include

representatives from both the Union and the state governments, he added. Khanna

stated that on September 3, 2024, the Union government, the state, and Tata

Sons signed a memorandum of agreement for land allotment.

The state had already authorized the transfer of 25 acres of

nazul land in Ayodhya's Manjha Jamthara hamlet for a 90-year period. However,

Tata Sons requested additional land to accommodate the project's magnitude and

architectural splendor. Accordingly, an additional 27.102 acres will be

transferred – free of charge — from the Housing and Urban Planning Department

to the Tourism Department, bringing the total project area to 52.102 acres,

Khanna stated. Ayodhya has experienced a tremendous rise in visitation since

the Pran Pratishtha at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple earlier this year, with

an estimated 2 to 4 lakh people visiting each day, according to authorities.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi