15 September,2026 08:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Amitabh Bachchan. Pic via Yogen Shah
Actor Amitabh Bachchan is reportedly planning on building a memorial dharamshala in Ayodhya in memory of his late father and renowned poet, Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan. An application seeking approval for the construction map has allegedly been submitted to the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA).
According to an India Today report, the proposed dharamshala in honour of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan will include over 20 rooms. The structure will be built on land acquired by Amitabh Bachchan for approximately Rs 15 crore within 'The Sarayu' project along Dashrath Path.
The ADA has reportedly issued a public notice about the project, inviting objections to the submitted layout within a 15-day window. Following the window, a formal approval is expected to be granted. Consequently, the construction is expected to begin around October, 2026.
ADA Vice Chairman Anurag Jain reportedly confirmed that the application from Amitabh Bachchan for a dharamshala map with over 20 rooms has been received and that it is currently open for public objections. He further added that following the process, the layout will be approved.
Notably, Amitabh Bachchan owns multiple land parcels in Ayodhya, including a 2.67-acre land parcel for Rs 35 crore near The Sarayu luxury project, and a 15,000 sq ft plot for Rs 15 crore.
While speaking at the Hindustan Times India Next Real Estate Summit 2026, Abhinandan Lodha had shared how Bachchan approached him to buy the land parcel, recalling he was in Australia in 2023 when he received a call around 3 AM there.
He said, "There were a couple of missed calls, followed by a message that read, 'This is Amitabh Bachchan, please call back when convenient.' I literally stood up and called him back. He told me, 'Abhinandan ji, main UP se hoon aur mujhe Ayodhya mein land leni hai' (I am a native of Uttar Pradesh and I want to buy land in the holy town of Ayodhya). I told him, 'We will do it for you.'"
"Bachchan first asked him about the price," he said. "I replied, 'How can I talk pricing with you?' He said he wanted to buy 15,000 sq ft, and I told him it may be around â¹15 crore. The very next day he sent me â¹15 crore," Lodha added.
For the unversed, Bachchan's father, Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a prominent Hindi poet and translator. He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan. Some of his best works include his 1935 poem Madhushala and his translations of Shakespeare's plays into Hindi.
