The Sarayu

If you've been thinking about a second home in Ayodhya, The Sarayu is one of the more complete ways to go about it. It is a villa-plot development on the banks of the Sarayu river, just off NH-27, built by The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL) in collaboration with The Leela. You buy the land, build your own villa, and get a large shared clubhouse and resort-style grounds around you. It is registered under RERA, registration number UPRERAPRJ311468. You can check it on the state RERA portal before booking.

The project has come to market in five phases, each registered with UP RERA. HoABL positions it as Ayodhya's first 7-star land development, built around a 30,000 sq ft clubhouse and about 40 indoor and outdoor amenities.

The river frontage is a big part of the appeal. You're about 15 minutes from the Ram Mandir, close enough for regular darshan but far enough that you aren't living in the middle of the pilgrim rush. For families who want a base in Ayodhya for festivals, rituals or longer stays, this sort of riverside setting is hard to find inside an organised community. Getting around is easy as well. NH-27 runs right next to the site, Ayodhya Dham Railway Station is about 20 minutes away, and Maharshi Valmiki International Airport is about 30 minutes, which makes short visits from abroad realistic.

The clubhouse is the heart of the place. Inside it there are luxury suites and guest rooms, which come in handy when family visits, along with a fine-dining restaurant, a spa, an indoor pool, an indoor gym and a games room. Outside, the list is long and quite imaginative. There's an outdoor pool and gym, a yoga deck, a lotus pond, a labyrinth park, an art grove and open-air gallery, an amphitheatre and open-air theatre, a floating stage, a viewing deck, a social garden and a kids' play area. There is also a wedding lawn, and that tells you a lot about who this is pitched at, because families who'd like to host a ceremony in Ayodhya can do it on their own doorstep.

Two plot sizes are on offer. A villa plot of about 1,250 sq ft is listed from around ₹1.99 Cr all-in, and a plot of about 1,507 sq ft is priced on request. Prices move between phases, so treat the ₹1.99 Cr figure as indicative and ask for the current price sheet for the phase on sale.

The Sarayu makes most sense for a family that wants a meaningful second home in Ayodhya with a proper community around it, rather than a standalone plot on the edge of town. The Leela tie-up and the clubhouse mean there's always something to use, even before your own villa is built. For an NRI, having a managed club and guest suites on site makes it easier to plan visits from abroad.

Keep one thing firmly in mind, though: this is land. You will need to build your villa yourself, so add the construction cost, approvals and time to the plot price before comparing it with a ready home. Ask HoABL which design guidelines apply, how long you have to build, and how the clubhouse charges are structured.

The House of Abhinandan Lodha is a branded land developer set up in 2020, with plotted and villa developments in Ayodhya, Vrindavan, Goa, Alibaug, the Konkan coast, Neral and Nagpur. Many of its projects are serviced by its hospitality partner, Miros Hotels & Resorts. It's worth knowing that HoABL is not connected with the Lodha Group, which is a common point of confusion.