Growing cultural tourism around temple towns in India could soon give rise to senior living communities around spiritual destinations, and will turn into a major growth opportunity, said Abhinandan Lodha, founder and CMD of The House of Abhinandan Lodha, during a panel discussion at the Hindustan Times’ India Next Real Estate Summit 2026 on Sunday.
“As more people begin spending time in cultural and religious destinations, the ecosystem around them will naturally evolve. Healthcare, senior living, and a peaceful lifestyle were earlier limited; but I foresee that becoming much more mainstream,” said Anshuman Magazine, CEO, India, SEA, MEA, CBRE, as part of the discussion.
Lodha also gave an example of Ayodhya, where the historic Ram Temple has been built, and how filmstar Amitabh Bachchan contacted him to buy land there.
Vatican City receives around 10 million visitors a year, while Ayodhya attracts nearly 250 million visitors, he underlined. “When this kind of footfall comes into a destination, economic growth naturally takes place. The local economy starts participating, and we begin to see a real estate boom. The moment land becomes attractive, fewer people want to sell it. This is not a temporary phenomenon; it is long-term value creation,” said Lodha.
“The need to provide healthcare and support services alongside tourism infrastructure will also continue to grow,” said Magazine.
Lodha also stressed on there is a growing population of the older generation investing in cultural locations of India. “Senior living in cultural tourism destinations is bound to happen and grow,” he said.
Bachchan purchasing land in Ayodhya
Lodha said in 2023 he was in Australia when he received a call around 3 am there.
“There were couple of missed calls and later I got a message saying, ‘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 ji 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,” Lodha said.
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 ₹15 crore, and the very next day he sent me ₹15 crore,” Lodha said.
Also Read: DLF, other real estate firms set eyes on senior living projects in Gurugram
Why are people investing in cultural destinations of India?
According to Magazine, there is massive growth in domestic travel across India; connectivity has improved significantly, and people today have much more disposable income than before.
These factors are fundamentally changing the way Indians travel, he said. “People no longer see religious tourism as just a pilgrimage. Everybody expects that if they’re travelling for a religious destination, everything should be well planned and properly developed. The younger generation — Gen Z and millennials — expects quality roads, good hotels, infrastructure, and an overall seamless experience,” Magazine said.
“Take Kyoto as an example. Around 50 million people visit Kyoto every year, of which nearly 40 million are domestic travellers. That’s exactly the kind of trend we can expect to see in India as religious and cultural tourism and investment continues to grow,” Magazine said.
According to Lodha, people want to become part of emerging India. “People are happy to buy property in places like Dubai, which is fine. But people are also buying in places like Ayodhya, where growth is bound to happen.” he said.
‘Faith-based economy’
Divam Kapoor, Director, DMA Infra, said India is “fundamentally a faith-based economy”.
“Whenever people achieve something significant, they often say it was not just them, it was a higher universal force that made it possible. Similarly, when people go through difficult phases in life, they turn to prayer and meditation. Faith is deeply woven into the Indian way of life, and it is important that governments recognise and support this reality,” he said.
“In our culture, land itself has a sacred identity. Every piece of land has its own deity, and there is a spiritual hierarchy that connects people to places. The experience goes beyond tourism, it becomes deeply personal and spiritual,” Kapoor explained.
