The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to allocate 52.102 acres of land to Tata Sons in Ayodhya to develop a temple museum.

State finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna told reporters here on Tuesday that the state government had given 25 acres to Tata Sons on March 15 last year, but the company said it had a wider vision and required more land.

"They raised the demand in a meeting on May 20 this year. They said they have a bigger project with a wider vision. We have entered into a fresh lease agreement with them for 52.102 acres of nazul land for the construction and management of a temple museum of international standard," Khanna said.

Nazul land is owned by the government but not administered as state property.

"The temple museum aims to showcase the development of different styles of architecture in ancient Indian temples. It will also shed light on the ideas behind their construction, the impact of local architecture and literature on them and their preservation methods," Khanna added.

Khanna said the museum would attract researchers of Indian temples from across the world.

Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which supervised the construction of the Ram temple and looks after its management, has also planned a museum on the third floor of the shrine, which was consecrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22 last year.

Government sources said the idea of the temple museum, to be developed by Tata Sons, was conceived by Modi, who had reviewed the project during his Ayodhya visit last month.

"He had asked us about the project's progress, apparently because the central and the state governments are keen on developing Ayodhya as a centre of the Hindu religion. Tata Sons officials are already camping in Ayodhya and are expected to start work soon. It will be a technologically advanced centre and its management would remain with them," a home department officer said.