Faizabad's historic Dilkusha Kothi to become 'Saket Sadan': Yogi govt move sparks row

Once a majestic residence of the nawabs of Awadh, Dilkusha Kothi in Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad — built in 1752 by Shuja-ud-Daula — is now at the centre of a political row. In fact, two Dilkusha Kothis were built by the nawabs of Awadh — one in Faizabad (now Ayodhya) and another in Lucknow.

The Yogi Adityanath government is transforming the heritage structure located in Faizabad into Saket Sadan, a museum for Hindu pilgrims, where statues of Hindu gods and goddesses will be displayed.

The project, reportedly 60 per cent complete, is being dressed up as part of the state’s larger plan to develop Ayodhya as a religious tourism hub. But the move has triggered sharp criticism from the Opposition, which sees it as an attempt to erase the city’s composite history.

Shuja-ud-Daula, the third nawab of Awadh, is credited with shaping Faizabad into a thriving centre of trade, culture and architecture. Under his reign, the city saw the construction of gardens, palaces, forts and tombs. Historians note that French advisor Colonel Antoine Polier contributed to Dilkusha Kothi’s design. Even the city’s name, Faizabad, derives from the word 'faiz' — meaning blessings or benefits — reflecting its prosperous past.

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Dilkusha also has a deep historical resonance in modern India. During the Revolt of 1857, it sheltered freedom fighters. Later, the British seized it and repurposed it as an opium storage den, derisively renaming it 'Afeem Kothi' (opium house). After Independence, the Central Bureau of Narcotics took control, using it as a superintendent’s office to curb smuggling.

Today, with the government rebranding the site as Saket Sadan, the Opposition accuses the BJP of rewriting history.

“Yogi Adityanath should not forget that history remembers Shuja-ud-Daula as a secular ruler. He donated land for mosques and also Gorakhnath Peeth, of which the chief minister himself is head priest,” said Shahnawaz Alam, head of the UP Congress minority cell and joint in-charge of Bihar.

Alam alleged that the BJP government was acting in the same spirit as the British, who had deliberately humiliated the nawabs by turning their pride into an opium depot. “Today, the Yogi government, following the mindset of the RSS, wants to erase Dilkusha’s identity to insult the warriors of 1857 and their descendants,” he said.

Demanding restoration of the structure as a heritage site, Alam urged Samajwadi Party MP from Ayodhya Awadhesh Prasad to intervene. “Protecting our shared heritage is the foremost responsibility of secular parties,” he added.

The Archaeological Survey of India lists 57 heritage sites in Faizabad, many of which remain neglected. With Dilkusha Kothi’s transformation into Saket Sadan, the battle over Ayodhya’s past and the political messaging around it is intensifying.