For years, One Avighna Park in central Mumbai remained ready for occupation but struggled to sell apartments at the pace its developer had hoped for. The eventual turnaround came not from a price cut or a marketing campaign, but from an unexpected addition: a Jain temple.
Nishant Agarwal of Avighna Group recounted the experience in a conversation with host Vishal Bhargava on the YouTube show Real Deal, in an episode titled "Building Apartments that cost Rs 150 crores in Mumbai".
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Ready, But Not Selling
Bhargava noted that the building was completed around 2015-16 and had received its occupation certificate, but a significant portion of its sales took place only after 2020.
Agarwal said the company had been selling apartments during that period, but not at the pace it had expected. The developer was holding firm on prices, confident in the project's value, but had yet to fully understand what prospective buyers were looking for.
Why building a Jain Temple revived a housing project in Parel? https://t.co/dXpMYwhLQb
— Vishal Bhargava (@VishalBhargava5) October 29, 2026
Misreading The Buyer
Agarwal acknowledged that the company had misjudged its target audience. According to him, many buyers looking for homes of this size in the Lower Parel-Lalbaug area belong to the Jain community.
For these buyers, the absence of a Jain temple, also known as a derasar, within the complex was "an absolute dealbreaker". This was particularly important for families considering the needs of elderly parents. Beyond convenience, buyers were also looking for a sense of community and belonging.
Agarwal described the omission as "a misread on our part", saying the developer had not adequately understood the preferences of its potential buyers.
A post by Bhargava on X also highlighted how building a Jain temple helped revive sales at the project.
The Turnaround
Agarwal said the company began constructing the temple around 2018. Once it was in place, apartment sales picked up, as the development became more appealing to a key group of buyers in the neighbourhood, including people who had previously not considered the project.
The Covid pandemic provided a further boost to sales. Agarwal said many families living together realised they needed separate living spaces. One Avighna Park, with its ready-to-move-in apartments, was well placed to meet that demand when options were limited.
Not A Blind Formula
The success of the temple did not mean the same approach would work for every housing project. Bhargava observed that several other developments in the area had subsequently added temples of their own.
Agarwal said the strategy had worked for some projects but cautioned against treating it as a universal solution. In neighbourhoods with a more cosmopolitan buyer base, adding a Jain temple could leave prospective buyers uncertain about whether the project suited their needs.
"You have to understand who the buyer segment is first," he said.
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