VARANASI: Varanasi Nagar Nigam said on Saturday, November 7, 2026, that the family of shehnai musician Ustad Bismillah Khan was undertaking the demolition and rebuilding of his deteriorated ancestral house itself. The clarification concerns the home in Bhikhashah Gali, Sarai Hadha, in the Chowk area, where reports of the work had raised questions about the future of the musician's home and a proposed museum.
The civic body said neither it nor the district administration was carrying out the demolition. In another official post that day, it shared the grandson's explanation that a museum was being developed in the room associated with Khan's shehnai practice. For residents and visitors, the immediate distinction is between a private reconstruction site and an announced public museum: the statements give no opening date or visitor hours.
Anyone planning to visit specifically for the museum should wait for confirmed access arrangements. Neighbours with a municipal service concern can use the corporation's published complaint number, 1533. Report the location and the problem requiring attention, while keeping the private building work separate from a municipal demolition or a citywide clearance programme.
What the corporation has clarified
The first detailed municipal statement, published at 10:09 am IST on November 7, explains the background to the museum discussions. The corporation has an initiative to mark the contributions of prominent city personalities by developing the approaches to their homes around themes from their lives and work, and creating a museum within a room at those residences.
Under that initiative, officials had spoken to Bismillah Khan's family about a museum at his home. The corporation said the family had not consented to that proposal. It said the family described the building as deteriorated and expressed the wish to demolish and redevelop it independently.
Because that consent had not been received, the corporation said it had neither undertaken museum development at the house nor participated in the demolition. This is the corporation's account of its own involvement and of the discussions held with the family.
A second municipal clarification followed at 11:30 am IST. It said an inquiry found the family was renovating the deteriorated residence itself, with demolition of the existing structure taking place as part of that work. The statement again said the corporation and district administration had no role in the operation.
The reported account from Chowk police station is consistent on that central point. Station house officer Vijay Kumar Shukla said the property owner was carrying out the demolition himself. Police also said the corporation had previously issued a notice about the building's poor condition, and that a disagreement within the family over parts of the property had been resolved after relatives approached the station.
The family's museum plan
At 1:02 pm IST on November 7, the corporation published a further update with a video of the grandson. Its accompanying text says a museum is being developed in the room where Khan practised the shehnai. The official post carrying the family explanation presents preservation of the musician's memories as the purpose.
The family account reported subsequently identifies the grandson as Mohammad Sibtain. He said the family had agreed to rebuild the deteriorated structure and planned a museum for items associated with the musician in the reconstructed house. He also said the family was receiving support from the administration without political interference. The central points, family led reconstruction and an intended museum, match the corporation's published explanation.
The two museum references should be read together carefully. The earlier civic proposal depended on family consent, which the corporation says it did not obtain. The later family explanation describes an intention to preserve the musician's legacy during reconstruction. Neither statement supplies a public opening programme, ticketing arrangement or completion deadline.
What residents should do
Check the date and source of information before sharing a claim about who is undertaking the work. The November 7 statements identify the family as responsible. The museum proposal alone does not establish that visitors can enter the property now, and the official posts do not announce a road closure in Bhikhashah Gali.
The municipal website lists 1533 for civic complaints. Separate earlier coverage includes the Samne Ghat land clearance, the revised municipal budget and a municipal complaint hearing. Those concern different civic matters; the house clarification should be assessed against the specific statements about this property.
