Former Rajasthan Footballer’s Home Becomes ‘Football Bhavan’ At 80

Last Updated:March 15, 2026, 11:26 IST

Lalchand Agrawal, 80, named his Jaipur home ‘Football Bhavan’ to show his passion for football. It includes a museum with items from 70 nations.

News18

Most people name their homes after family members, religious beliefs, or nature. Still, a resident of Jaipur has chosen the unique name ‘Football Bhavan’, reflecting his lifelong passion for the sport.

Lalchand Agrawal, 80, said passersby often stop to ask about the story behind the unusual name.

Agrawal, a resident of Nehru Nagar and former secretary of the Rajasthan Football Association, said that he named his house ‘Football Bhavan’ due to his deep association with football.

Agrawal has also served as captain of the Rajasthan football team and as coordinator of the Rajasthan Football Adhoc Committee in the past.

He mentioned that a similar house existed earlier, belonging to former footballer S Mewalal in Kolkata.

“Recently, I went to Kolkata and thought of visiting that ‘Football Bhavan’, but I found that the house had been sold and demolished. Now, a house with this name is in Jaipur,” Agrawal told PTI.

He said that when he was a footballer living in a rented house in Kishanpole Bazar in the walled city of Jaipur, he resolved that if he ever built his own house, he would name it ‘Football Bhavan’.

Agrawal built his house in 1970 and gave it that name.

The house features a small museum dedicated to football, displaying numerous football-shaped items, including shoes, trophies, face masks, teddy bears, clocks, cups, pencils, fans, balcony decor, paperweights, keychains, photo frames, caps and jerseys.

The collection at “Football Bhavan” includes football-themed items from around 70 countries, such as Sweden, England, Brazil, Japan, China, Germany, France, Indonesia, Qatar, and Thailand.

He said that the sport is inseparable from his life. “Football lives in my soul. I see its reflection in almost everything around me,” he said.

Agrawal said he has focused only on football since entering the sport and whenever he travels abroad, he looks for football-shaped memorabilia. His family members also help in building the collection.

He said his son, who served in the merchant navy, used to bring football souvenirs from countries he visited.

According to Agrawal, all members of the family share a strong love for football and watch matches together.

(With PTI Inputs)

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