Historic Race Course Mosque Stands Alone as Hundreds Displaced
A centuries‑old mosque in Delhi remains amid rubble while 717 families were moved 31 miles away.
Wow! In the heart of Delhi, just a short walk from the prime minister’s residence, the pale walls of the Race Course mosque still rise above piles of rubble.
The mosque’s pointed arches and green‑and‑white tiled courtyard remain intact, but the families who built a community around it are gone.
Mohammad Wasim, a 50‑year‑old driver, points to where his house once stood and says, “My father was married there, and, decades later, so was my daughter.”
Wasim and many others lived in modest homes tucked between military compounds, exclusive clubs and sprawling bungalows in Race Course, one of Delhi’s wealthiest and most heavily guarded neighbourhoods.
On 7 October, officials demolished those homes across three settlements, saying they were illegal constructions on government land and posed security risks because of their proximity to military installations.
Some 717 families were relocated to Savda Ghevra, a colony nearly 31 miles from the city centre, on the outskirts of Delhi.
Residents challenged the evictions in the Delhi High Court, arguing that the distance would disrupt their jobs, schools and community ties.
In August, the court allowed the relocation, accepting the government’s security concerns and noting that alternative housing had been provided.
Only the mosque and a nearby Hindu temple were left standing, but on the demolition day their water and electricity supplies were cut off.
Access to the mosque’s compound has been restricted; worshippers are generally turned away at the gates, though occasional pleas to guards allow a few inside.
The government claims ownership of the land on which the mosque sits.
Mosque authorities counter that the property was registered in 1977 as waqf land—dedicated under Islamic law for religious or charitable use—and is listed as a heritage structure.
The Delhi Waqf Board describes the mosque as nearly 300 years old, though other estimates place its age at 125‑150 years.
The board has written to officials requesting restoration of water and electricity and expressing concern for the mosque’s future.
Separately, a worshipper has petitioned the high court over restrictions on prayers and fears that the mosque could face demolition.
Hundreds once gathered here for prayers; now only a handful can enter.
The structure is officially listed as a heritage site by Delhi’s municipal authorities.
Hundreds of homes were demolished in the area in October, leaving the historic mosque standing amid the debris.
All eyes remain on the fate of this centuries‑old place of worship.
