Delhi: Roshanara Garden
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The Roshanara Lake
2018: restoration efforts
From: Paras Singh, Dry for decades, Roshanara lake to get its mojo back, and maybe birds too, December 26, 2018: The Times of India
A lake in a beautiful Mughal garden ambience might not just be a picture painted by medieval miniaturists if the North Delhi Municipal Corporation is able to revive the waterbody in Roshanara Bagh. On the directions of National Green Tribunal, the civic body has finalised the plan for restoring the old lake in the Mughal garden built by Roshanara Begum, the second daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, at what is now Shakti Nagar near the Kamla Nagar clock tower.
The lake was once a spot visited by migratory birds in the winter months. “It was fed by rainwater and channels from Najafgarh drain, but with change in the slope surfaces of the surrounding area and increased concretisation, it has remained almost dried up for a decade now,” said an official of the horticulture department of the north corporation.
The garden has a white marble pavilion built in the memory of the princess, who died in 1671 and is buried there. The Roshanara Club, started by the British in 1922, retains 22 acres of the garden area.
The garden has a white marble pavilion built in the memory of the princess who died in 1671 and is buried there. The Roshanara Club, started by the British in 1922, retains 22 acres of the garden area
Roshanara Club
As in 2024
Vibha Sharma, July 14, 2024: The Times of India
New Delhi : Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has restarted various sports activities at Roshanara Club in north Delhi, allowing the general public to participate on a pay-and-play basis. The authority has deployed its staff to oversee and manage the facilities, according to officials.
The sports complex offers a wide range of activities, including tennis, basketball, table tennis, cricket, swimming, badminton, squash, futsal and yoga. “These games can be accessed from 6 am to 9pm, except on Monday. While certain activities such as cricket and mini football are more in demand during weekends, recently introduced activities like yoga are also in demand despite the limited sessions called in the morning between 7am and 8:30 am. In May, we added the swimming pool facility and charged only Rs 100 per dip,” said a DDA official.
DDA intends to introduce additional disciplines and coaching sessions in the near future. In the previous month, the authority invited online tenders for the maintenance of its club, which included provisions for game attendants and supervisors. “Only those agencies having successfully completed similar works during the last seven years in any govt department or public sector undertaking were asked to apply so that the quality of services is not compromised,” said the official.
However, due to an ongoing dispute over the club’s operation, which is currently being heard in Delhi High Court, no provision for permanent membership has been initiated yet. The club, which has been embroiled in a legal dispute, was sealed last year. DDA claimed that the club’s management continued to operate the premises despite the expiration of the lease period. However, the former club management maintained that the sealing was carried out despite a stay order from the court. These developments had affected sports activities at the club.
Founded in 1922, Roshanara Club is situated in the heart of north Delhi and is regarded as one of the oldest clubs in India. The club, which spans 22 acres, has served as a lush retreat for its members for over 90 years. It is also considered the birthplace of Board of Control for Cricket in India. Sir Sobha Singh (1890-1978), a civil contractor and prominent builder of Lutyens’ Delhi, was among its founding members. He was the father of renowned Indian writer Khushwant Singh.
Another founding member was Rai Bahadur Amba Prasad, an eminent businessman born around 1860.
