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{{Short description|Mosque in Delhi, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2025}}
{{for|similarly named mosques|Golden Mosque (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Sunehri Bagh Masjid
| native_name = {{langx|ur|سنہری باغ مسجد}}
| native_name_lang =
| image = Sunehri Bagh Masjid Lutyen's Delhi 07.jpg
| image_upright = 1.4
| alt =
| caption = Sunehri Bagh Masjid in 2024
| religious_affiliation = [[Islam]]
| status = [[Mosque]]
| functional_status = Active
| tradition =
| sect =
| district =
| prefecture =
| province =
| ownership =
| governing_body =
| leadership = {{nowrap|Abdul Aziz {{small|([[Imam]])}}}}
| bhattaraka =
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| location = [[Lutyens' Delhi|Lutyens]], Central Delhi, Delhi NCT
| country = India
| map_type = India Delhi central
| map_size = 250
| map_alt =
| map_relief = 1
| map_caption = Location of the mosque in [[Central Delhi]]
| grid_name =
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| sector =
| territory =
| administration =
| coordinates = {{Coord|28.61036|77.21205|format=dms|type:landmark_region:IN-DL|display=it}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| heritage_designation = Grade-III
| architect =
| architecture_type = {{nowrap|[[Mosque architecture]]}}
| architecture_style = [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]]
| founded_by =
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| year_completed = {{circa|17th century}}
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| height_max =
| dome_quantity = One
| dome_height_outer =
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| minaret_quantity = Four
| minaret_height =
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| materials = [[Lakhori bricks]]
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}}

The '''Sunehri Bagh Masjid''' is a [[Mughal era]] [[mosque]], located in the [[Lutyens' Delhi|Lutyens]] area, in [[Central Delhi]], India. It is listed as a Grade-III heritage structure{{clarify|date=January 2025|reason=What is this. Not MANI or State-protected monument. Please add reference to 'listing'.}} and is made of two storeys, and comprises a [[Bengal roofs|Bangla dome]] and four [[minaret]]s.

In August 2023 the [[New Delhi Municipal Council]] (NDMC) recommended that the mosque be demolished in order to improve traffic management in the area. The NDMC put their proposal for public opinions during December 2023, and widespread criticism was received from minority activists, historians, and organisations including [[Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind]] and the [[Indian History Congress]]. The mosque [[imam]] challenged the recommendation in the [[Delhi High Court]]. During proceedings, the NDMC told the court that the notice was procedural and "nothing is going to happen to Delhi's Sunehri Bagh Masjid anytime soon".

==History==
The Sunehri Bagh Masjid has a reported history of over 200 years,<ref name="qa-29dec23">{{cite news |title=200 سال پرانی مسجد کو ہٹانے کے حوالے سے 2 ہزار سے زائد تجاویز موصول! |url=https://www.qaumiawaz.com/national/owaisi-against-removing-of-sunheri-masjid |work=Qaumi Awaz |date=29 December 2023 |access-date=31 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231075653/https://www.qaumiawaz.com/national/owaisi-against-removing-of-sunheri-masjid |url-status=live |lang=ar |trans-title=Owaisi against removing of Sunheri Masjid }}</ref> and predates the construction of the colonial capital of [[New Delhi]].<ref name="tgi-28dec23">{{cite news |last1=Vincent |first1=Pheroze L. |title=Sunehri Bagh Masjid in crosshairs: Mosque that predates capital may be removed |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/sunehri-bagh-masjid-in-crosshairs-mosque-that-predates-capital-may-be-removed/cid/1989768 |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Telegraph India |date=28 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231081925/https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/sunehri-bagh-masjid-in-crosshairs-mosque-that-predates-capital-may-be-removed/cid/1989768 |url-status=live }}</ref> The mosque was contructued in the [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]] style; however, its exact construction date is unknown.<ref name="nl-3jan24">{{cite news |last1=Zuberi |first1=Fahad |title=Heritage, freedom struggle, practical solutions: What NDMC's Sunehri Masjid plan has overlooked |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2024/01/03/heritage-freedom-struggle-practical-solutions-what-ndmcs-sunehri-masjid-plan-has-overlooked |access-date=4 January 2024 |work=[[Newslaundry]] |archive-date=4 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104110546/https://www.newslaundry.com/2024/01/03/heritage-freedom-struggle-practical-solutions-what-ndmcs-sunehri-masjid-plan-has-overlooked |url-status=live }}</ref> According to historian [[Swapna Liddle]], the mosque likely belongs to the 17th century, or earlier.<ref name="ht-7jan24" /> It is located in the Lutyens' Delhi area, near [[Udyog Bhawan metro station]].<ref name="tgi-28dec23"/><ref name="wire-27dec23">{{cite news |title=NDMC Considers Demolition of Delhi's Sunehri Bagh Masjid; Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Objects |url=https://thewire.in/rights/ndmc-considers-demolition-of-delhis-sunehri-masjid-jamiat-ulama-i-hind-objects |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=The Wire |date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231074633/https://thewire.in/rights/ndmc-considers-demolition-of-delhis-sunehri-masjid-jamiat-ulama-i-hind-objects |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ht-7jan24"/>

The Lutyens' Delhi area is asserted to have developed around the mosque several decades after its construction.<ref name="b&b-30dec23" /> The mosque survived several ravages including the colonial reconstruction of [[New Delhi]] in 1912 led by [[Edwin Lutyens]].<ref name="nl-3jan24"/><ref name="toi-untouched-29dec">{{cite news |last1=Jaiswal |first1=Anuja |title=Lutyens left mosque untouched, find other solutions: Historians |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/lutyens-left-mosque-untouched-find-other-solutions-historians/articleshow/106366201.cms |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=29 December 2023 |access-date=31 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231095026/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/lutyens-left-mosque-untouched-find-other-solutions-historians/articleshow/106366201.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> The mosque housed Indian independence movement activists including [[Hasrat Mohani]], who used to stay there while attending Parliament sessions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sunehri Bagh masjid demolition: 'With Mosque will go all this history', netizens react |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/sunehri-bagh-masjid-demolition-with-mosque-will-go-all-this-history-netizens-react-11703643265179.html |work=Live Mint |date=27 December 2023 |access-date=31 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231081043/https://www.livemint.com/news/india/sunehri-bagh-masjid-demolition-with-mosque-will-go-all-this-history-netizens-react-11703643265179.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Delhi chapter of the [[Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage]] listed the mosque as a heritage building which was worth preservation, and had filed a PIL to "ensure that such buildings were given legal protection",<ref name="toi-untouched-29dec" /> which subsequently led to the mosque being listed as a Grade-III heritage building{{clarify|date=January 2025|reason=What is this. Not MANI or State-protected monument. Please add reference to 'listing'.}} in a 2009 Delhi government notification.<ref name="indiaexp-27dec">{{cite news |last1=Singhal |first1=Upasika |last2=Husain |first2=Saman |title=Sunehri Bagh masjid a heritage structure or a roadblock? NDMC seeks public opinion |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/sunehri-bagh-masjid-a-heritage-structure-or-a-roadblock-ndmc-seeks-public-opinion-9084052/ |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Indian Express |date=27 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231070302/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/sunehri-bagh-masjid-a-heritage-structure-or-a-roadblock-ndmc-seeks-public-opinion-9084052/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Structure==
Sunehri Bagh Masjid is a two-storey structure. It has a [[Bengal roofs|Bangla dome]] and four minarets. The mosque has rooms in the basement that either serve as shops or homes, and a staircase leading to the prayer area. The ground floor has a park around it.<ref name="ht-7jan24">{{cite news |last1=Butani |first1=Ashna |title=Uncertainty looms over occupants of 150-year-old Sunehri Bagh Masjid in Delhi |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/uncertainty-looms-over-occupants-of-150-year-old-sunehri-bagh-masjid-in-delhi-101704564280550.html |work=Hindustan Times |date=7 January 2024 |access-date=1 March 2024 |archive-date=13 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213034355/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/uncertainty-looms-over-occupants-of-150-year-old-sunehri-bagh-masjid-in-delhi-101704564280550.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The mosque is made of [[Lakhori bricks]].<ref>{{cite news |title=200 سو سال قدیم سنہری مسجد کو شہید کیے جانے کا خدشہ |url=https://naibaat.pk/2023/12/28/109352/ |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Daily Nai Baat |date=28 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231075946/https://naibaat.pk/2023/12/28/109352/ |url-status=live |lang=ar }}</ref>

==Demolition notice==
[[Amanatullah Khan]], [[Okhla]] MLA and at the time also Chairman of the [[Delhi Waqf Board]], wrote to Prime Minister on 3 June 2021 seeking assurance that the heritage mosques in the Lutyen's area would not be touched as a part of the [[Central Vista Redevelopment Project|Central vista project]].<ref name="ie-5june2021">{{cite news |last1=Butani |first1=Ashna |title=Apprehensions over fate of mosques during Central Vista work, Amanatullah writes to PM |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/apprehensions-over-fate-of-mosques-during-central-vista-work-amanatullah-writes-to-pm-7344703/ |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Indian Express |date=5 June 2021 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231071520/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/apprehensions-over-fate-of-mosques-during-central-vista-work-amanatullah-writes-to-pm-7344703/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Delhi Waqf Board filed a plea in the [[Delhi High Court]] in July 2023, which was first heard on 5 July 2023.<ref name="ht-aug-1523">{{cite news |title=NDMC to Delhi HC: 150-yr-old mosque blocking traffic |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/150yearold-mosque-in-new-delhi-faces-demolition-for-traffic-flow-delhi-high-court-to-hear-plea-101692031897858.html |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Hindustan Times |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231084338/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/150yearold-mosque-in-new-delhi-faces-demolition-for-traffic-flow-delhi-high-court-to-hear-plea-101692031897858.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The court issued an interim order on 7 July 2023 maintaining the status quo,<ref name="wire-27dec23" /> and the proceedings were closed on 18 December 2023.<ref>{{cite news |title=Imam of Sunehri Bagh Masjid moves Delhi HC against notice for removal of mosque due to 'traffic congestion' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/imam-sunehri-bagh-masjid-delhi-hc-notice-removal-mosque-traffic-congestion-9088609 |work=The Indian Express |date=31 December 2023 |access-date=1 March 2024 |archive-date=17 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117082658/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/imam-sunehri-bagh-masjid-delhi-hc-notice-removal-mosque-traffic-congestion-9088609/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2023, the [[New Delhi Municipal Council]] (NDMC) recommended to the High Court and proposed the removal of the mosque. NDMC had stated that the 150-year-old mosque "falls in a high-security zone where Parliament and Central government offices are located", and the removal ensured "safe and smooth flow of traffic".<ref name="thehindu-31dec">{{cite news |title=Only Delhi govt. panel can decide on Sunehri Masjid removal, NDMC tells HC |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/only-delhi-govt-panel-can-decide-on-sunehri-masjid-removal-ndmc-tells-hc/article67691110.ece |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=The Hindu |date=31 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231021544/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/only-delhi-govt-panel-can-decide-on-sunehri-masjid-removal-ndmc-tells-hc/article67691110.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

NDMC issued a public notice on 24 December 2023<ref name="b&b-30dec23">{{cite news |last1=Jha |first1=Prashant |title=No action on Sunehri Bagh Masjid anytime soon: NDMC tells Delhi High Court |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/no-action-sunehri-bagh-masjid-ndmc-delhi-high-court |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Bar and Bench |date=30 December 2023 }}</ref> to seek public opinions and suggestions.<ref name="indiaexp-27dec" /> It issued the notification in accordance with statements from Delhi Traffic Police stating that the mosque "creates traffic snarls in the area, especially on Tuesdays and Fridays."<ref name="th-29dec23">{{cite news |title=Traffic snarls can't justify demolition of Delhi's Sunehri Bagh Mosque: Danish Ali |url=https://www.thehindu.com/incoming/traffic-snarls-cant-justify-demolition-of-delhis-sunehri-bagh-mosque-danish-ali/article67684640.ece |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=The Hindu |date=29 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231072053/https://www.thehindu.com/incoming/traffic-snarls-cant-justify-demolition-of-delhis-sunehri-bagh-mosque-danish-ali/article67684640.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> The removal proposal was found to be contradictory with a 2021 traffic study report submitted by the [[Central Public Works Department]]. The report did not find any "congestion at the roundabout then or in the near future".<ref name="ie-31dec23">{{cite news |last1=Nath |first1=Damini |last2=Husain |first2=Saman |title=Sunehri Bagh Masjid Removal: 2021 traffic study contradicts NDMC proposal, reveals no congestion at roundabout |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/traffic-study-in-2021-found-no-congestion-at-sunehri-bagh-mosque-roundabout-9089151/ |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Indian Express |date=31 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231001628/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/traffic-study-in-2021-found-no-congestion-at-sunehri-bagh-mosque-roundabout-9089151/ |url-status=live }}</ref> By 1 January 2024, NDMC had received over 85,000 responses, mainly from Muslim and minority organisations and mostly against the demolition of the mosque.<ref name="qa-29dec23"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2024-01-02 |title=NDMC receives 85,000 responses to public notice on proposed removal of Sunehri Masjid |url=https://theprint.in/india/ndmc-receives-85000-responses-to-public-notice-on-proposed-removal-of-sunehri-masjid/1908711/ |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240215062816/https://theprint.in/india/ndmc-receives-85000-responses-to-public-notice-on-proposed-removal-of-sunehri-masjid/1908711/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind]] president [[Mahmood Madani]] wrote to Prime Minister Modi and home minister Amit Shah expressing reservations about the notification. He wrote in the letter that "such an action would constitute a grave loss to our shared heritage".<ref name="wire-27dec23" /> An anonymous veteran architect quoted by ''[[The Telegraph (India)|Telegraph India]]'' stated, "The Sunehri Bagh Masjid is not merely a structure of bricks and mortar; it stands as a testament to our historical legacy and architectural grandeur. Its demolition would result in an irrevocable loss to the cultural fabric and collective identity of our city."<ref name="tgi-28dec23"/>

===Delhi High Court===
Abdul Aziz, the [[imam]] of Sunehri Bagh Masjid, challenged the NDMC's seeking public opinion, in the Delhi High Court, and alleged "that the notice was issued with [[wikt:malafide|malafide]] intention without any application of mind and that the structure was being targeted without any research or data to support the claim that the structure was causing traffic congestion in the area."<ref name="ht-31dec23">{{cite news |last1=Kakkar |first1=Shruti |title=Sunehri Bagh masjid case: Cleric at Lutyens' mosque moves Delhi HC against notice |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/sunehri-bagh-masjid-cleric-at-lutyens-mosque-moves-delhi-hc-against-notice-101703957471281.html |access-date=31 December 2023 |work=Hindustan Times |date=31 December 2023 |archive-date=31 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231021218/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/sunehri-bagh-masjid-cleric-at-lutyens-mosque-moves-delhi-hc-against-notice-101703957471281.html |url-status=live }}</ref> NDMC told the court that "nothing is going to happen to Delhi’s Sunehri Bagh Masjid anytime soon", stating that the public notice was procedural, and opinions from the Heritage Conservation Committee would be heard first.<ref name="b&b-30dec23" /> The case was transferred to a double-bench on 11 January 2024.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sunehri Bagh Mosque Demolition: Case Transferred To Delhi High Court's Double Bench, Next Hearing On Jan 19 |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/sunehri-bagh-mosque-demolition-delhi-high-court-double-bench-january-19-news-342490 |work=Outlook India |date=11 January 2024 |access-date=1 March 2024 |archive-date=16 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216002212/https://www.outlookindia.com/national/sunehri-bagh-mosque-demolition-delhi-high-court-double-bench-january-19-news-342490/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Reactions from historians===
[[Narayani Gupta]], an historian and a retired professor of [[Jamia Millia Islamia|Jamia Millia Islamia University]], observed that "Lutyens cleverly incorporated this little masjid into one of his roundabouts. Instead of learning from him, our present town controllers pay homage only to VIP cars", and Swapna Liddle stated that there were several other ways which could resolve the traffic problems around the mosque.<ref name="toi-untouched-29dec" />

On 10 January 2024, the [[Indian History Congress]], which comprises historians from all parts of India, issued a resolution opposing the NDMC's decision of demolition of the mosque subject to the mosque's cultural significance and its history during the construction of New Delhi. The historians stated that the location of the mosque is evocative and serves as a relic.<ref>{{cite news |title='Constant Attempt to Erode Medieval Architecture, Heritage': Historians Org on Sunehri Bagh Mosque |url=https://thewire.in/rights/constant-attempt-to-erode-medieval-architecture-heritage-historians-org-on-sunehri-bagh-mosque |work=The Wire |date=10 January 2024 |access-date=1 March 2024 |archive-date=29 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229160800/https://thewire.in/rights/constant-attempt-to-erode-medieval-architecture-heritage-historians-org-on-sunehri-bagh-mosque |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
{{stack|{{portal|India|Islam}}}}
* [[Islam in India]]
* [[List of mosques in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-the-british-spared-the-sunehri-bagh-mosque-when-building-new-delhi-9091552/ |title=Why the British spared the Sunehri Bagh mosque when building New Delhi |work=Indian Express |date= |access-date= }}
* {{YouTube|id=nGEftcNsiY4|title="Sunehri Bagh Masjid: The Delhi mosque facing an uncertain future" }}. ''[[BBC News]]''. India.

{{Mosques in India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunehri Bagh, Masjid}}
[[Category:17th-century mosques in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in New Delhi]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with domes in India]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with minarets in India]]
[[Category:Mosques in Delhi]]
[[Category:Mughal mosques]]

Sunehri Bagh Masjid - Revision history

Shivam Singh: Put Up The Post Added Tags!