Delhi LG to unveil restored century-old Roshanara Club, distribute membership cards

The club was taken over by DDA in 2023, sparking a legal back-and-forth between DDA and the former private management

Published on: Jul 27, 2025, 05:56:13 IST

By Paras Singh

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The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has restored the heritage areas in Roshanara Club in North Delhi and lieutenant governor VK Saxena is likely to inaugurate the restored buildings on Sunday, officials said on Saturday. The unveiling ceremony will be held in the evening with the DDA planning to hold a guided walkthrough of the club house, distribution of membership cards and sports engagement with the dignitaries, the programme schedule released by DDA said.

The club was taken over by DDA in 2023, sparking a legal back-and-forth between DDA and the former private management. The authority said it will run the club as a public facility with an affordable and inclusive model, officials said. On June 22, HT had reported that DDA intends to reopen the clubhouse as a social hub, with plans to resume food and beverage (F&B) services.

The 103-year-old club remained partially functional since its takeover from private management, offering sports facilities—cricket, tennis and swimming—on a pay-to-play model. While the club remained exclusive to its members since the British era, DDA opened it to the public after taking over.

In 1922, Civil Lines was populated by British bureaucrats and the emerging Indian elite, who joined hands to set up the club on 22 acres on the western side of Roshanara Bagh. The club is renowned for hosting a meeting that led to the ideation and creation of the Board of Cricket Control Of India (BCCI).

According to the club website, its pre-Independence members included viceroys and governor-generals. Among regular visitors were Jawaharlal Nehru, Zakir Hussain, VV Giri, and Dr Rajendra Prasad. Several Indian cricketers, including Kapil Dev and Virat Kohli, have played here and iconic films, such as “Gandhi”, have been shot on the premises.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paras Singh
Paras Singh is a New Delhi-based journalist with Hindustan Times, where he serves as Deputy Metro Editor. He reports on urban governance, the Delhi government, the Delhi BJP, water management, the environment, communities and city life. He joined Hindustan Times in 2021 after beginning his journalism career at The Times of India in 2016, where he covered civic bodies, the water and power sectors, and urban infrastructure. Over the last decade, some of his reporting has led to significant public impact, with investigations into environmental violations, corruption and illegal industrial activity contributing to multiple judicial interventions by the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court. A graduate of St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Paras studied journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Having extensively covered the capital's evolving civic and governance landscape, his recent work increasingly explores Delhi's history, built heritage, urban evolution and the relationship between people and place, alongside continuing to report on governance and public policy.Read More

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