Lodhi Garden turns 90: How iconic park became Delhi’s most loved blend of history, nature, and resilience

Opened in 1936 as Lady Willingdon Park, today it’s Delhi’s most picturesque green—where tombs meet tulips, faqirs meet butterflies, and walkers meet history.

Its 15th-century monuments once served as the backdrop for young Farooq Shaikh and Deepti Naval romancing in Chashme Buddoor (1981) – a love letter to Delhi. In the decades that followed, its manicured lawns and lush green spaces have featured in countless blockbusters. A favourite among morning walkers, yoga practitioners, young couples, and solitary seekers, Lodhi Garden has served the national capital in its current form for nine decades. One of Delhi’s most beloved green spaces turns 90 on Thursday.

Spread over 80 acres, the well-laid-out garden was inaugurated on April 9, 1936, as Lady Willingdon Park. (Unsplash)

Spread over 80 acres, the well-laid-out garden was inaugurated on April 9, 1936, as Lady Willingdon Park – named after the wife of the then Governor-General of India, the Marquess of Willingdon. The park’s entry point towards Amrita Sher-Gil Marg still bears her name.

Suhas Borker, co-founder of Green Circle, a voluntary group that organises the annual anniversary celebrations, said the park’s 90th birthday will be marked with a lunch for around 90 gardeners, along with regular visitors who act as a community protecting the park.

“We will also hold a seminar with experts on the Aravalli ecosystem, and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will distribute saplings,” Borker said, who has been walking the park since the late 1980s.

8 centuries of greenery

City chronicler and author Sohail Hashmi said the garden has an extraordinary collection of monuments spanning three royal dynasties – Sayyids, Lodhis, and Mughals. “Khairpur village was uprooted to develop the garden in its current form. Another village near Jor Bagh was also displaced. The area had a natural stream flowing through it, a tributary of the Yamuna, and this connection was lost when development took place near Safdarjung Airport (earlier Willingdon Airfield),” Hashmi said.

Borker added that the forceful uprooting of Khairpur has given rise to local folklore. “The lore goes that villagers were unhappy about being displaced. They were packed into trucks and sent away. The village’s patron faqir is said to have taken revenge, and the Willingdons were sent back to London on April 18 – just nine days after the park’s inauguration,” he said.

After Independence, and due to its historical and archaeological importance, the park was renamed Lodhi Garden. An NDMC horticulture official said the landscaping was redesigned in 1968 by noted American architect Joseph A Stein.

Tree lovers paradise

With a 90-year history as an undisturbed green space, Lodhi Garden is one of the best places to see a wide variety of trees, ranging from exotics like silver oak and Caribbean trumpet to indigenous species such as maulsari, Sita Ashok, neem, and palash. According to NDMC, the park hosts over 5,400 trees across 210 species.

Chandan Tiwary, a tree enthusiast, said, “Some interesting trees here include rudraksh, camphor, roheda, southern magnolia, olive, Sita Ashok, gamhar, chandan, and even freshwater mangrove. It is also home to a heritage mango tree. Australian almond, calabash, and tumri are among the newer additions.”

The heritage mango tree near Bada Gumbad has developed canker disease, though gardeners are working to prolong its life. Nearby, an old and gnarled roheda tree is believed to have healing powers, and people still hang clothes of sick children on it in the hope of a cure.

The park also features a massive bamboo grove, a glasshouse built in 1970, and a National Bonsai Park developed in 1996.

Rajendra Kumar, one of around 80 gardeners and staffers who maintain the park, said he has been tending to its greenery for 36 years. “A lot has changed over the decades. From a butterfly park to tulip house, Lodhi Garden has seen many additions – but its essence remains the same,” he said.

As for the folklore of the angered faqir, Borker said the grave was restored and a butterfly conservatory was developed nearby in 2009. “Greek mythology says butterflies are like angels. The patron faqir of Khairpur is now at peace, and Lodhi Garden will continue to flourish,” he added.