By Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — A nearly 400-year-old dargah, graveyard and mosque in Wazirabad, near the Signature Bridge on the Yamuna in the national capital, have come under scrutiny after claims surfaced that the structures stand on government land.
The issue has gained attention at a time when debates over waqf properties are ongoing in the capital. While the Delhi Waqf Board has recently placed claims over 123 properties and sought possession, several petitions have also been filed alleging that certain mosques, madrasas and shrines are built on public land.
The present controversy centres on a shrine known locally as the Nau Gaja Mazar in Wazirabad. A video circulating on social media claims that the graveyard, shrine and a mosque located beneath the Signature Bridge have been built through illegal occupation of government land.
Those sharing the video have demanded that the land be cleared, calling the structures unauthorised.
However, the management committee of the shrine has strongly denied the allegations.
A member of the committee said, “This is the Nau Gaja Mazar. It is around 493 years old. There is a large graveyard here, spread over nearly 10 bigha, where many people are buried. Later, a mosque was also constructed by the local committee.”
According to a member of the Delhi Waqf Board, a petition was filed in 2024 before the Delhi High Court claiming that the shrine and graveyard were located on government land.
A division bench had initially directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to take action and submit a report by 11 December, 2025.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
