Ranjit Hotel, a once-bustling landmark near Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, was where wrestling giants like Dara Singh, King Kong, Randhawa, and Ali Shaan of Pakistan often stayed before their bouts at Ambedkar Stadium. Fans would throng the area, waiting to catch a glimpse of the burly stars as they stepped out to perform in front of cheering crowds.
Nearly two decades ago, this slice of Delhi’s sporting and social history was wiped out when the 1968-built hotel was demolished to make way for a glass-and-steel corporate tower. Forgotten by most, the site made headlines again last week when reports emerged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached the Reliance Centre, which replaced the old hotel.
A hub for sports
In its heyday, Ranjit Hotel was a magnet for business travellers, budget-conscious foreign tourists, and local families. Its proximity to key landmarks — Connaught Place, Rajghat, and the Ramlila Maidan — made it one of central Delhi’s most popular addresses.
“Ranjit Hotel was a favourite place for the Delhi-6 (Old Delhi) residents to host weddings and other functions. I remember attending a couple of marriage parties there with my parents,” recalls social worker Ashish Verma.
“My father, Hari Chand Verma, often spent time there with his friends when he was an MCD member from the Hauz Qazi area. He told us that Dara Singh and his brother Randhawa often stayed there,” he adds.
Named after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the 19th-century Sikh ruler known as the ‘Lion of Punjab’, the hotel offered more than just budget lodging. It was a 3-star property with about 186 rooms — single, double, and air-conditioned — and a multi-cuisine restaurant serving Indian, Continental, and local Delhi fare.
Sale to Anil Ambani group
The hotel was managed by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) as part of its Ashok Group of Hotels. In 1970, it was merged with ITDC’s operations alongside Lodhi and Janpath hotels.
As part of the government’s privatisation programme in the early 2000s, several ITDC properties were sold to private entities. Ranjit Hotel was among those divested, purchased by the Anil Ambani group in 2002. Soon after the takeover, the hotel was shut down, and the site was redeveloped into what is now known as the Reliance Centre.
Home to political figures
Transporter Ajay Solomon, whose father worked at the hotel and lived in staff quarters there, remembers it as a lively space that attracted both sports and political personalities.
“Football teams like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, which played in the DCM and Durand tournaments, often stayed at Ranjit Hotel since it was so close to Ambedkar Stadium,” he says.
He adds that Congress leader Ramesh Dutta, who later became Delhi’s Deputy Mayor, also lived in the staff flats because his brother Satish had been allotted a residence there. “As Dutta lived there, many Congress workers and leaders frequented the hotel,” Solomon recalls.
End of an era
Old-timers recall the Ranjit Hotel as a family-friendly establishment, boasting spacious rooms, excellent service, and a central location that makes it ideal for exploring the city. However, after the sale to the Reliance group, the remaining staff members living on the premises were swiftly asked to vacate.
“They were hardly given any time to prepare before being evicted,” recalls a former employee who witnessed the transition.
The Ranjit Hotel’s demolition may have marked the end of a local institution. But the latest ED action has brought it back into public memory — as a symbol of how Delhi’s past often lies buried beneath its gleaming corporate skyline.
