The Muslim community in Gurugram, a rapidly growing satellite city near New Delhi, faces a severe shortage of mosques. With only 13 mosques serving a Muslim population of over 500,000, Muslims were left with no choice but to use empty plots, car parks, and open fields as makeshift prayer grounds for Jumma Namaz, the weekly congregational prayers. These public spaces provided a vital but temporary solution to a dire need. However, as the city grew and developed into a hub for multinational corporations and luxury high-rise apartments, the need for mosques became even more urgent, yet efforts to build them were met with resistance. The Muslim community’s attempts to secure land for new mosques were repeatedly blocked by the local administration, which, in turn, faced opposition from right-wing groups and residents’ associations. These challenges, compounded by rising tensions, left thousands of Muslims —working as construction workers, domestic help, and in various other sectors—to pray in public spaces across the city, exposed to the elements and increasingly under scrutiny. Since 2018, these makeshift prayer spaces have been subjected to continuous protests from Hindutva groups, who view these gatherings as a threat to their vision of the city.

VENUE: JA DESÈVE CINEMA – CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
1400, BOULEVARD DE MAISONNEUVE WEST, MONTREAL, QC H2L 2X4

Block – 13:00, 02-May-26, Sat

1. No Space to Pray (40 mins)
2. I Fear Blue Skies (12 mins)
3. On The Mountain (13 mins)

Suggested donation: $5–10 at the door