Maharashtra
Mumbai’s Iconic Mahalaxmi Racecourse To House Olympic Level Sports Hub Underground, BMC Unveils Mega Revamp Plan | Details Inside
Mumbai: More than 140 years since its inception, Mumbai’s iconic Mahalaxmi Racecourse is poised for a dramatic transformation, one that will unfold beneath the surface. The sprawling 211-acre expanse, known for its rich equestrian legacy, is now at the centre of an ambitious plan by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to build a world-class, underground sports and parking complex, without disrupting the historic racetrack above.
A Sporting Vision Beneath the Turf
Designed in collaboration with renowned architect Hafeez Contractor, the proposal envisions an Olympic-grade sports facility featuring a 400-metre track, an Olympic-size swimming pool and multi-sport arenas, all located below ground level. One level further down, a parking facility accommodating over 5,000 cars is being planned to cater to large-scale public events.
While the racecourse itself will remain intact and continue to be operated by the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) on 91 acres leased from the BMC, the civic body will redevelop the remaining 120 acres under a renewed lease agreement signed in January 2024.
Municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani told that while the heritage of the racecourse will be preserved, the surrounding area will undergo significant development. The BMC is currently examining the feasibility of utilising the basement levels for entertainment, sports and parking, despite the presence of underground sewage and stormwater lines.
On the surface, roughly half of the available 120 acres will be dedicated to a topiary garden. The rest of the land is set to house an urban forest, an open concert ground, and potentially an indoor auditorium or arena for year-round events. The existing equestrian track will remain untouched.
Gardens Above, Games Below
Architect Hafeez Contractor explained that the design ensures harmony between the above-ground aesthetics and the underground utility. While the garden and open spaces above will remain undisturbed, the basement offers an untapped opportunity to build a cutting-edge training facility for young athletes from Mumbai and across India.
The first level of the basement, spread across 20 acres, will feature facilities on par with international Olympic standards, including courts for squash and tennis, a skating rink, shooting range, cricket nets, handball, volleyball and basketball courts, a gymnastics zone, martial arts area and convention centre.
Let There Be Light—Underground
Despite being underground, the complex is designed for maximum natural light and ventilation. Contractor described a central skylight and a moat-like opening that will ensure airiness and openness within the space, eliminating the feeling of confinement.
Mapping the Maze Below
The design process has also accounted for the dense web of utilities running below the racecourse. Contractor said that water lines, drainage systems and gas pipelines have all been mapped and the layout has been adjusted to ensure minimal interference.
Parking for the Masses
The second basement level will be entirely dedicated to parking, a crucial addition given the scale of public events planned for the area. The facility is expected to hold over 5,000 cars, with a direct access route proposed from the Western Freeway to streamline traffic during large gatherings or concerts.
A Zonal Approach to the 120 Acres
The 120-acre plot above the underground structure has been carefully divided into zones: 63.9 acres for a themed topiary garden and educational herb zones, 13.6 acres for a concert ground, and 11.6 acres preserved as an urban forest, retaining mature trees already on the site. A further 31.36 acres have been earmarked, still under consideration, for an indoor arena or auditorium capable of hosting events throughout the year, including during Mumbai’s monsoon months.
A Personal Dream Realised
For Contractor, this project is deeply personal. “I was born and raised in Mumbai. I know the lack of sports infrastructure we faced growing up. When I turned 18, it was hard to find even a swimming pool. To now contribute to a space that gives future generations access to world-class training is truly a dream come true for a city like Mumbai,” he said.
A Long Trail of Abandoned Proposals
Over the past two decades, several plans to redevelop the racecourse have been floated and discarded. In 2004–05, RWITC attempted a commercial partnership with Pegasus Infrastructure, which was shelved following public and political opposition. In 2007, a proposal to convert the land into a flood-relief parking zone was also dropped. Later, in 2009, ideas including an aquarium and a flyover were discussed but never executed. In 2013, with the racecourse lease nearing expiry, the BMC proposed converting the space into a public park.
Years of deliberations yielded little consensus, until 2024, when the current plan took shape with clarity and intent.
With a vision rooted in preservation and progress, the Mahalaxmi Racecourse is now set to become not just a symbol of heritage, but also a beacon for India’s sporting future.
Maharashtra
No one’s father has India, MLA Abu Asim Azmi takes a dig at Nitesh Rane

Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has expressed his anger over Nitesh Rane statement and has given a befitting reply and said that no one’s father has India. He said that Nitesh Rane constantly shows provocations and no action is taken against him. Many cases have been registered but no action is taken. Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid are in jail but they are free. They did not show any provocation. The Supreme Court has directed strict action against hate speech but why does the government not take action against such elements who spread hatred.
Maharashtra
New details emerge in investigation into Mumbai Rohit Arya encounter… Rohit had asked for videos from Marathi artists and selected 80 children

Mumbai: was shaken by the hostage drama at the Mumbai RA studio. Rohit Arya had taken young children hostage at the studio in Powai for the money owed. The police successfully rescued them, but Rohit Arya was killed in an encounter. Several Marathi artists will be questioned in this case, and the Human Rights Commission has also taken notice of it. New revelations are coming out every day in the hostage case.
Rohit Arya encounter Investigations are also underway about the ‘artists’ who met Rohit Arya.
Last week, on Thursday, October 30, there was a big commotion in Mumbai in the afternoon. Some young children and senior citizens were taken hostage at the Mumbai RA. After the work done for the education department, a person named Rohit Arya had called some children for an audition for payment of dues and he made several demands while holding some children hostage. After this, the police entered the washroom and rescued a total of 19 people, including 17 children. And during the encounter, Rohit Arya was shot dead.
This hostage drama has shaken not only Mumbai but the entire Maharashtra and new revelations are being made in this case every day. The post-mortem report of Rohit Arya, who was killed in the encounter, has also come out recently. The post-mortem report confirmed that Rohit Arya died due to bullet injuries. The report says that given the nature of the bullet, there was no chance of his survival.
Meanwhile, another revelation has been made in this case. RA Studio in Powai, where this hostage drama Rohit Arya conducted some auditions, was visited by some famous actors of the Marathi world. Many actors like senior actor Girish Oak, actress Urmila Kothare, Manal Kapoor, Swapnil Joshi, Teja Pradhan, Ankash Joshi were present in the studio. Now in this matter, those actors who were in contact with Rohit or were going to participate in the shooting will also be questioned. The Human Rights Commission has taken serious notice of the Rohit Arya encounter case and a committee has been appointed to investigate. In this matter, the artists who went to RA Studio and met Rohit Arya will also be questioned. It has been said that the statements of everyone who was in contact with Rohit Arya will be recorded. According to the information received, Rohit had made a lot of preparations before implementing the plan to take children hostage in the studio. He asked for videos of hundreds of child artists for the short film and selected 80 of them. After that, he organized a four-day workshop for 35, 20 and finally 17 child artists. According to the information received, during these four days, artists Manal Kapoor, Swapnil Joshi, Teja Shri Pradhan, Ankash Joshi had visited the studio and returned, so now all these artists will be questioned.
Rachita Jadhav was also contacted.
It has been told that actress Rachita Jadhav was also invited to the same Raw studio. Rohit pretended that he wanted to do a film and an audition was held for her. Under the same conspiracy, he also contacted actress Rachita Jadhav. He called her, I am doing a film, he asked if you will work in it. When she agreed, he called her to the studio, and he also arranged a meeting. However, at the same time, due to a medical emergency at Ruchita’s house, she told that she could not come to the studio. Hence, Rohit and Ruchita did not meet.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Polls 2025 To Be Held On December 2, Counting Of Votes On December 3

Mumbai: The State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on November 4 announced the dates for the long-awaited Maharashtra Polls 2025. While addressing the press conference, the SEC said that the local body polls will be held on December 2 while the couting of votes will be held on December 3. The results for the Nagar Parishads and Nagar Panchayat will be declared on December 10.
According to the SEC, polls dates were announced for all local bodies , except for the 29 municipal corporations. The dates were announced for 246 Nagar Parishads and 42 Nagar Panchayat. The nomination process for the polls will begin on November 10.
The high-stakes polls will be against the ruling Mahayuti consisting of BJP, Shinde’s Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP vs the Mahayuti (consisting of UBT Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Congress). In addition to this, MNS is also set to join hands with the MVA for the polls. For the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections, there are one crore sixty lakh voters and 13,155 polling stations
The last BMC elections were held in 2017 and since then, the elections were not been held. In 2017, the elections were held in a single held on February 21 while results were announced on February 23.
Off all the 227 seats, the United Shiv Sena won 84 seats while BJP won 82 seats. Both the parties were in alliance during that time. The Congress had won 31 seats while the united NCP secured 13 seats. Raj Thackeray’s MNS had won 7 seats.
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