Moth Ki Masjid Delhi: The Lentil Mosque Guide

Tucked into the lanes of a South Delhi residential quarter, Moth Ki Masjid is one of the capital's most charming offbeat monuments, a beautiful Lodi-era mosque with a delightful legend behind its unusual name. This guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages covers the mosque's history and famous lentil-seed story, its architectural significance, the timings and free entry and how to visit, so you can add this hidden gem to your trip, whether on its own or alongside the great sights on a Golden Triangle tour.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years guiding travellers across the region for Experience My India I have come to treasure these quiet, lesser-known monuments of the city and Moth Ki Masjid, with its graceful arches and its story of a single lentil seed, is a particular favourite. Here is what to know.

Moth Ki Masjid at a glance

What is Moth Ki Masjid?

Moth Ki Masjid, which translates as the Lentil Mosque, is a 16th-century heritage monument in South Delhi, built in 1505 during the reign of Sikandar Lodi of the Lodi dynasty. It represents a crucial evolution in Indo-Islamic architecture, serving as a structural prototype that directly influenced the later Mughal designs you can see at monuments across the city. Managed today by the Archaeological Survey of India, it is a protected monument and a genuine hidden gem.

Though modest beside Delhi's grand forts and tombs, the mosque is an architectural treasure and an ideal spot for offbeat heritage enthusiasts, photographers and history buffs. Its graceful arches and fine stonework reward a closer look and its quiet setting makes a peaceful contrast to the city's busier sights. For anyone exploring the medieval heritage of South Delhi, which also includes the nearby Hauz Khas complex, it is a rewarding and little-visited stop.

The legend of the lentil seed

The real charm of Moth Ki Masjid lies in the delightful legend behind its name, which is deeply rooted in local folklore. According to the traditional story, one day Sultan Sikandar Lodi was visiting a mosque with his Prime Minister, the Wazir Miya Bhoiya, when he picked up a single moth bean, a lentil seed, dropped by a bird and playfully gifted it to his minister.

Treating the humble grain as a sacred royal blessing, the Wazir planted it. He harvested the seeds it produced, replanted them season after season and sold the multiplying yields. Within a few years, the revenue from these ever-growing lentil harvests had grown vast enough to fund the construction of this entire mosque. Impressed by his minister's ingenuity and devotion, the Sultan is said to have officially named it Moth Ki Masjid, the Lentil Mosque. It is a wonderful parable of patience and enterprise and whether taken as history or folklore, it gives this quiet monument a warmth and character all its own.

The architecture of Moth Ki Masjid

Architecturally, Moth Ki Masjid is far more significant than its modest size suggests, for it broke away from the rigid, austere Tughlaq style that came before it, opting for a softer, more vibrant design that helped lay the groundwork for the Mughal architecture to come. It is considered a prototype whose ideas were carried forward into the great Mughal monuments.

The main prayer hall features a striking five-arched facade, with the central arch the grandest, beautifully framed in red sandstone and white marble. Above rise three distinct semicircular domes, noticeably more bulbous than earlier Lodi structures and pointing towards the fuller domes of the Mughal era. At the rear corners stand prominent two-storeyed octagonal towers or chhatris, with beautifully carved windows and throughout you can see some of the earliest localised use of coloured tiles and red-sandstone-and-white-marble geometric panelling in Delhi, a decorative richness that the Mughals would later perfect at monuments such as the Red Fort.

Where is Moth Ki Masjid and what is nearby?

Moth Ki Masjid stands in Masjid Moth Village, a congested residential quarter in South Extension II in South Delhi and its setting among narrow lanes is part of its hidden-gem character. It lies in a part of the city rich in medieval and later heritage, making it easy to combine with other sights for a rewarding day.

Close by are several South Delhi attractions, including the atmospheric Hauz Khas complex, the Siri Fort area and Khirki Masjid, which together make a fine offbeat heritage circuit. A little further afield, the towering Qutub Minar and the old fort of Purana Qila add more of Delhi's layered history, while the serene Lotus Temple, the revered Kalkaji temple beside it and the bustling Nehru Place market are also in the wider South Delhi area. You can see the full range of the city's sights in our Delhi attractions guide.

Timings and entry fee

Moth Ki Masjid is a free, open monument, with no ticket required and no photography charges, accessible through daylight hours every day of the week.

Because entry is free and the monument is compact, a visit takes only about thirty to forty-five minutes, making it an easy addition to a day of South Delhi sightseeing. Note that, because this is a protected, non-functional historical site where no regular prayers are held, visitors are generally allowed to explore the raised platforms and interiors without removing their shoes, though it is always respectful to tread carefully at any religious monument.

How to reach Moth Ki Masjid

Moth Ki Masjid is in South Extension II, a central South Delhi locality, but it sits within a congested village of very narrow lanes, so a little planning helps in reaching it.

The nearest Metro station is South Extension on the Pink Line, about 1.2 kilometres away. Importantly, you should not take a car directly to the monument, as the lanes of Masjid Moth Village are extremely narrow; instead, park near the South Extension market and walk or take an e-rickshaw the short remaining distance. For getting around the wider city, our travel guides and the Delhi attractions guide help you plan and our guide to must-visit places near Delhi within 50 km covers options for day trips further afield.

Best time to visit Moth Ki Masjid

The best time to visit Moth Ki Masjid, as the monument is open-air and in a sunny spot, is the early morning or the late afternoon, for the most pleasant, cooler conditions and the loveliest light on the red sandstone and marble, which is ideal for photography. Seasonally, the cool months from about October to March are the most comfortable for exploring South Delhi on foot.

The summer, from April to June, is very hot in Delhi, so an early-morning visit is best then, while the monsoon, from July to September, brings some relief. Because the mosque is a quiet, little-visited spot, you will rarely find crowds at any time, so you can enjoy it at a relaxed pace, lingering over the arches and the carved details in the soft morning or evening light.

Tips for visiting Moth Ki Masjid

• Do not drive into Masjid Moth Village; park near South Extension market and walk or take an e-rickshaw.

• Visit in the early morning or late afternoon for the best light and cooler, more comfortable conditions.

• Allow about thirty to forty-five minutes for this compact, quiet monument.

• As a protected, non-functional site, shoes are generally allowed, but tread respectfully.

• Combine it with other South Delhi heritage sites such as Hauz Khas, Siri Fort and Khirki Masjid.

• Bring water and sun protection, as the open monument offers little shade.

• Enjoy the peace: this is a hidden gem that rarely sees crowds.

What to expect

A visit to Moth Ki Masjid is a quiet, rewarding encounter with a hidden chapter of Delhi's architectural history, a graceful Lodi-era mosque that helped shape the Mughal style to come. You can expect a beautiful five-arched facade framed in red sandstone and white marble, three bulbous domes, carved octagonal corner towers and early inlay work, all in a peaceful, little-visited setting among the lanes of a South Delhi village and the delightful legend of the single lentil seed that funded it all.

As an attraction it is modest and offbeat rather than grand and its reward is beauty, history and tranquillity away from the crowds, with a story that stays with you. Combined with the other heritage of South Delhi, from Hauz Khas to the Qutub Minar, it makes a wonderful addition to a day exploring the quieter, older corners of the capital.

Plan your trip with us

Finding and appreciating an offbeat gem like Moth Ki Masjid is far easier and richer with a knowledgeable local guide, who can lead you through the lanes and bring its history and legend to life. We arrange it all, a comfortable private car and an experienced driver, a guide to show you the hidden corners of South Delhi and a day planned around your interests.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure. A day in the capital slots neatly into our wider Delhi Agra Tour Packages and our Golden Triangle tours and this heritage quarter pairs well with a guided Old Delhi tour of the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk.

Want your Delhi day planned around you? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you.

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• Delhi day tour: the best of old and new Delhi in a single day.

• Humayun's Tomb: the great early-Mughal garden tomb of Delhi.

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