It was constructed on the site of the Hall of Nations, which was controversially razed in 2017 despite court proceedings underway to address the structure’s heritage status.

[8] Bharat Mandapam stands on the site of the former Hall of Nations, an iconic addition to the sprawling Pragati Maidan project.

Designed by architect Raj Rewal,[9] the Hall was celebrated as the world’s first and then-largest space-frame structure built in reinforced concrete.

Pragati Maidan was inaugurated on November 3, 1972, by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the eve of the International Trade Fair called Asia 72.

[11] Pragati Maidan comprises a vast complex of buildings, covering over 150 acres (0.61 km²) and interspersed with numerous lawns.

It features a variety of structures in eclectic shapes and sizes and includes an auditorium that frequently hosts music shows and plays.

Pragati Maidan used to house a cinema called Shakuntalam, which attained popularity among college students for its comparatively cheap tickets.

The complex houses 18 exhibition halls,[12] several buildings, eateries, performance spaces and compounds, including headquarters of the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), and hosts over 70 national and international exhibitions annually, with the largest being the India International Trade Fair that attracts over 10,000 exhibitors and over 3,000,000 visitors.

[21] Conservationists, architects, and organisations from around the world protested the plan to demolish the iconic Hall of Nations, urging the government to preserve the renowned heritage structure.

[22] Raj Rewal, the veteran architect who designed the Hall of Nations, submitted a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking its preservation.

The verdict also stated that since no challenge was posed to the Heritage Conservation Committee's guidelines—which were, quite peculiarly, formulated in February of the same year—no legal remedy could be sought.

In its appeal, the UIA described the Hall as 'one of the largest space frames in concrete and internationally acclaimed as one of the most important buildings of the last century.'

[25] Appeals against the planned demolition courted traction from various quarters, with letters of support poring in from ETH Zurich, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

In his speech, he dismissed the critics of the new complex, claiming that opposition to the project was temporary and that, like past developments, the same voices would eventually learn to accept it.

He confidently stated that the critics of the project, whom he referred to as the 'Toli' (Hindi for gang), might even end up delivering lectures at Bharat Mandapam in the future, further illustrating his disregard for the appeals to protect the heritage structure.

[41] Straddling a corner of Pragati Maidan overlooking the Mathura Road is the Matka Peer, the dargah shrine of Hazrat Sheikh Abubakr Tusi Qalandari, a mystic who arrived in Delhi from Iran around 1260 CE.