The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) on Friday (04) granted the final approval for the construction of Dhannipur mosque in compliance with the Supreme Court's verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case.
The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated five acres of land for the construction of a mosque, hospital, research institute, community kitchen, and library by the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) Trust.
The construction was delayed for over two years due to pending clearance and land use change matters by the ADA.
"We have approved the project of Ayodhya Mosque in the board meeting held on Friday. The sanctioned maps will be handed over to the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) after a few departmental formalities which are to be completed within a couple of days," Gaurav Dayal, Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner, told PTI.
Athar Hussain, the Secretary of IICF, stated that once all clearances have been obtained, the Trust will convene a meeting to finalise the plan for constructing the mosque.
"The meeting of the Trust will be held after Ramzan that ends on April 21. The date to begin the construction work of the mosque will be finalised in that meeting," he said.
"We laid the foundation of the mosque on January 26, 2021. We chose that day because on this day, India's Constitution came into effect more than seven decades ago," he added.
"The Dhannipur mosque will be bigger than the Babri Masjid. It will not be modelled on the structure which once stood in Ayodhya," Hussain told PTI.
The location of the Dhannipur mosque site is approximately 22 km from the Ram temple in the pilgrim town.
On November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court issued a historic verdict directing the construction of a Ram temple at a contested location in Ayodhya, and instructed the government to allocate five acres of land in the district for the construction of a mosque at a prominent location.
The IICF Trust, responsible for constructing the mosque, has announced plans to construct a hospital, a community kitchen, a library, and a research institute, in addition to the mosque.
Hussain has stated that the hospital will serve humanity in accordance with the true teachings of Islam, as imparted by the Prophet over 1,400 years ago.
"The hospital won't be the usual concrete structure, but will be in sync with the architecture of the mosque, replete with calligraphy and Islamic symbols, " he said.
The IICF secretary added that the upcoming hospital and community kitchen at the mosque site will serve the sick and hungry, regardless of their religion, caste, or creed. The green belt will promote awareness about climate change, while the research institute will focus on the contributions of Muslims to the freedom struggle and the legacy of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.
In the meantime, construction of the Ram temple in the city is progressing rapidly, with officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust anticipating its opening for devotees in January 2024, the same year as the next general election in the country.
With inputs from PTI
Martin Rosenbaum (Pic credit: rosenbaum.org.uk)
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