Ayodhya mosque to be completed in 30 months

Lucknow, Feb 4 : The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) Trust that is overseeing the construction of the mosque in Dhannipur village, Ayodhya, has planned to complete the structure in 30 months.

The Trust has set a deadline of 30 months to complete the construction of three main complexes on the five-acre plot -- a mosque, museum and hospital.

The Ram temple, being constructed about 40 km from Dhannipur, is likely be completed in 39 months.

An official of the Waqf board trust said that after the formalities to begin work are over, and the "mosque complex will be ready within six months of commencement, and the hospital will be ready in two years".

After the construction work symbolically began on January 26 when six of the nine-members planted saplings and held a flag hoisting ceremony, workers have begun testing the soil in three places of the five-acre plot where complexes are going to be built.

A report is expected in 15 days.

Athar Hussain, Secretary and spokesperson of the IICF, said: "After the investigation report of the soil, action will be taken to get the required approval for the map of the mosque in Ayodhya District Panchayat."

He said that the trust plans to include vast stretches of greenery which will have plants of different species from India and other countries, including from the Amazon rainforest.

The two main complexes, the mosque and the museum, will both be completely solar-powered.

"A 200-bed super specialty hospital, mosque and Indo-Islamic Cultural Research Centre are to be built on this land from the government.

The hospital will be built on 50,000 sq.ft and will have five floors and 200 beds. About 24,000 sq.ft of the land has been reserved for the mosque. Almost 2,000 people will be able to offer namaaz together in the mosque. The greenhouse, museum, communication centre and library will also be part of the research centre," said Hussain.

The mosque has been designed by S.M.

Akhtar, professor of architecture at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, who is drawing inspiration from mosques in countries like Dubai, Istanbul, Kosovo and Qatar.

According to Akhtar, the new building will be a modern complex but the estimation of how much this project will cost has not been done yet.



The mosque will have two floors, a separate area for women to pray. It will also be unlike traditional Islamic architecture and will incorporate neither domes nor arches.

An underground museum, built on 500 square metres land, and a library will also be constructed within the complex.

The museum will showcase the common struggles faced by Hindus and Muslims in the country from the revolution of 1857 until Independence.

Its full focus will be on Avadh in this museum. Contributions of poets like Amir Khusro, Kabir, Ras Khan will also be on display.

Tourists visiting the mosque will be able to get the flavours of different provinces across the country in one place.

There will be a gift shop where one can buy Avadhi costumes.

The complex will also have a cafe, the catering for which has been entrusted to food critic and historian Pushpesh Pant.

The mosque at Dhannipur village is being constructed on five-acre land that has been given to the Muslims in lieu of the land on which the demolished Babri mosque stood.



The land has been given as per Supreme Court verdict of November 2019.

--IANS

amita/ksk/.



Source: IANS