Dhannipur Mosque Project to begin on January 26 in Ayodhya
(Sourced from PTI)
The Dhannipur Mosque Project, which includes a hospital, a museum, a library, a community kitchen, an Indo-Islamic Cultural Research Center, a publication house, besides a mosque, will formally begin in Ayodhya on January 26. To recall, the mosque is being built in the Uttar Pradesh district following the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case.
Athar Hussain, Secretary and spokesperson of the trust, said in a statement on Sunday, "At a meeting of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), it was decided that Republic Day will be celebrated with the start of the Dhannipur Mosque Project."
At a virtual meet chaired by IICF President Zufar Ahmad Farooqi, the progress of the trust activities, especially the procedural delay in getting the 12-A/80-G clearances under the Income Tax Act and the proceedings for the opening of an FCRA account, was discussed, the statement said. To recall, UP's Sunni Central Waqf Board had formed the IICF for the construction of the mosque.
The statement said, "It was decided to make a formal beginning of the project by applying for the plan clearance from the Ayodhya District Board and start the soil testing process at the five-acre plot." As the focus of the project is to create awareness on climate change, Hussain proposed that the formal start of the project should be made by planting tree saplings.
As envisaged in the project, a green area, having plants from all over the world, and from all different geographical regions of India will be developed to create awareness about the imminent threat posed by climate change.
Earlier, Hussain had informed that a mosque measuring 15,000 square feet will be built in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village and will be of the same size as the Babri mosque. However, the shape of the mosque might be completely different from that of other mosques. It is expected to be square-shaped, like the Kaaba Sharif in Mecca, as hinted by the architect, SM Akhtar.
The State Government had allotted the plot in Dhannipur for the mosque construction on the directions of the Supreme Court. To recall, the court in November 2019 had ruled in favor of the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
