On 9 November 2019, The Supreme court of India delivered the final verdict in the Babri masjid demolition case and allotted 5 acres of land in Dhannipur, Ayodhya to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board to build the new Ayodhya mosque.
The construction of the Mosque and associated complex is under the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust formed by the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board.
The IICF unveiled a blueprint of the mosque complex in December last year. The proposed design is focused on breaking away from the past and mirror a peaceful future in the true spirit of Islam.
The proposed design by the IICF trust became extremely popular on the internet and has hyped the expectations of the people.
“The whole world is waiting for this complex, so in that sense, the responsibility and pressure is definitely there.” SM Akhtar
So let us look at some of the facts related to the much-awaited Dhannipur mosque complex project.
Location of the mosque
The new mosque will be located in Dhannipur village located 25 kilometers from the old Babri Masjid site.
Dhannipur is a hamlet located in Sohawal tehsil in Faizabad district, officially Ayodhya district.
Name of the mosque
The old Babri masjid was named after the Mugal emperor Babar. But after the IICF Trust was formed, there have been discussions on the name of the new mosque.
After much discussion, IICF decided to not attach the name of any conqueror with the mosque.
As per the sources in IIFC, the foundation was seriously contemplating the proposal to dedicate the Ayodhya mosque project to the great freedom fighter Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, who was known as the 'Lighthouse of Rebellion' in the Awadh region.
The decision was taken to make the Ayodhya mosque a symbol of communal brotherhood and patriotism.
As of now, it is being called the Dhannipur mosque project.
The mosque complex
“It is not just a masjid, but a masjid complex,” S.M. Akhtar, the architect of the Dhannipur mosque.
In addition to the mosque, the Dhannipur project includes a museum, a library, an Indo-Islamic cultural research center, and a publication house.
The Mosque will be designed to accommodate 2000 namazis at a time.
The mosque complex would be dedicated to humanity. and that is why The complex will also house a 200-bed multi-specialty hospital and a community kitchen that can feed about 1,000 people daily.
Officials with the trust are preparing the list of NoCs to be obtained while initiating the layout clearance process.
“There are more than a dozen NoCs required, including from the fire, environment, administration, and education departments,” an official said.
Cost of building
The mosque complex is about 6 times the size of the Babri masjid and would take about two and a half years to be completed.
Building material for the project is yet to be finalized. However the current estimate of the cost is about 100-110 crores.
Design of the Mosque
S.M. Akhtar, a renowned architect and Dean of the architecture department at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University and also the architect of the Dhannipur mosque, tells the complex will be built on a rectangular layout.
The blueprint of the new mosque draws its inspiration from mosques in middle eastern countries like Dubai, Turkey, Kosovo, and Qatar.
The design mixes modernity with middle eastern style Islamic architecture. It will not have the stereotypical arches, minarets, or domes.
“I am looking for a paradigm shift in the vocabulary of Islamic architecture. The past is past. The past cannot be the present nor the future. You have to detach yourself from that. It is nostalgia; it cannot give you anything.”
A symbol of peace and brotherhood
The construction officially began on the republic day of 2021 with the unfurling of the Indian Flag.
After competition, the trust wants to dedicated the monument to humanity and not to any particular religion and we think that's beautiful and should be encouraged and appriciated.
And that is why, the IICF is dedicated to make the mosque a structure that would break the steoreotypes of the past and become an icon of unity in the future.
From the naming of the mosque to the services it will provide to the people, the IICF has kept in mind the message of communal harmony that the new mosque should give to the people.
On the 10th of March, the government has also granted tax exemption to those contributing to the construction of the mosque.
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