Lucknow: A few days after it emerged that the layout plan of the mosque planned in Ayodhya was rejected due to missing NOCs, the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IIFC), the trust overseeing the project, has come up with a fresh design to be submitted to the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) for approval.
The revised design, rooted in Awadhi and local architectural traditions, features five minarets and a classical dome. “Rather than using a glass façade or modern ornamental elements, the mosque will reflect the cultural and emotional connect of the local community,” Zufar Farooqui, trust functionary and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board president, told ThePrint.
The Supreme Court, in its 2020 verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute, ordered allocation of a five-acre plot in Ayodhya’s Dhannipur village to Muslims for the construction of a mosque. This parcel of land was handed over on August 3, 2020, by then district magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha.
According to Farooqui, “The old design looked more like a modern complex, which some of our committee members opposed. We want the mosque to have a traditional character, as that is the community’s demand.” He added that the revised map should be ready within the next two to three months, after which the trust will reapply for the required NOCs.
“Some media reports created confusion about the mosque’s development. In reality, our priority right now is to finalise the new design. The earlier news about NOCs was related to the old plan, while we have been working on the revised design for nearly six months,” he clarified.
‘Paperwork, NOCs first priority’
Farooqui also said funds for construction of the mosque are to be raised solely through crowdfunding, and not through individual donations.
“We have not finalized the budget yet, but since this will be a large complex, the requirement will be substantial. Funding has not started so far because we have not made a formal appeal. Our first priority is to complete the paperwork and secure the necessary NOCs, after which we will launch a crowd-funding campaign,” he said.
The committee formed to oversee construction is likely to reveal the final design and funding plan in the next few weeks.
A member of the mosque committee said on condition of anonymity that there were differences of opinion within the panel over the earlier design of the structure. The old map was seen as too modern, and some members objected that it did not resemble a traditional mosque, he said.
According to him, “The new tentative plan, for the mosque likely to be named ‘Muhammad Bin Abdullah Mosque,’ will feature five minarets in line with Islamic principles. Construction is expected to begin with the arrival of a sacred black brick, inscribed with verses from the Holy Quran in gold. This brick will be brought after rituals of bathing and prayer in Mecca and Medina, along with holy Zamzam water and perfume.”
Apart from the mosque, the complex will also house other facilities including a 500-bed multi-speciality hospital offering cancer treatment free of cost, a community kitchen and educational institutions offering courses ranging from law, engineering, dental, and architecture to an international school, ThePrint has learnt.
Earlier this week, the ADA said in response to an RTI filed by one Ayodhya-based Om Prakash Singh that the mosque committee’s application submitted on June 23, 2021 was rejected in a letter dated 16 September since the proposal was not accompanied by clearances from multiple state departments, including public works, civil aviation, irrigation and revenue, besides the Ayodhya municipal corporation, UP Pollution Control Board and UP Fire Services.
Explaining the procedure, ADA vice-chairman Ashwini Pandey told ThePrint: “Once an applicant submits a proposal, certain NOCs such as from the irrigation and pollution departments are required before the map can be approved. In May 2023, we issued a letter to the mosque committee asking them to provide these documents, but they have not been submitted yet. As a result, that request was automatically rejected.”
“A few weeks ago, someone filed an RTI on the matter, and we shared the same information with them. If the committee comes with all the required NOCs, we will certainly give approval. We are not holding back any project,” he said.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this report indicated that the new proposal has been submitted to the Ayodhya Development Authority. This report has been updated to reflect that the new proposal is ready, but yet to be submitted to ADA for approval.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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