“We project that the mosque, including a ‘wazukhana’ (ablution area) and related structures, would cost approximately Rs 65 crore.”
Thirty-three years after the Babri Masjid was destroyed by a mob on this day in 1992, leading to the construction of the grand Ram temple at that location, the preliminary schedule for the new mosque project in Dhannipur, a village approximately 25 km from the sacred city, may be around April 2026, according to the head of the trust responsible for the project.
“If everything aligns correctly, and obviously pending the Ayodhya Development Authority’s (ADA) sanction of the updated layout plan for the mosque we aim to submit by the end of December, a provisional timeline for the mosque project commencement might be approximately April 2026,” stated Zufar Faruqi, chairman of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), the organization responsible for the mosque-complex construction, to PTI.
Nevertheless, in spite of the tumult of assertions and rebuttals regarding the highly anticipated project, ambiguities continue to envelop the initial mosque proposal, over five years after the Ayodhya district administration, following Supreme Court directives, officially designated five acres of land for it.
Faruqi stated that the ADA rejected the initial mosque layout, but prior to that, the IICF had opted to abandon it due to community objections regarding its modern, futuristic design in favor of a more conventional, traditional one, which is almost finished.
The ADA’s approval is clearly the crucial initial step towards the long-overdue mosque construction, but the IICF is facing additional urgent challenges, such as the insufficient “land” at and near the Dhannipur location.
“These are initial times.” “We want to utilize the land assigned to us, but if there are issues in obtaining more land for the mosque project, it is possible that the entire project could be executed in phases, albeit at various locations,” Faruqi informed PTI.
This appeared to be the initial official indication of the mosque project developing in stages, with the possibility that some construction of the entire complex might take place away from the current Dhannipur site that was officially transferred by the state government in August 2020.
Following an intense and extended legal dispute, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on November 9, 2019, awarded 2.77 acres of land, which had been under extensive legal examination, to a trust for building a Ram temple at that location and designated five acres of land at a “notable site” in Ayodhya for the mosque.
“At Dhannipur, we received five acres of land; however, due to specific technicalities, the actual area is approximately four acres, so it is indeed quite possible that the project will be at multiple sites,” Faruqi stated to PTI.
Nevertheless, he dismissed the idea that the Dhannipur location, being distant from the central Ayodhya city, might have necessitated a shift in the mosque’s placement and the surrounding complex, which includes a 500-bed multispecialty hospital, a community kitchen, and various educational facilities, among other features.
“What is the standing of those raising these concerns?” “While it would have been comprehensible if the objections originated from the Wakf Board, Faruqi, who is also the chairman of the UP Sunni Wakf Board, questioned why others would have an issue with this site.”
Disagreement and critique regarding the project’s design necessitated a revision of the layout. Delays in obtaining essential clearances have prolonged the start of the mosque project, while the construction of the Ram temple has officially finished with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently hoisting a ‘Dharm Dhwaj’ atop the temple.
Faruqi stated that comparing the mosque initiative to the Ram temple building is unjust, as the latter was a community-led effort, acknowledging that despite obtaining the ADA approval, the IICF would still need substantial financing.
“We project that the mosque, including a ‘wazukhana’ (ablution area) and related structures, would cost approximately Rs 65 crore.” “We currently have just over Rs 3 crore,” Faruqi stated, acknowledging that donations and public interest in the mosque project are rather low at this time.
“The project can commence even if we possess the initial Rs 10-15 crore in our funds.” This is why we are keen to obtain essential required clearances like the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), as it would allow the trust to solicit donations from the international community. “We believe that the inflow of funds will accelerate once the project gets underway,” he stated.
After providing all the “required information” to the Centre for obtaining FCRA approval, the IICF is now eagerly anticipating a favorable result by the “end of the year or early next year.”
Faruqi acknowledged that major donors from the local community had not displayed significant interest in the mosque development.
“The prominent figures in the community haven’t been as enthusiastic about the cause.” “Collecting funds door-to-door is both labor-intensive and requires resources we do not have, so the most viable option is to concentrate on major international donors after obtaining FCRA approval,” he remarked.
The mosque discussion has recently received media attention because of differing political remarks.
Initially, the currently suspended Trinamool Congress MP, Humayun Kabir, fueled emotions by revealing a mosque project resembling the “Babri masjid” in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
Days later, Defence Minister and Lucknow MP, Rajnath Singh, generated both intrigue and backlash with his assertion that the nation’s inaugural prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, supported the building of the Babri mosque using public funds.
