The Ayodhya Mosque project was launched today with the unfurling of the national flag and a tree plantation drive, occasion of India's 72nd Republic Day, at Dhannipur village, 25km off Ramjanmabhoomi.
It is set to be built following the historic 2019 Supreme Court verdict that enabled the construction of a temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya and a mosque in the same district.
The national flag was hoisted at 8.45 am by Zafar Ahmad Farooqui, the chief of the trust. All 12 members of the trust then planted a tree sapling each at the site to mark the formal beginning of the work.
The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust will build the mosque in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village on a five-acre plot. Members of the trust came together at the site at 8.15 am on Tuesday morning.
Mr Farooqi informed that media that the technical aspects of the work have already started. The soil of the build site is being tested and once the maps are approved, the construction work will start. He further added that they have appealed for donations for the construction and have already began to receive contributions.
Mr Farooqi also said, "The hospital will hold centrestage and will serve humanity in the true spirit of Islam as taught by the prophet 1400 years ago. The hospital won't be a usual concrete structure, but will be in sync with the architecture of the mosque, replete with calligraphy and Islamic symbols."
The Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) had unveiled the futuristic design of the mosque last month. The design showcased a massive glass dome across a picturesque garden. The mosque will also have a hospital building behind.
The first phase of the project will have a hospital along with the mosque. The trust plans to expand the hospital in the second phase.
The IICF Trust has not named the mosque yet but according to earlier statements released by the trust, the mosque will not be named after any emperor or king, the IICF Trust has said in earlier statements.
IICF Trust Secretary Athar Hussain said that the hospital complex will house a community kitchen which will serve almost 1,000 meals every day. Mr Hussain said that the people in the surrounding hamlets and villages struggle with malnutrition and the trust plans on addressing the issue.
On choosing January 26 as the date for laying of the foundation stone of the mosque, Mr Hussain said, "The Trust chose January 26, 2021, for laying the foundation of the Ayodhya mosque as on this day India's constitution came into effect more than seven decades ago. Our constitution is based on pluralism, which is also the leitmotif of our mosque project."
Besides mosque Trust members, the Imam of Tile Wali Masjid, Lucknow, Maulana Wasifur Rehman, was also present at the foundation ceremony.