Lucknow: Thirty-three years after the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished in 1992, paving the way for the grand Ram temple, the rollout of the new mosque project at Dhannipur, a village around 25 km from Ayodhya, is tentatively expected around April 2026, according to Zufar Faruqi, chairman of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF).
“If all fits in place, and of course, subject to the Ayodhya Development Authority's (ADA) approval of the revised layout plan of the mosque that we hope to submit by December-end, a tentative timeline of the mosque project rollout could be around April 2026,” Faruqi told PTI.
Despite years of anticipation, uncertainties persist over the original mosque plan, more than five years after the Ayodhya district administration, acting on Supreme Court orders, formally allocated five acres of land for it. Faruqi said the first mosque layout plan was rejected by the ADA. “Even before that, the IICF had decided to drop it following objections from the community over its futuristic, modern design and settle for a more conservative, traditional one — one that is near ready,” he said.
The ADA's approval is a key first step, but Faruqi cited other challenges, including the lack of sufficient land at the Dhannipur site. “These are early days. We do wish to make use of the land allotted to us, but should there be a problem in acquiring additional land for the mosque project, the possibility of the entire project being carried out in a phased manner, but at different locations, is there,” he said. This is the first official hint that parts of the mosque complex may be built away from the present Dhannipur site, handed over by the state government in August 2020.
After a prolonged legal battle, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on November 9, 2019, handed over 2.77 acres of land for the Ram temple and allotted five acres at a “prominent site” in Ayodhya for the mosque. “We were allotted five acres of land at Dhannipur, but due to certain technicalities, the effective area is around four acres only, so there is certainly quite a possibility of the project coming at more than one location,” Faruqi said.
Faruqi dismissed concerns that Dhannipur’s distance from Ayodhya city could necessitate relocation. He added that the adjoining complex will include a 500-bed multispecialty hospital, a community kitchen, and educational institutions. “What's the locus standi of those flagging such issues? One could have still understood had the objections come from the Wakf Board, but why should others have a problem with this site,” he said.
Delays in securing key clearances have extended the mosque project launch, even as construction of the Ram temple is now complete, with the unfurling of a ‘Dharm Dhwaj’ atop the temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently. Faruqi said, “It's unfair to compare the mosque project with the Ram temple construction, which was a public-driven exercise.”
The mosque alone, including a ‘wazukhana’ (ablution area) and associated structures, is estimated to cost around Rs 65 crore. “We barely have just over Rs 3 crore at the moment,” he admitted, noting subdued donations and public response. “The project can start even if we have the initial Rs 10-15 crore in our kitty. That's why we are eager to secure key mandatory clearances, such as the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), as it would enable the trust to seek donations from the overseas community. We are confident that the fund flow too will gather pace after the project takes off,” he added.
The IICF has submitted all necessary details to the Centre for FCRA clearance and hopes for a positive outcome by year-end or early next year. Faruqi said domestic donors have been largely inactive: “The big ones from the community haven't been as keen for the cause. Door-to-door fund collection is both tedious and needs resources that we lack, and hence the best option is to try and focus on big donors overseas after FCRA clearance.”
The mosque debate has also attracted political attention. Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Humayun Kabir stoked passions by announcing a “Babri masjid-style” mosque plan in West Bengal’s Murshidabad. Days later, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh drew criticism and curiosity by claiming that India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had favoured constructing the Babri mosque from government funds.
With PTI inputs