Mosque in Ayodhya will be better than Taj Mahal, says official

The mosque, which will be built on five-acre land in Ayodhya’s Dhannipur village, will be better than the Taj Mahal, said BJP leader and chairman of Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah's Development Committee on Thursday.

Haji Arfat Shaikh spoke exclusively to AajTak and highlighted key features and specialities of the upcoming mosque, which will be built only 25 km away from the Ram Temple.

The Supreme Court on November 9 last year paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board to build a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the town in Uttar Pradesh.

The state government then allotted five acres in Dhannipur village in Ayodhya.

COMBINATION OF 'DAWA AND DUA'

The new mosque, set to be the largest in India, will house the world's biggest Quran in Saffron colour, measuring 21 feet-high and 36 feet-wide, said Haji Arfat Shaikh.

The first prayer in the mosque will be offered by Imam of Mecca, Imam-e-Haram Abdul Rahman AI-Sudais.

"We are confident that this mosque will be more beautiful than the Taj Mahal. It will be the centre of 'Dawa and Dua' as it will not only allow people to offer Namaz but also house a 500-bed cancer hospital which will benefit people. No one from UP will go to Mumbai for cancer treatment," Haji Arfat Shaikh said.

It will also have various colleges for dental, medical and engineering.

There will also be a veg langar facility for everyone. This will be the first mosque where people from all communities will have food. As many as 5,000 people will be able to eat together at a time.