Dhannipur mosque project: 5-acre site ‘not enough’, trust scouts for more land
“We are not shifting the project but expanding. At least 15 acres are needed so that facilities like hosps and educational institutions can be established alongside the mosque,” says IICF chief trustee
LUCKNOW: Nearly six years after the Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case paved the way for a mosque on a five-acre plot in Dhannipur village, Ayodhya, the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) has said the land is not enough for its ambitious project. The trust, constituted by the Sunni Waqf Board to oversee construction, has now begun scouting for at least 15 additional acres in the district to give shape to a larger plan in the close vicinity.
The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) had approved the mosque layout in March 2023, clearing the way for construction. The plan included a mosque, a super-speciality hospital, a museum in remembrance of 1857 freedom fighter Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, and a community kitchen. But the first brick is yet to be laid, as the Trust now feels five acres cannot accommodate the project in its entirety.
IICF chief trustee and Sunni Waqf Board chairman Zufar Ahmad Faruqi said Dhannipur’s geographical limitations left no scope for expansion. “We are not shifting the project but expanding. At least 15 acres are needed so that facilities like hospitals and educational institutions can be established alongside the mosque. The site in Dhannipur is surrounded by government land on two sides, roads and residential plots on the other, leaving no room to grow,” he said.
Faruqi said the Trust hopes to finalise additional land acquisition by the end of 2027 and may begin construction on both sites simultaneously. “We will construct on the five acres already allotted and also on the new land. The plan will be shared publicly after the process is complete,” he said.
He added that the choice of land would also ensure the mosque remains active. “In Raunahi, just a hundred metres away, there is already a mosque that is never filled. Our focus is to create a space that benefits people and does not remain empty,” he said.
The IICF has applied for clearance under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) but is still waiting for approval. “There was a shortage of funds domestically, but that is being covered. Major donors are still waiting for FCRA clearance,” said Faruqi. In September 2024, the Trust dissolved its finance, administrative, development, and media committees to expedite the process.
Meanwhile, IICF spokesperson Athar Hussain stressed that the immediate priority is to build a medical facility on the allotted land. “We should also create an archive or small museum remembering Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah and his contribution in the 1857 revolt, which reflects the culture of Awadh,” he said.
