New Delhi: The architect tasked with designing a mosque in Ayodhya on the five acres of land given by the Centre says it will be done in a ‘contemporary style’ and not as per ‘traditional, nostalgic imagery.’S.M. Akthar, who is dean Jamia Milia Islamia’s architecture department, has been chosen for the mosque that is to be constructed by the UP Sunni Waqf Board in the alternate piece of land that the Supreme Court’s order handed the Muslim litigants in the Ayodhya title case. The top court’s November 2019 judgment said the disputed land ‒ where the Babri Masjid stood and was demolished ‒ should be handed over to a trust to be created by Government of India to build a Ram temple.On August 5, the foundation stone of the temple was laid and a bhoomi pujan event held, which was attended by Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh parivar leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, governor Anandiben Patel, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uma Bharti and Ram temple trust president Nritya Gopal Das. Bharti and Das are facing trial for their role in the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid.Also Read: Ayodhya: UP Sunni Waqf Board Sets Up Trust for Construction of MosqueThough the mosque’s foundation stone yet to be laid in the alternate land, on Tuesday, Athar Hussain, secretary of the trust formed by the Waqf Board for the construction of the mosque, said Akhtar will design the mosque. The trust, called the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), will oversee the construction of a mosque, an Indo-Islamic research centre, library and hospital in the five-acre land allotted in Ayodhya’s Dhannipur village.Akhtar has been at Jamia Millia Islamia since 2003, and established its Department of Architecture n 2005. Since then, he has been the department’s dean five times. Formerly, he worked independently as a consultant in Lucknow.Akhtar told The Wire, “My designs have diversity. I design architecture as per the needs and desires of people. My core interest is to find out where Islamic architecture is moving now. My work defies traditional nostalgic images and is more about contemporary Islamic projects. The belief that only medieval dome-shaped architecture is Islamic is nostalgia. Since Islam is a religion, no obsolete period’s architecture can be considered Islamic, as it is ever-evolving.” He has also written a book on the subject.The typical domed structure of Islamic architecture. Photo: Flickr/Meena Kadri CC BY NC ND 2.0‘Contemporary designs’Akthar is quite clear about his vision: “We will keep in mind the contemporary challenges faced by people while designing the mosque. The mosque is only one component of the project – and it will be bigger than the Babri mosque, and grander.”He say since five acres of land is available, “We will follow the basic virtues of Islam as well as our country, Khidmat-e-Khalq [to serve humanity] and will work towards the cause of humanity. The mosque should be holistic and should bridge the gap between people and communities. And what are the two things that people need the most? Education and healthcare. And there is a dearth of these two things, especially in the area of Faizabad. There are hardly any hospitals.”He added, “So our vision is to create a multi-speciality hospital on that land and institutions that impart formal and informal education. We may also have museums. The three main themes of the mosque will be: Spirit to serve humanity, Indian ethos and Islamic philosophy.”Talking about the Babri mosque, he said, “Mughal architecture is not necessarily Islamic. Islamic philosophy is just about purity of soul, truthfulness, and being functionally effective. The new mosque will not have any elements of the Babri Mosque, it will be contemporary instead for contemporary people.”‘Nothing to do with controversies’He refuses to be drawn into the controversies surrounding the Babri masjid. “I have absolutely nothing to do with controversies. I am an architect. Our work and vision are to think about the future considering the present scenario. We are not concerned with the past. There are many others to look at the past of the Babri mosque. We are mazdoor [labourers] who will help the construction of the mosque brick by brick.” He adds, “It’s a major, prestigious project, but we see it as a responsibility, a duty.He has begun working on the design but is still waiting for inspiration to strike him. “In creative work, there is no such deadline. Architecture cannot be replicated. Maybe I will have a vision tonight and the design will be ready by tomorrow morning. But after the concept is done, the technical work will start, which will take time,” he said.In the past, Akhtar has helped develop many structures within Jamia and elsewhere. In the university, he was consulted in the architecture of the pavilion for its cricket stadium and the buildings for several hostels and centres.According to his profile on the university’s website, Akhtar was a consultant in the conservation and site development of six heritage monuments under the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation of the Delhi government. The monuments he helped conserve are the tomb of Sheikh Ali in Defence Colony; mosque and tomb of Syed Yasin at Arab ki Sarai; tomb south of DPS Mathura Road; Gateway at Oberoi Hotel and Jharna.
