The construction of the mosque in Ayodhya will begin with a flag hoisting ceremony of the and a tree sapling plantation drive on the Republic Day, the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) trust decided in a meeting on Sunday, reported to NDTV.
IICF is the authority in charge of constructing a mosque at the five-acre plot, which was given after the ruling by the Supreme Court on the controversial Babri Masjid case. The plot is 25 kilometres away from the Babri Masjid site, which was given for the construction of a Ram temple in the same verdict.
The IICF stated in a release that the tree sapling plantation drive was intended to raise awareness on climate change.
The release read, “As envisaged in the project, a green area will be developed to have plants from all over the world from Amazon rainforest to areas having bushfires in Australia and from all different geographical regions of India to create awareness for imminent threat of climate change.”
Earlier on December 19, the trust had released a blueprint of the mosque, envisioning a futuristic look, sporting a huge glass dome roof. The trust also hopes to accompany the mosque with a garden, hospital, museum, library, community kitchen, Indo-Islamic cultural research centre, and a publication house and is seeking clearance from the Ayodhya District Board.
The structures were designed by Professor SM Akhtar, Lucknow-based architect-cum-town-planner, who was hired by the IICF.
The ceremony is set to begin at 8:30 on January 26th.