Located near Parliament House, the 300-year-old Jama Masjid in New Delhi district, which came to be known as the Parliament Masjid after the country’s Independence and witnessed a free India take baby steps, has been renovated. When the mosque was built remains unclear and research is still going on. “The early history of the mosque is still unclear. We are researching the matter, going through old letters and documents. But one thing is clear, the mosque has been at the very centre of New Delhi ever since it became the political capital of India,” Mohibullah Nadvi, who has been the imam at the mosque for the past decade, said. It was the largest mosque in New Delhi district, he added. The mosque was first renovated in 1946 by Bharat Chemical Works of Calcutta. With Parliament becoming the centre of power, leaders of the Indian freedom struggle and former presidents used to frequent the mosque to pray. The relationship with the country’s political elite continues to date with leaders such as Vice-President Hamid Ansari praying regularly at the mosque. Moreover, the mosque has been at the very centre of the country’s diplomatic relations with Islamic states across the world. “Whenever the head of state of an Islamic country comes to India, they come to the mosque. The mosque has become a vital part of India’s democratic rise,” Nadvi said. But with time the mosque fell into disrepair. Part of the roof collapsed. The walls and gates were in dire need of repair. The latest renovation, completed last month, was done by Padma Shri M A Yousuf Ali, a businessman from Kerala. Nadvi said with the growth of India, the principles of inclusivity and democracy have been indoctrinated into the practices of the mosque. “Everyone, irrespective of religion or beliefs, are welcome here. Muslims of different communities come here to pray,” he said.
Indian Express