New look Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad won’t be ready by Ramzan

A Heritage Telangana official said that there is still time to erect even the scaffolds for the ceiling works which is at a height of 24 metres.
A view of the Mecca Masjid in the Old City of Hyderabad.| (File Photo|A Suresh Kumar)
A view of the Mecca Masjid in the Old City of Hyderabad.| (File Photo|A Suresh Kumar)

HYDERABAD:  As much as the officials at the Minority Department inspecting conservation works at Mecca Masjid wish the mosque was ready before the Ramzan festival, Heritage Telangana department has assured them that such is not the case. Speaking to Express, an official at Department of Heritage Telangana said that while the works were initially planned to be completed by Ramzan, the delays in between won’t allow them to be completed within the stipulated time. The official said that retention of quality of works is the major reason behind the delay. 

The officials who visited the 16th-century mosque include AK Khan, advisor to the State’s Minority Affairs ministry and director of Minority Welfare and CEO Waqf Board Shahnawaz Qasim. Speaking to media persons, Khan said, “Works of the maqbara and the roofs have been completed. But restoration works are yet to be taken up at the nearby madrasa and the main gate.

Plumbing works are also yet to be taken up.” Khan said that with only two months left for Ramzan and the present state of the progress in works, they can only hope to make as much as space available for devotees as possible. This is because restoration works in the mosque’s main hall which is thronged by devotees may not be completed in time with repairs in the ceiling yet to be done. 

Adding to that, the Heritage Telangana official said that there is still time to erect even the scaffolds for the ceiling works which is at a height of 24 metres. Meanwhile, Khan said that a meeting will soon be set up with officials of Heritage Telangana to investigate reasons behind the delay. 

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