\'Not just mosque: Library, Indo-Islamic research centre too planned at Ayodhya site\'

Lucknow: Even as work begins to build a Ram temple in place of the Babri Masjid destroyed by extremist Hindutva supporters on December 6, 1992, the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, which was a party to the title suit, has decided to build not only a mosque but an Indo-Islamic research centre, a library and a hospital on the alternative 5 acre plot offered as directed in the Supreme Court verdict.

"It has been decided at a meeting of the board to take the five-acre land given to us by the UP government," board chairman Zufar Farooqui told reporters.

A trust will soon be formed for the construction of the mosque. "The size of the mosque will be decided keeping in mind local needs," he said.

"Besides the mosque, there will be an Indo-Islamic research centre, a public library, a charitable hospital and other useful facilities on the land", he said.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the newly constituted Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Trust was held in Ayodhya on Sunday. Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Ram Mandir Trust, said it was time to look beyond Lord Ram as a religious figure. “He is a symbol of social harmony.”