Report by Michael Rodrigues
Team Mangalorean Udupi

Udupi: Two centuries old Jamia Mosque in Udupi is all renovated, re-structured, is ready to be inaugurated soon.. The mosque has a inside space of 18,000 Sq ft, where 3,000 people can do Namaz.(prayers )

This mosque, being the first one with unique structure, has a ground floor, basement and first floor. The ground floor is 5,200 sq ft, basement is 6,000 sq ft, and the first floor is 4,500 sq ft.  Sajjan Associates in Bangalore who designed the Blue Print, the construction of the mosque was undertaken and completed in time by SN constructions.

Since many people these days reside in apartments, and in case of any death that takes place in the family, it is difficult to hold the funeral rites in apartment premises as per Muslim traditions.  Bearing this in mind, the mosque management had decided to built two separate rooms  in Jamia Mosque, to perform funeral rites. Where one room, 'Mayath Gusul Khana' is utilized for washing the deceased, and in another room 'Kafan Khana', it is used for shrouding the dead body.

A separate room in the mosque is built to facilitate 400 women doing Namaz , and a separate entrance road is made for Muslim women to arrive to the Namaz room - perhaps this is the first of its kind in DK district which is exclusively meant for women.

Plans were made 12 years ago to re-structure the old Jamia Mosque.  Budan Basha had shown interest for the new plan. A 15 member administrative body was formed for this project. But the project got delayed because of the cost factor. Hidayatulla Abbas Uchila from Abu Dhabi came forward to lend his helping hand for the project. The foundation stone being laid in 2010, the Moghul Styled Mosque has taken shape now.  90 %  of the expense has been borne by Hidayatulla Abbas Uhchila, while the remaining expenses shared by the Mosque Committee.  Since the donors have requested not to divulge the expense incurred for the project, the secrecy has been maintained.  Retd. Thashildar K. Mohammed Salim's services in the primary stages of the building is very much laudable, said Mohammed Maula, member of Administrative Committee.

Moulana Mohiyuddin Jeelani will be performing the ‘Juma Khutba’ and ‘Nammaz’ during the inaugural ceremony of the Mosque on Friday, August 10, . R Abdul Riyaz Khan, Chairman of Karnataka State Board of Wakfs Bangalore, K S Mohammed Masood Ex MLC Mangalore, Imran Hidayathulla CEO of Hidayath group of Industries  Dubai, will grace the function as Chief Guests.