India's biggest mosque to come up at Kozhikode

KOZHIKODE: India's biggest mosque, capable of accommodating 25,000 people at a time, will come up on a 12 acre site at the sprawling 'Knowledge City' complex of an Islamic centre of learning near here.

Estimated to cost Rs 40 crore, it will be one of India's important Islamic cultural centres, sources at the Jamia Markazu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya, an education and cultural organisation, said.

Work would begin within five months and be completed in less than two years, they said.

Thrissur-based architect Riyaz Muhammad, designer of the mosque, said it would be based on the Mughal architectural style. "It will strictly follow the green building concept so that the built-up area harmoniously blends with the greenery around", he told PTI.

The building would cover eight acres and be surrounded by a four acre green belt and beautiful garden. Besides a vast prayer hall, the complex would have an auditorium for seminars, a huge library and facilities to accommodate over 1000 people at a time, he said.

Located at Karanthur about 10 km from Kozhikode, Markazu is a slamic centre of learning and charity, headed by religious scholar Kanthapuram A P Aboobker Musliyar.