Ms DD Posted May 18, 2007 Bomb hits historic India mosque At least seven people have been killed in a bomb explosion at a historic mosque in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, the authorities say. Dozens more were hurt in the blast during Friday prayers at the Mecca Masjid, one of India's biggest mosques. Interior Minister Shivraj Patil said the explosion at the entrance to the mosque was caused by a "crude bomb". Police say they also found and defused two live bombs near the mosque. It is not clear who carried out the attack. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the attack and urged citizens "to maintain peace and communal harmony". YS Rajashekhar Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state of which Hyderabad is capital, said the bombing was an act of "sabotage on the peace and tranquillity in the country". Injured The blast took place as thousands of Muslims were ending Friday prayers at the Mecca Masjid. Hyderabad is one of the biggest cities in southern India and has a large Muslim population, many of whom live in the congested old city where the mosque is located. There was chaos and anger after the explosion. Many in the congregation ran for cover, some covered in blood. Ambulances ferried the injured to hospital. "I was very close to the spot of the blast," one man, Abdul Quader, who escaped with minor leg injuries, told the Associated Press. "As soon as prayers ended, we were about to get up, there was a huge deafening blast sending bodies into the air," he said. "People stated running helter-skelter, there was such confusion. People were bleeding, running around in a very bad condition." Crowds angered by what they said was police failure to protect them gathered and began throwing stones at riot police who responded with tear gas. There are fears that the number of dead could rise further. Police say some of the injured are in a serious condition. Last year more than 35 people were killed after bomb attacks near a mosque in the western state of Maharashtra. It is still not clear who carried out those attacks. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/6668695.stm Published: 2007/05/18 14:20:57 GMT © BBC MMVII Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ms DD Posted May 18, 2007 The Mecca Masjid is the biggest mosque in Hyderabad and lies 100 yards south west of Charminar. The name is derived from the Grand Mosque at Mecca on which it is patterned. The hall is 67 metres by 54 metres and 23 metres high. The roof is wupported by 15 arches, five on each of the three sides. The building of the Mecca Masjid was begun by Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah under the direction of Daroga Mir Faizullah Baig and Choudhary Rangaiah. Nearly 8000 mansons and labouresrs worked on it. The construction work continued during the reigns of Abdullah Qutb Shah and Abul Hasan Tana Shah. Finally 77 years after it was begun, Mecca Masjid was completed in 1694 by the then Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. There is an interesting story regarding this mosque. When the foundation was being laid, Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah is said to have invited all the pious religious elders of the city. It was announced that the king wanted the foundation stone to be laid by onewho had never missed his prayers. none came forward, therefore Sultan Muhammad himself laid the foundation for he had never missed even his midnight prayer since the age of 12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makkah_Masjid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
