SRINAGAR, Dec 28: The Malshahi Bagh area of Ganderbal district is home to a 17th-century Mughal-era Masjid. Due to its current state of disrepair, locals are calling for immediate renovations to protect this priceless historical asset. The Masjid’s condition has not improved and it is still deteriorating even after it was declared a protected monument in 2021 because of its cultural and historical significance. Built by Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, for his spiritual mentor and saint Mullah Shah Badakhshi, it is known locally as the Jinn Masjid.Nevertheless, after being exposed to rain and snow for centuries, the monument now needs immediate repair. Although the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board is responsible for the Masjid, locals claim that antisocial elements have found sanctuary there due to inadequate supervision. The locals claimed that the condition of the Masjid is getting worse every day and that the Muslim community has failed to maintain this architectural masterpiece. Local resident Noor Mohammad said, “We urge the Government to preserve this culturally significant mosque.”According to him, the Wakf seems unconcerned with maintaining this historic site, even though it gladly accepts returns from the 360-kanal apple, plum, and walnut orchard that surrounds the Masjid. He said, “We have discussed the matter with the Wakf Board multiple times, but nothing has been done as of yet.” Locals blame the Waqf Board’s lax attitude for the mosque’s delayed renovations. “We learned that the Masjid is governed by a different department when we visited the Waqf Board. The Awqaf is still occupying the property despite their officials having visited it and having issued tenders for the renovation project, a local stated.Darakshan Andrabi, the Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board, explained that the Masjid is under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India and has been designated as a protected monument. “We are unable to carry out the renovation on our own; otherwise, we would have finished it already. We share the community’s desire to preserve the Masjid despite our awareness of its current state,” she said.
