I Noorani Masjid. Till the morning of today i.e. 8th June, I was in a four-storey building standing in Nandpuri of Malviya Nagar, Jaipur. Its minarets used to attract people’s attention from a distance. But now my existence has vanished, I have become grounded. But the memories living in my walls, the sound of footsteps climbing my stairs and the prayers offered under my roof are still alive somewhere in the atmosphere of this city.
My story is not just one or two years old, but 45 years old. At that time this area was not as developed as it is today. On July 2, 1981, Mustaqeem’s son Abdul Rahman Mansoori purchased 391 square meters of land. After this, the local Muslim community collected donations and gradually my foundation was laid. Brick upon brick was laid, walls were raised, arches were built and I began to take shape as a mosque. Perhaps no one would have thought then that I would become the center of faith for thousands of people in the coming decades.
My color could be identified from a distance. My light green four-storey building, high arched doors, beautiful windows and the towers above made me different from the surrounding buildings. Whenever a Muslim passed through this area, his eyes would automatically fall on me. As soon as it was time for Namaz, people left their work and started moving towards me. Some elders would come slowly, while some youth would climb the stairs quickly and reach inside. Every day there was a new scene of worship in my courtyard and hall.
Year after year I became no more just a place for offering namaz. I became a witness to people’s joys and sorrows. Here children were given religious education, the needy of the society were helped and people met together and took decisions related to the community. Along with the prayers five times a day, the sounds of worshiping Allah continuously echoed in my walls.
My identity was not limited to local people only. On 28 April 1988, my registration was registered in Rajasthan Waqf Board under number 5235. This became an important document of my official existence. After this, on June 29, 1994, my management also deposited Rs 11,730 including development fee and other charges for regularization in Jaipur Development Authority (JDA). This was an indication that my existence was also recorded in the administrative records.
Time passed by. The surrounding colonies kept developing, roads got widened, new buildings came up, but I remained standing there. From 1981 to 2026, no such major controversy has come up which has raised questions on my existence. With electricity, water and other facilities, I had become a part of the identity of this area.
Then came June 2026. On June 5, a notice was issued by Zone-C of Jaipur Development Authority and suddenly my name came into the headlines. Under the road widening campaign, preparations began to remove those religious structures which were coming within the prescribed road limits. I was also included in this list. Along with me, a tomb, a satsang building and the structures of two temples were also under the ambit of action.
My management replied that I am present here since 1981, registered with the Waqf Board and fees have also been deposited in JDA years ago. But the development of the city and road widening had now moved in a new direction. The administration made strict security arrangements. More than 3,000 policemen, 12 companies of RAC and additional forces from different ranges were deployed. Internet services were also closed as a precautionary measure, so that any kind of rumor or tension does not spread.
And then the day came when the machines were standing in front of me. The walls which had contained the blessings of the people for decades, slowly started turning into debris. My towers, my arches and my floors fell to the ground one by one. Some people’s eyes were moist, some were standing silently and some were capturing the moment on their mobiles.
Today I am not there. Where once my four-storey building was seen touching the sky, now there are only memories. But the story of 45 years associated with me, the worship of thousands of Namazis, the splendor of Ramzan, the happiness of Eid and the countless memories of the community will probably never be erased. I was Noorani Masjid… and now I have become a part of history.
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