By IANS
Hyderabad : The 'taqts', or marble platforms, at the historic Mecca Masjid, that were smashed to smithereens in last Friday's bomb blast, will be rebuilt by the government.
The powerful explosion, which killed 11 people and injured 30, also destroyed two of the four rectangular taqts that bore testimony to the city's bygone era.
"We will reconstruct the taqts. Money is not a constraint. We have asked the archaeology department to restore them immediately," Minister for Minority Welfare Mohammed Ali Shabbir told IANS.
Experts are taking all steps to rebuild the stone platforms on the sprawling lawns of the 17th century mosque. The bomb was kept under the white 'taqt' while the adjacent black slab also bore the brunt of the blast. Now only a black and a white platform remain.
They are more than mere stone platforms. Facing the central arch of the magnificent mosque, they are more than 250 years old and are a favourite with tourists. Legend has it that whoever sits on them will visit Hyderabad again or settle down here forever.
According to officials of the archaeology department, the black stones are believed to have been installed during the reign of the first Nizam of erstwhile Hyderabad State, Nawab Mir Qamruddin Khan Bahadur (1724-1748).
It is said the white stones were brought in during the rule of the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahboob Ali Khan (1869-1911).
The mosque, located in the heart of the Muslim-majority old city close to the Charminar monument, has an emotional appeal for Muslims as bricks from Mecca, Islam's holiest place in Saudi Arabia, were used in its construction.
The foundation of the mosque was laid in 1614 during the reign of Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah. Legend has it that when the foundation stone was being laid, the king invited devout Muslims and wanted the ritual to be carried out by someone who had not missed his 'namaz' since the age of 12.
When none came forward, the king offered himself as he had not missed a single prayer.
However, it took more than seven decades for the construction. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb completed the construction in 1694 but the actual design of the mosque was changed. The height of the minarets was reduced when compared to the actual height envisaged in the plans.
More than 50,000 people can offer prayers in the mosque, which also has tombs of the Nizams, the erstwhile rulers of Hyderabad, and their family members.