Whitewashing concludes at Sambhal's Shahi Jama Masjid

Sambhal: The whitewashing work at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal was completed on Friday, marking the conclusion of a high court-mandated renovation process that began earlier this week.

Masood Farooqui, the secretary of the mosque committee, told PTI that the whitewashing work has been completed and lighting work, which is going on, is also almost complete.

"The painting and whitewashing work is complete and we expect that the lighting work will also be completed today. The high court had given a one-week deadline and we are confident that the work will be finished within the stipulated time," he said.

The renovation work, conducted under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), has been in progress since Sunday following a directive from the Allahabad High Court.

The mosque management had previously sought permission for whitewashing, additional lighting and decorative installations around the structure.

The whitewashing of the Mughal-era mosque comes amid a legal dispute over the site's history, following a petition claiming that the mosque was built over an ancient Hindu temple.

Riots erupted in Sambhal on November 24 last year during protests against a court-ordered ASI survey of the structure. The violence led to four deaths and injuries to several people including police personnel.

On March 12, the Allahabad High Court directed the ASI to complete the whitewashing of the mosque's outer walls within a week, while also reviewing objections raised by the Shahi Jama Masjid Management Committee regarding the ASI's survey report.

Following the order, ASI teams conducted measurements and assessments on March 13, leading to the ongoing restoration work.