Authorities are finding it difficult to cut through the rocky terrain to build a ramp at the Moula Ali shrine in Malkajgiri, as they must contend with human habitat on one side and the holy shrine on the other.
The State government had approved funds for the construction of a ramp from the main road to the hilltop shrine to ease the travel of pilgrims to the centuries-old place of religious significance. The ramp construction began in 2014, and the first phase of work was completed in 2017, covering 230 of the total 550 planned steps. The second phase of construction began in 2021 and is still ongoing. The State government had allotted a budget of Rs 20 crore for the second phase of works, which were to be completed by the end of 2022.
“We were informed about difficulties in cutting the rock because on one side there is human habitation and detonators cannot be used to blast the rocks. Works are to be done carefully without causing any loss of human lives or damage to the houses nearby, which is causing the delay,” points out AIMIM MLC Riyaz ul Hassan Effendi.
Cars can currently travel up to half the distance, after which people must take the steps to reach the shrine. According to GHMC officials who are carrying out the work with the assistance of a private contractor, a diamond cutter machine has been deployed to carefully cut the rock. Officials say that about half of the work has been completed so far, and that the rest will be finished by October if all goes well.
After completion, visitors can arrive at the Moula Ali Darga in cars up to the designated spot and walk to the shrine without difficulty. “It will be of great help for women and the elderly who cannot climb the steps to reach the shrine,” Effandi said.
According to legend, the Moula Ali shrine was built during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Qutb Shah, the third ruler of the Golconda kingdom. It is said a person Mallik Yakoot, during his visit to the hills saw the handprint of Imam Ali branded on a part of the rock. The tale of his find reached Sultan Ibrahim Qutb Shah who then had the hand mark carved out of the rock and placed in the great arch at the site.
(This story has been sourced from a third-party syndicated feed, agencies. Raavi Media accepts no responsibility or liability for the text’s dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, and data. Raavi Media management/ythisnews.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content at its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.)