On Friday, December 17, the Jamia Masjid Srinagar management committee issued a notification prohibiting photography inside the 14th-century mosque and men and women from sitting together in the mosque’s lawns. Usually, women are not allowed inside mosques, however, separate arrangements are present in Jamia Masjid for both men and women to offer prayers.
The entry of photography equipment is also prohibited, according to a notice posted around the mosque complex by the Anjuman Auquaf Central Jamia Masjid.
“Photographers and camerapersons are not permitted to take any photos or clicks inside the mosque. “Even equipment used to take photographs of any kind is strictly prohibited and needs to be stopped at the gate immediately,” it stated.
It also prohibited the bringing of food into the mosque. “No one is permitted to have eatables inside the mosque. In such case visitors must be stopped at the gate,” the notification stated.
As the notice says that ‘equipment used to take photographs of any kind is strictly prohibited’, it seems that mobile phones will also be banned in the mosque premises, as almost all phones nowadays have build-in cameras.
The management of the 14th-century mosque directed its security guards to implement the instructions with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, Anjuman Auqaf said in a statement that as a place of worship, visitors are asked to respect its sanctity as a mosque and maintain decorum.
“It is not a park or a recreational facility. Visitors, both locals and visitors from other areas should keep this in mind when taking photographs. Before taking any photographs or videos of Jamia Masjid for professional purposes, permission must be obtained from Anjuman Auquaf,” according to the statement. “Being a place of worship, the visitors are requested to respect its sanctity as a mosque and observe decorum while visiting the mosque. It is not a public park or a recreational facility,” they further added.
The management also asked men and women to use the separate places designated for them to pray. “The worshippers both men and women, should use their specific spaces while praying in the mosque designated for both the genders,” the said.
Notably, on November 24, Jama Masjid in Delhi had issued a notification prohibiting the entry of women without male companions sparking outrage. This order, however, was later withdrawn after Delhi LG VK Saxena intervened.
