Hyderabad: The construction of the ramp at the Moula Ali shrine which is located in Malkajgiri is likely to be completed by the end of 2022.
After the government’s nod for the ramp at the shrine, the foundation stone was laid in 2014. The first phase of the construction was completed in 2017 and it covered a distance of 230 steps.
The second phase of the work began last year after the allocation of a budget of Rs. 20 crore.
Without a ramp, the visitors have to climb 550 steps to reach the shrine. After the completion of the second phase, the vehicles can reach the hilltop where parking facilities are being constructed.
The parking facilities will have a capacity of 50 cars and 250 two-wheelers. The ramp will benefit the visitors especially women, children, and elderly persons.
History of Moula Ali
The story of how the Moula Ali shrine was built goes back to the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Qutb Shah (1550-80), the third of the Golconda kings. it is said that Mallik Yakoot, a transgender person, had come to rest at the Lalaguda area to recover from an ailment. While resting there, he reportedly had a dream in which he was asked to follow a man in green robes and climb up the hill.
It is said that Yakoot, after reaching on top, saw Imam Ali (cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed), only to then wake up from his dream. However, he then went up the hill for real, it is said, and saw the hand print of Imam Ali branded on a part of the rock. The hand mark was then supposedly hewn out of the rock and placed in the great arch at the site, which everyone goes to today. The Moula Ali shrine has been importance since then, and predates Hyderabad.