Udupi: Masjid with separate space for women is all set for inauguration

August 7, 2012

Udupi, August 7: The Jamia Masjid at Udupi which was previously in a state of disintegration has been renovated and is all set for inauguration. The 18,000 sq. feet structure was built at a cost of rupees 3 crores.

Located near city bus stand, the renovated building consists of three floors which can facilitate around 3,000 people to offer Namaz at a time. The ground floor has an expanse of 5,200 sq. feet, the first floor of 6000 sq. feet and the second has 4,500 sq. feet. It is the first time that a masjid of this scale has been built in the Udupi district.

The mosque, which is built according to the Mughal style of architecture, includes an attractive dome and a minaret.

Jamia Masjid Managing Committee President T.S. Budan Basha said that the mosque would hold classes to teach the Quran and lessons in Arabic in the evenings. It would not, however, function as a full-fledged Madrasa.

Another speciality of this masjid is that it has a separate hall for women which can facilitate 400 women to offer Namaz at all five times in a day. A separate road has been paved for women to reach the mosque. Separate washrooms have been constructed for men and women.

Since most people these days reside in flats, it becomes difficult to carry out some pre-funeral rituals like bathing and enshrouding the deceased as per the Islamic Shariah. Hence, two separate rooms have been constructed in the mosque - 'Mayyat Ghusul Khana' is meant to cleanse and bathe the deceased, while 'Kafan Khana' is meant to wrap the body in cloth (kafan).

The Masjid will be inaugurated on August 10 by main donor Hidayuthulla Abbas, Uchila. Khateeb of the Masjid Mohiyuddin Jeelani will deliver the Friday sermon and lead Namaz. There will also be Iftar programme in the evening.

Bangalore-based Sajjad Associate is the architect of the Masjid and S.N. Constructions, Udupi, are the contractors.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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