Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Saudi Arabia’s king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud a gold-plated replica of the Cheraman Juma Masjid located in Kerala.
PM @narendramodi gifted His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud a gold-plated replica of the Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala.
It is a symbol of active trade relations between India and Saudi Arabia since ancient times, an official statement said about the gift.
According to folklore, Cheraman Perumal, a Chera king and a follower of the Holy Prophet, went to Arabia and embraced Islam after he met the Holy Prophet at Makkah.
Years later, he sent letters to his relatives and the ruling chieftains of Malabar through his friends Malik bin Dinar and Malik bin Habib who were given permission by the local rulers to build the mosque at Kodungallur.
The mosque which was a temple before has an ancient oil lamp that is always kept lit. The lamp is believed to be over a thousand years older. People irrespective of religion bring oil for the lamp as an offering.
King Salman received PM Modi and his delegation at the Royal Court in Riyadh on 3 April and the prime minister left for New Delhi later that evening.
