In an unprecedented gesture aimed at promotion of communal peace and harmony between Hindus and Muslims, a Hindu youth has built a replica of the Grand Mosque and Khana-e-Kaaba (Masjid Al-Haram) of Mecca on the terrace of a temple in the port city of Visakhapatnam.

Gatti Anil Kumar, with the help of his father Suryam, worked at the Ram temple for two years to create an awe-inspiring replica of the mosque that left members of the Muslim community deeply moved and impressed.

The 26-year-old Anil, who has been making models using sand and plaster of paris in the past, this time invested his skills in soft metal and teakwood to create a copy of the grand mosque with every minute detail going into it.

"I have never been there but I built this model with the help of photographs and other details my father collected from his Muslim friends. This has been the most difficult but the most satisfying work so far," Anil said.

When asked what motivated him to take up this work, Anil said for every Muslim it is a cherished dream to visit Mecca at least once in their lives but the poor people can't afford to go there. "By seeing this replica they at least feel the grandeur of the place, specially the mosque," Anil said.

The 8x10 feet replica gives a bird's eye view of the Grand Mosque with its tall minarets and Kaaba draped in a black cover in the middle.

Was there any problem in choosing the roof of the temple for this work? Anil replies in the negative and says the temple committee readily agreed to the idea and the Muslim community also appreciated the gesture very much.

A large number of people have been thronging to the place ever since the replica was thrown open for the public.