Coronavirus Outbreak: As tally of delhi cases rises after religious congregation a look at the Tablighi Jamaat and Markaz Nizamuddin

Coronavirus cases in Delhi have witnessed a massive leap on Monday after 24 people who were present at a religious gathering at the Markaz building in Nizamuddin tested positive for COVID-19. Around 1,500 to 1,700 people are estimated to have assembled at the building. [caption id=“attachment_7428351” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Delegates from countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, attended the Tablighi Jammat congregation in Nizamuddin from 1 to 15 March. People who attended the gathering stayed at the facility’s six-floor dormitory and shared communal dining spaces and ate food that was cooked in a community kitchen. People have been evacuated from the Markaz building and shifted to hospitals and quarantine centres. What is Tablighi Jamaat? Tablighi Jamaat is a group of preachers that works among Muslims. It focuses on the Quran and Hadith and denies any affiliation in politics and Islamic law. Islamic scholar Maulana Muhammad Ilyas founded Tablighi Jamaat in 1927 after drawing inspiration from his second pilgrimage to Mecca in 1926. What is Markaz? Markaz are the centres that coordinate Tablighi Jamaat activities. Tablighi Jamaat is maintained from its international headquarters at Nizamuddin in Delhi. The Nizamuddin Markaz is also known as Banglewali Masjid. The building can accommodate up to 2,000 people. It is situated next to the famous shrine of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE updates The volunteers and self-funding groups, also known as jamaats, are appointed by the mosques. The Markaz maintains records of each jamaat and its members. Delhi is among the cities that have reported the maximum number of COVID-19 cases in India. The country has so far reported 32 deaths and more than 1,250 positive cases of coronavirus. On Monday, India reported 227 cases of COVID-19, largest in a single day so far.