| Centenary Celebration of Darul Uloom Deoband | |
|---|---|
 | |
 At the beginning of the centennial conference, Egypt's Qari Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad recited from the Quran, with former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi in the background | |
| Begins | March 21, 1980 |
| Ends | March 23, 1980 |
| Venue | Darul Uloom Deoband |
| Location(s) | Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Coordinates | 29°41′54″N 77°40′34″E / 29.6982495°N 77.6760821°E |
| Country | India |
| Participants | 1.5 to 2 million |
| Area | 100 hectares (250 acres) |
| Patron(s) | Government of India |
| Organised by | Darul Uloom Deoband |
| Website | darululoom-deoband |
Darul Uloom Deoband is a Madrasa located in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India, established on 30 May 1866. Its centennial conference was held on 21, 22 and 23 March 1980. The conference was inaugurated by Abdallah Ben Abdel Mohsen At-Turki, the representative of the Saudi Arabian king, and included Quran recitation by Abdul Basit 'Abd us-Samad from Egypt, an opening speech by the Madrasa's rector, Qari Muhammad Tayyib, and a speech by the Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The conference concluded with a prayer by Qari Muhammad Tayyib and was broadcast live on the All India Radio. A 100 hectares area was prepared for the conference, with the number of participants ranging from 1.5 to 2 million, including 18,000 participants from outside the Indian subcontinent. In this gathering, more than ten thousand Madrasa graduates are awarded with honorary turban. In addition to supporting the Afghan mujahideen, the conference also included several initiatives against the Russian invasion in Afghanistan through the efforts of Minnatullah Rahmani. Alongside the main conference, a special seminar was organized to discuss the responsibilities and curriculum of the madrasa at Darul Hadith.