Jama Masjid, Burhanpur
History
According to the Sanskrit and Arabic inscriptions within the mosque, the mosque can be dated from the 16th century. It was commissioned by Adil Shah IV, a son of Mubarakh Shah of the Faruqi dynasty. The mosque was built as the royal congregational mosque of Burhanpur, located within the centre of the city. Construction of the mosque began in 1588 CE. Repairs to the mosque were made by the Mughal emperors Akbar and Aurangzeb during their reigns.
Architecture
The mosque has an open courtyard, with the prayer hall towards the west. The prayer hall is flat-roofed, and has fifteen arched openings on the façade. The main attraction of the mosque are its symmetrical pillars made of special black stone, which was brought from a very far place. The stones were so bulky and heavy that its transportation was costed the king in rate of gold. The pillars were designed in such a fashion that four pillars combined together and, when locked at the centre of the meeting point at top, they covered the complete top area and form roof by themselves. The pillars do not obstruct the visibility of the imam standing at the Qibla from the extreme outer façade. A parapet, composed of battlements, runs along the roof. The façade is flanked by two five-storied minarets.
Interior
The prayer hall is five bays deep. The mosque has fifteen mihrabs. Over the central mihrab is an Arabic inscription. Over the southern mihrab is a bilingual inscription, with Arabic text on top and Sanskrit text at the bottom. The inscription mentions the inauguration date as 10th of “pausha” [day], “samvat” [month], 1646 “saka” [year], hence, on 5 January 1590 CE. In 1601 an additional inscription was added, in Persian.
Gallery
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Main entrance -
Decorative entrance façade -
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Four arc shape pillars with midpoint lock at roof top centre -
Photo of translated inscription, engraved on the mosque wall -
Pillar alignment from Qibla to extreme outer entrance façade -
Engraved writing detailing the mosque history -
Big Tasbeeh of old Moghul era in the mosque -
Minaret and front courtyard -
Qibla sculpture in detail
See also
Notes
- ^ English translation, text and translation of the inscription.
References
- ^ "Archnet > Site > Burhanpur Jami' Masjid". Archnet. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ "Alphabetical List of Monuments – Madhya Pradesh". Archaeological Survey of India.
- ^ Sinha, Sutapa (1 January 2020). "Architecture of the Faruqis of Burhanpur: A Preliminary Study". Pratna Samiksha: A Journal of Archaeology. New Series. 11: 177–182.
- ^ Epigraphia Indica. Vol. IX. p. 306.
- ^ "Jama Masjid, Burhanpur: the mosque with inscriptions in Sanskrit and Arabic !". The Heritage Lab. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
- ^ "600 साल पुरानी शाही मस्जिद में संस्कृत में लिखा हुआ है शिलालेख, उम्दा नक्काशी है पहचान". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 28 December 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
External links
Media related to Jama Masjid, Burhanpur at Wikimedia Commons
