Mosques In India

Jama Masjid Ahmedabad

Jama Masjid is one of the beautiful mosques in India which is located at Ahmadabad the former capital of Gujarat. Ahmadabad is a major hub for commercial issues in India and the Masjid is selected as best structure of its type in India. This Jama Masjid lies on the old part of the city and is present opposite to Mahatma Gandhi road and thus Masjid is probably the largest mosque in India in that period which it is constructed and the holy place to worship can be found in the east corner of Teen Darwaza. The Masjid is in the center of old city and there are three doors through which we can enter. The burial place of all the four sultans is situated to the gateway of the east. So, a trip to this beautiful place is a must.

History

The Jama Masjid was built in 1424 during the rule of Ahmad Shah who is the ruler from Muzzaffarid Empire. It is constructed in 15th century and is the biggest place of holy worship for the Muslims in India. This has outstanding architecture and is built by Shah and the mosque is built with yellow sandstone.

Architecture

As you enter this place of worship you can see the compound which lies in the middle rectangular patio which has length of 75 meters and breadth of 65 meters. One can get into this by three gates which is in the middle of the lengthy wall. A Row of pillars are bordering the patio from three angles and the remaining fourth corner is prayer hall which is to the east. At the center of the Masjid there is a marble courtyard which contains central water pool and to the north side relics of sultan are kept in a cupboard.

The burial place of the sultan, his son, and grandson are placed to the west of the Masjid. The burial chamber of the queen and all other spouses of the empire are placed near and are called as Rani Ka Hazira. The prayer hall in the Masjid are in rectangular shape has four attics. The center domes are carved like lotus flowers which are related to the domes of Jain temples and some of them are carved as bell hanging on a chain which is similar to Hindu temples which also has bell hanging on a chain in them. The courtyard is wide open and has white marbled flooring with paintings of Arabic calligraphy. In 1819 earthquake the two principal minarets which are the main in the entrance gateway collapsed but the bottom part is still there. There are two pillars that edge the gateway and the ruins of the minarets which are known as shaking minarets are damages in result with the earthquake of 1819 and 1957. It also has Koran written on sandal and deerskin.

The main hall of prayer has 260 columns that support the roof with 15 domes which make the hall a beautiful maze of lights. Yellow sandstone is used for construction and all the features and design of this Masjid is eye catching.

Significance

The significance is that the architecture of this mosque is beautiful and is eye catching. There are three entrances to this with lengthy compounds on the four sides. This mosque is one of the largest place of worship at that period of time. Some of the minarets are destroyed during the earthquakes but still it stand in a good position for the architecture it has. Thousand of Muslims worship this place and offer prayers here.

Things to keep in Mind while visiting this Masjid

All kind of Travelers are welcome here.

Maintaining silence is considered strictly here.

Remove your shoes before entering this as this is place of worship.

At prayer time you should cover your head

Women are not allowed to go the principal hall to offer prayers.

How to reach there

There are well connected roads, trains and also flights to Ahmadabad from all the major cities in India and after reaching Ahmadabad it is easy to locate the Masjid, visiting this holy place of worship is a must.

Photo Gallery