News Highlight
Last week, the Jama Masjid in Delhi prohibited the entry of single women or women in groups inside the mosque premises.
Key Takeaway
- The authorities reasoned that some women fail to respect the sanctity of the place of worship.
The Jama Masjid in Delhi
- About
- The Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa, commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is one of the largest mosques in India.
- Construction
- It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656 and inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari.
- The mosque was designed by architect Ustad Khalil and constructed by approximately 5000 workers.
- Location
- The mosque is located within the historic city of Shahjahanabad, today known as the locality of Old Delhi.
- Features
- It has three great gates, four towers, three domes and two minarets, each 40 metres high.
- Names
- The mosque has two names. The older one, bestowed by Shah Jahan, is ‘Masjid-i-Jehan-Numa’.
- The other more common one is the ‘Jama Masjid’, which emerged among the common populace. Its literal translation in Arabic is “congregational mosque.”
- Architecture
- Shah Jahan claimed that the mosque was modelled after the Jama Masjid of Fatehpur Sikri, which is reflected in the design of many exterior features, such as the facade and courtyard.
- However, the mosque’s interior resembles the Jama Masjid in Agra.
- The mosque predominantly uses red sandstone.
- Black marble also features as a decorative element.
- Arabic and Persian calligraphic pieces are found on various surfaces of the structure.
- Entry ways
- Three sandstone gates access the mosque.
- The most prominent of these is the three-storey high eastern gate, which historically acted as the shahi (royal) entrance.
- The other two entrances are the northern and southern gates, two stories high and used by the general population.
- Minarets
- Two sandstone minarets flank the mosque’s domes at the northeast and southeast corners.
- They are 40 metres high and longitudinally striped with white marble.
- Shahi Imam
- The Imams of Delhi’s Jama Masjid have traditionally been the direct descendants of the first Imam of the Masjid, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari, who Shah Jahan appointed.
- Their position is known as that of the Shahi Imam, or Royal Imam.
- The person next in line to the position is the Naib Imam, or Deputy Imam.
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
- About
- Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (1592 – 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire.
- Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, was Shah Jahan’s grandfather.
- Reign of Shah Jahan
- He was a capable military commander.
- Before becoming king, he served as governor of the Deccan, Bihar, Bengal, Gujarat, and Delhi as a prince.
- He expanded the military and promoted the production of arms as king.
- Contribution to Architecture
- His reign heralded the Mughal architectural golden age.
- His most famous structure was the Taj Mahal.
- Among his other works are the Red Fort, also known as the Delhi Fort or Lal Qila in Urdu, large sections of the Agra Fort, the Jama Masjid, the Wazir Khan Mosque, the Moti Masjid and the Shalimar Gardens etc.
Content Source: The Hindu