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| Begumpuri Moaque, Delhi.madhulikaliddle.com/ |
Among the countless Islamic, British and Hindu monuments in Delhi or else where, never have we lost the sight of their grandeur in some of them, not because of their size, embellishments, beautiful artwork and decoration, but because of their simplicity in style. They all stand apart in their unique design and style. As for those in Delhi, in particular, Islamic monuments, they have varied style of architecture because they were all built by rulers of different dynasties spanning a few centuries. Out of them, many such structures still remain unknown to the public for simple reasons of lack of publicity, proximity and poor upkeep. Travel agents or tour operators concentrate only on those well-known structures and pay less attention to certain monuments.. In an isolated place near the southern part of the city there lies an old masjid called the Begumpuri Masjid. Located in Begumpur, this masjid has close historical links with the Tughlaq period. This 14th century structure was built by one Khan-i-Jahan-Junan Shah, the Prime Minister of Feroz Shah Tughlaq’s court. He is credited to have built 7 well-known mosques. The three main Tughlaq Sultans -Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, Mohammad bin Tughlaq, and Firoz Shah Tughlaq-between them ruled Delhi for less than 70 years, but during this relatively brief period, they constructed some of Delhi’s most enduring landmarks; though they were not beautiful and design-wise splendid, they were functional in nature.
This grand structure also served as a Madrasa besides as a place for congregation. It has a big courtyard and arcaded cloisters. The access to the mosque is through a huge gate on the east side Built in the style prevalent during the time of Tughlaq, the mosque has 64 domed compartments inside. The big prayer hall on the west side faces the Mecca and there is a building’s central arch. The distinctive feature of this mosque is it was entirely made of combination of plastered rubble masonry.
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| Begumpuri mosque, Delhi commons.wikimedia.org |
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| entance to Begumpuri mosque, Delhi madhulikaliddle.com |
Believed to be the second biggest mosque next to Jama Masjid, during the Tughlaq period it self, this mosque was not getting any attention. It is solid and massive and does not look like a mosque, rather a fort – some people commented on this mosque. Yet another striking aspect of this mosque is it is set in a quiet place and inside the masjid, one can experience serene and cool ambiance, That is what many visitors to this place remark!!. Positively one can enjoy peaceful prayer at this historic masjid far away from the urban din and madding crowd.
There is some confusion over the date of construction of Begumpuri Masjid. It could be mid 14th century. As Muhammad bin Tughlaq newly founded the city of Jahanpanah, it is said, he paid least attention to this place and the mosque.There are very few historical references to this mosque from the records of Tughlaq. Some historians point that this masjid was more a social hub than a place of worship during theTughlq period. Presently, it is not well looked after and needs repair and restoration. Some parts of the structure are in a dilapidated state. This mosque is near Aurobindo Ashram on Sri Aurobindo Road, Begampur, Delhi.
https://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/travel/the-calm-and-placid-begumpuri-masjid-in-delhi
https://www.flickr.com/photos/smitsandhir/8050055445/in/photostream/
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