An architectural jewel with over 180year history
The Shahi Jama Masjid in Lucknow’s Tehsinganj was built at the instance of the third king of ‘Oudh’ Muhammad Ali Shah
LUCKNOW: The over 180-year-old Jama Masjid in Lucknow’s Tehsinganj is said to be the most beautiful one in the state. It is a major attraction during Ramzan when the place of worship is decked up for the faithful. Citybased historians call the mosque no less than an ‘architectural jewel’.
Some of them say it’s an incomplete structure similar to Satkhanda, another Nawabi-era edifice situated just 500 metres away.
The Jama Masjid or the Shahi Jama Masjid was established at the instance of the third king of ‘Oudh’ Muhammad Ali Shah. Some historians say the mosque was originally designed to be bigger than the Jama Masjid in Delhi built by the Mughals in the 17th century. But, after the king’s untimely death, the mosque couldn’t take its intended shape.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
In his book ‘Incredible Lucknow’, historian Saiyed Anwer Abbas says the word Jama implies a large congregation, generally gathered during Friday prayers or for mass prayers on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha or Eid-ul-Fitr. “But the mosque, intended to be the largest in this part of the country for Shia Muslims, witnessed such large congregations for a very short period from 1842 to 1857. After 1857, when the freedom struggle began, the venue for namaaz-ejuma was shifted to Tehsin ki Masjid near Akbari Gate. Hence, Jama Masjid is a misnomer,” states the book that covers most of the Nawabi era structures in the state capital.
CONTROVERSY OVER LAND ACQUISITION
The book further says that in 1842, the king wanted to begin namaaz at the half-constructed mosque and invited Shia chief priest Sultan-ul-Ulema, Syed Mohammed (1784-1867), the son of Ghufran Maab Syed Dildar Ali Naqvi of Naseerabad (near Jais), to lead the prayers. But, the chief priest refused, saying prayers cannot be offered on disputed land. He said a part of the land on which the mosque was being built belonged to Naeem Khan and there was a dispute about payment for land.
“The king regretted the matter and requested Sultan-ul-Ulema to resolve it amicably, which the latter did, to the satisfaction of both the landowner and the ruler. It was thereafter that the first congregation for offering the Friday prayers was held in this mosque in 1842,” the book further says.
AN INCOMPLETE STRUCTURE
Soon after the Friday prayers began at 1842, the construction of the mosque that was going on a war-footing met a dead end as Muhammed Ali Shah died the same year, after a brief rule of five years, at the age of 68. But, prior to his death, the king made a provision of rupees 10 lakh so that his wife Malka Jahan could complete construction of Jama Masjid, the book says.
But, his wife’s efforts to restart the construction work went in vain. The mosque remained incomplete, yet majestic. “It is much evident from the two partly built minarets on the western side of the mosque,” the book says.
INTRICATE ARCHITECTURE
Another historian Yogesh Praveen says the mosque is the most beautiful in the state and perhaps also among those in other parts of the country.
Built on the pattern of the famous Suleymaniye mosque of Istanbul, Turkey, it has a blend of both Hindu and Muslim architecture. The entire structure stands on 260 pillars and supports 15 arched domes. Besides, the domes bear beautiful carvings and calligraphy that is similar to that of the Suleymaniye mosque. Its courtyard measures around 75 metres by 66 metres, he adds. The mosque has a central archway that leads to the prayer halls. The high ceiling and pillars inside are decorated with floral stucco work.
And mehraab, the arch facing the west, has calligraphic inscriptions of Quranic verses.
CENTRE OF ATTRACTION
“One can’t resist admiring the mosque once you see it; it’s perhaps the most beautiful structure we have ever come across during our tour to North India,” says Sushant Sharma, a professional photographer, busy taking pictures of the architectural marvel from outside.
Another tourist, a research scholar from Delhi, too appreciates the intricate work on the walls of the mosque.
“Its beauty cannot be expressed in words. One actually has to visit the place to acknowledge it. I regret how I missed the structure during my previous visits to the city of nawabs,” says Shad Ali, a research scholar from Delhi.