Jama Masjid
The Jama Masjid was built between 1644 and 1656 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It was originally called Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa, meaning ‘mosque commanding view of the world’. It was constructed by more than 5000 workers. The construction was done under the supervision of Saadullah Khan, the wazir (or prime minister) during Shah Jahan’s rule. The cost of the construction at the time was one million Rupees.
The mosque was inaugurated by a Imam Bukhari, a mullah (or Muslim priest) from Bukhara, Uzebekistan, on 23 July 1656, on the invitation from Shah Jahan.The Jama Masjid is a mosque which is a religious building and praying area for Muslims.
Interesting Facts About Jama Masjid
The Jama Masjid in Delhi is the largest mosque in India
It is the last great architectural work of the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan
The mosque took twelve years and 5,000 workers to construct, at a cost of nearly a million rupees
The mosque is capable of accommodating up to 25,000 worshippers
The words “Jama Masjid” mean Friday Mosque
The Jama Masjid in Delhi was built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan.
The Jama Masjid is located in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi, in northern India.
The Jama Masjid is a mosque built for Muslims to say their prayers and for worship.
In the evening, the steps of the mosque are converted into various stalls including book and food stalls. The west of the mosque is converted into poultry where meat is sold and in the south of the mosque books are sold.
The courtyard of Jama Masjid can accommodate 25,000 worshippers and occupies about 408 square feet. The mosque is about 261 feet (80 m) long and 90 feet (27 m).
The mosque is commonly called 'Jama', which means Friday.
Jama Masjid Architecture
The Jama Masjid is much simpler in its ornamentation than Shah Jahan’s secular buildings. It has three gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40m high, and is constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble, which are interspersed in the domes, minarets and cusped arches.
A magnificent flight of sandstone steps leads to the great arched entrances. Symbolizing the separation of the sacred and the secular, the threshold is a place of great importance where the worshipper steps to a higher plane. There are three huge gateways, the largest being to the east. This was reserved for the royal family who gathered in a private gallery in its upper storey. Today, the faithful enter through the east gate on Fridays and for Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Adha.
The façade of the courtyard has the main iwan (arch), five smaller arches on each side with two flanking minarets and three bulbous domes behind, all perfectly proportioned. The iwan draws the worshippers’ attention into the building. To the west (facing Mecca) is the main prayer hall with the traditional mihrab (altar) for the prayer leader.
The hauz, in the centre of the courtyard, is an ablution tank placed as usual between the inner and outer parts of the building for washing hands, face and feet, and to remind the worshipper that it is through the ritual of baptism that one first enters the community of believers.
The dikka, in front of the ablution tank, is a raised platform. Muslim communities grew so rapidly that by the eighth century it sometimes became necessary to introduce a second muballigh (prayer leader) who stood on this platform and copied the postures and chants of the imam inside to relay them to a much larger congregation. With the introduction of the loudspeaker and amplification, the dikka and the muballigh became redundant.
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