Mosques Of India: Masjid or dargah

Call it mosque, masjid, or dargah, they all refer to the same thing – ‘the dome of Allah’. India is home to a slew of mosques that dots the country’s skyline and tots up as a gentle reminder of the country’s Islamic past. It’s hard to miss the sandstone marvel of Fathepur Sikri or the imposing appeal of Charminar once you step in India. Mosques or ‘masjids’ revered as the abode of Allah, is the holy place where ardent devotees congregate for salat (prayer). Literally meaning “a place of prostration”, mosques are edifices solely dedicated for Islamic worship. However, that is not all. The mosque, apart from being a house of worship, also serves as a hub of information, edification, and quarrel settlement.

India, being a secular country, is home to diverse faiths, which explains why we have a whole slew of mosques and dargahs spread across the territories. Although it is alleged that Islam first spread its roots in India after the Muslim conquest that took place sometime during the 13th century, history traces its existence even before the pre-Islamic era, to the Arab traders and travelers who came to India during the seventh century. Nevertheless, the incursion of Islam in the Hindu-dominated India wasn’t easy. In fact, it took several centuries for Islam to spread its wings in India. While some deem it as the result of forcible conversion of people by threat, others see it as the upshot of inter-caste marriages, economic integration, and influence of Sufi preachers.

Every mosque that we see in India has humungous history and significance attached to it. Adhai-Din ka-Jhonpra, located in Ajmer (Rajasthan), melds impressive artistic designs of the Jain temples with the transcriptions of the Holy Quran, which is nothing short of a visual treat. Jama Masjid, the largest mosques in India is the also the last architectural venture of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Jamali Kamali Mosque in the Mehrauli village near Delhi is named after the well-known Sufi saint Shaikh Jamali Kamboh and is currently under the jurisdiction of Delhi Archaeological Department. Quwwat-ul-Islam is the mosque, which was erected by Qutb-ud-din Aibak on the ruins of the Hindu and Jain temples, is nothing short of than a lesson in history. Taj-ul Masjid, which literally means ‘Crown of the Mosques’ is considered as one of the largest and the most fascinating mosques in Asia and is situated in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Popular Mosques Of India