Jama Masjid, Mandu

{{Infobox religious building

| building_name = Jama Masjid

| infobox_width =

| image = Inside of Jama Masjid.jpg

| caption = Courtyard of Jama Masjid, in 2012

| image_upright = 1.4

| alt = A view of a mosque with three domes and multiple entrance halls with a garden in the foreground

| map_type = India Madhya Pradesh

| map_size = 250

| map_relief = 1

| map_caption = Location of the mosque in Madhya Pradesh

| location = Mandu, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh

| country = India

| coordinates = {{coord|22.348468|75.397410|region:IN-MP|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| religious_affiliation = Sunni Islam

| rite =

| consecration_year =

| status = Mosque

| functional_status = Active{{clarify|date=January 2025|reason=Is the mosque open for worship, or an historic site?}}

| administration = {{ubl|Archaeological Survey of India|Nagore Dargah Committee}}

| heritage_designation =

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| architecture_type = {{nowrap|Mosque architecture}}

| architecture_style = {{ubl|Indo-Islamic|Mughal}}

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| groundbreaking =

| year_completed = 1454 CE

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| interior_area = {{cvt|7744|sqm|sqft}}

| dome_quantity = 57; including 3 large

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| materials = Stone; marble

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| module = {{Infobox historic site

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The Jama Masjid, also called Jami Masjid, is an historic Friday mosque in Mandu in the Dhar district of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Built in Mughal style, the mosque has been believed to have been built during the reign of Hoshang Shah and completed during the reign of Mahmud Khilji in 1454 CE.

The Masjid has three large domes, a courtyard, 54 smaller domes and colonnade of pillared halls. It has a prayer hall and decorated pillars in the masjid. The entire area of the mosque is {{convert|7725|sqm|sqft}}, built on an elevated platform {{convert|4.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The inscriptions on the eastern doorway to the porch indicates that the mosque was modeled on the basis of Mosque of Damascus. In modern times, the Group of Monuments at Mandu is maintained and administered by the Bhopal circle of the Archaeological Survey of India.

History

When Timur captured Delhi in 1401, the Afghan Dilawar Khan, governor of Malwa, set up his own little kingdom and the Ghuri dynasty was established,{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/madhya-pradesh-and-chhattisgarh/mandu/history |title=History of Mandu - Lonely Planet Travel Information |website=Lonelyplanet.com |access-date=2016-01-22 |archive-date=8 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193147/http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/madhya-pradesh-and-chhattisgarh/mandu/history |url-status=dead }} His son, Hoshang Shah, shifted the capital from Dhar to Mandu and raised it to its greatest splendour. Mohammed Khalji established the Khalji dynasty of Malwa (1436-1531) and went on to rule for the next 33 years. However, it was under his reign that the Malwa Sultanate reached its greatest height.{{cite book |last1=Lane-Poole |first1=Stanley |title=Medieval India under Mohammedan Rule, (A.D. 712-1764) |date=1970 |publisher=Haskell House |location=New York |isbn=9780838311967 |page=174 |url=https://www.questia.com/library/163947/medieval-india-under-mohammedan-rule-a-d-712-1764 |access-date=31 October 2021 |archive-date=30 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930131752/https://www.questia.com/library/163947/medieval-india-under-mohammedan-rule-a-d-712-1764 |url-status=dead}} The mosque is built in Moghul style of architecture and been believed to have been built during the reign of Hoshang Shah and completed during the reign of Mahmud Khilji in 1454.{{cite book |title=Mandu: Travel Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vuinp98E4sYC&dq=jami+masjid+mandu&pg=PA48 |page=48 |publisher=Goodearth Publications |year=2009 |isbn=9788187780946 |first1=Swati |last1=Mitra |last2=Eicher Goodearth Limited |last3=Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation}} Mahmud Khilji killed his father at the age of 55 and became the king of Mandu. It is believed that he had a harem of 15,000 women and he had a great penchant for art. The western wall contains lovely design and carving measuring {{convert|17|in|cm|order=flip}}.{{cite journal |title=Mandu A mirage in the mountains |url= |pages=68–71 |author=Brinda, G. |journal=Alive |date=February 2013 |issue=364 |issn=0971-0639 }} In modern times, the Group of Monuments at Mandu is maintained and administered by the Bhopal circle of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Architecture

The fort is one of the finest examples of Afghan architecture in India.{{cite book |title=Pilgrimage Centres of India |first=Brajesh |last=Kumar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qqei_Wo1qXwC&dq=jama+masjid+mandu&pg=PA231 |page=231 |isbn=9788171821853 |year=2003 |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.}}

The main entrance of the mosque is through the eastern entrance. The entire area of the mosque is {{convert|7744|sqm|sqft}}, built on an elevated platform {{convert|4.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The inscriptions on the eastern doorway to the porch indicates that the mosque was modeled on the basis of Mosque of Damascus.{{cite book |title=Mosques of India |last=Desai |first=Ziyaud-Din |isbn=81-230-1001-X |year=2003 |edition=5th |publisher=The Director of Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India |location=New Delhi |pages=32–33 }} The doorway also has marble jambs and lintels which are atypical of Hindu structures. The entry via eastern entrance leads to a large courtyard interspersed with colonnaded verandas on the three sides. The pillared verandas leads to the prayer halls which is covered with pillars with 58 small domes and three large domes. The prayer hall is full of arches. The central mihrab is decorated with verses from Quran. The raised Qibla at the centre has a miniature pulpit made of marble. There are two entrances in the northern wall, one leading to the courtyard and other to the prayer hall.{{cite book |title=Mandu |isbn=9788187780946 |publisher=Eicher Goodearth Limited |last1=Eicher Goodearth Limited |last2=Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation |pages=46–52 |first3=Swati |last3=Mitra |date=2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vuinp98E4sYC}}

In popular culture

Mandu is one of the prime tourist destinations of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Along with the other monuments, the average number of visitors a day to the monument stands at 4,000 to 5,000 {{as of|2020|lc=on}}.{{cite news |title=Madhya Pradesh: Pandemic hits tourism hard, visits to sites down by 90% |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/madhya-pradesh-pandemic-hits-tourism-hard-visits-to-sites-down-by-90 |work=Free Press Journal |access-date=20 January 2021 |date=31 August 2020 |last=Smita}} As per the report from the authorities, the footfall during 2019-20 was 3.79 lakhs and suffered a 50% drop in 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.{{cite news |title=Madhya Pradesh: Covid pandemic deter tourists from heritage sites, lowers the footfall by almost 50 percent |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/madhya-pradesh-covid-pandemic-deter-tourists-at-heritage-sites-lowers-the-footfall-by-almost-50-percent |date=5 March 2021 |work=The Free Press Journal |access-date=31 October 2021}} During January 2020, a six-day Mandu Festival was held to showcase the various monuments of the city, including the mosque as the major highlight.{{cite news |title=A love letter to the abandoned |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/a-love-letter-to-the-abandoned/1709100 |date=15 January 2020 |access-date=21 January 2021 |publisher=Outlook |location=Mandu}} The Jami Masjid is considered as the most majestic building and prime tourist destinations in the town.{{cite news |title=Mandu: Beautiful palaces, canals & a fairy tale love story |url=https://www.indiapost.com/mandu-beautiful-palaces-canals-a-fairy-tale-love-story/ |date=6 March 2020 |access-date=20 January 2021 |work=Indian Post}}