Deval Masjid

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Deval Masjid
Indranarayana Swamy Temple built by the Rashtrakuta King this also called Hundred Pillars Temple at Bodan Nizamabad.jpg
Partial ruins of the former temple and mosque, in 2020
Religion
Affiliation
Ecclesiastical or organizational status
  • Temple
    (c. 12th–14th century)
  • Mosque
    (14th century–????)
StatusAbandoned;
(partial ruinous state)
Location
Location Bodhan, Nizamabad district, Telangana
Country India
India Telangana relief map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the former temple and mosque in Telangana
Geographic coordinates 18°39′49″N77°53′07″E / 18.6635°N 77.8854°E / 18.6635; 77.8854
Architecture
Type Hindu temple architecture
Style
Completedc.12th century CE; Kakatiya era
Specifications
Dome(s)12
InscriptionsSeveral
Materials Stone

The Deval Masjid is a former Hindu temple and former mosque, in a partial ruinous state, located in Bodhan, in the Nizamabad district of the state of Telangana, India. The building was converted from a Hindu temple into a mosque in the 14th century. It is locally known as the Vanda Stambhala Gudi (hundred-pillared temple) in Telugu. [1] [2] The former temple and mosque is listed as a state protected monument. [3]

Contents

History

The temple was constructed in the late 12th or early 13th century, during the reign of the Kakatiya kingdom. [1] Ghulam Yazdani posits that it might have been a Buddhist or Jain temple before being used as Hindu temple, based on the imagery of all three religions being found in and around the temple. [4]

In the 14th century, the region was invaded and taken over by Ulugh Khan, a general of the Delhi Sultanate, who would later become its sultan. In 1323, Ulugh Khan encamped in Bodhan, and a contemporary account by Abdul Malik Isami mentions that he laid siege to the fort of Bodhan for approximately two to three months. The report further states that the chief of Bodhan surrendered, converted to Islam with his family, and was granted amnesty. [5] The style of the mosque does not correspond with other Tughluq architecture of the Deccan. Richard M. Eaton posited that the chief of Bodhan converted the temple into a mosque himself. [6]

Architecture

The pillared hall, surmounted by several small brick domes, served as a pavilion leading to the prayer-hall. Indranarayana Swamy Temple built by the Rashtrakuta King At Bodan Nizamabad.jpg
The pillared hall, surmounted by several small brick domes, served as a pavilion leading to the prayer-hall.

The temple had a star-shaped plan, and it was composed of a garbhagriha (sanctum), antarala (antechamber), and mandapa (pillared hall). While the sanctum and antechamber were converted into a prayer-hall, the pillared hall remains almost completely intact, and serves as a pavilion leading up to the prayer-hall. Twelve small domes, made out of brick, were added on the roof of the pillared hall. The large number of domes is unusual for Tughluq mosques, and were probably included in order to give the building a more Indo-Islamic appearance. [7] [4]

The pillared hall is divided into nine bays and contains porches in the middle of its northern, eastern, and southern sides. It stands upon a plinth, and is accessible by flights of steps with balustrades on the northern and southern sides. [7] The prayer-hall is divided into forty-five bays. The central bay is elaborately carved, and images of Narasimha can be found at its four corners. [4] The western wall was closed up using rubble. A mihrab (prayer-niche) is carved into the western wall, and a minbar (pulpit) stands to its north. [8] The building is surrounded by a wall built out of dressed stone, with four entrances facing the four cardinal points. [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Eaton 2011, p. 180.
  2. Brown, Percy (1956) [1942]. Indian Architecture (Islamic Period). Bombay: D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co. Private Ltd. p. 67.
  3. Telangana Heritage (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Maintenance) Act, 2017 (PDF).
  4. 1 2 3 4 Yazdani 1916, p. 3.
  5. Eaton 2011, p. 183.
  6. Eaton 2011, pp. 181–183.
  7. 1 2 Eaton, Richard M.; Wagoner, Phillip B. (November 1, 2013). "Power, Memory, Architecture: Contested Sites on India's Deccan Plateau, 1300-1600". OUP Academic: 50–52. doi:10.1093/acprof:o (inactive July 1, 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
  8. Eaton 2011, p. 181.

Bibliography