Jama Mosque, Champaner

Jami Masjid
Jami Masjid
Religion
Affiliation	Islam (former)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Mosque (former)
Status	Abandoned;; Preserved; (good condition);
Location
Location	Champaner, Panchmahal, Gujarat
Country	India
	Location of the former mosque in Gujarat
Geographic coordinates	22°29′09″N73°32′14″E / 22.4859°N 73.5371°E
Architecture
Type	Mosque architecture
Style	Indo-Islamic ; Mughal ;
Funded by	Mahmud Begada
Completed	1513
Specifications
Dome(s)	Twelve
Minaret(s)	Two
Minaret height	30 metres (98 ft)
Materials	Rubble masonry
Monument of National Importance
Official name	Jami Masjid, Champaner
Reference no.	N-GJ-91
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
Criteria	Cultural: (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)
Designated	2004
Reference no.	1101

Last updated January 31, 2025

The Jami Masjid, also known as Jama Masjid; meaning "public mosque", is a former Friday mosque, now a well-preserved heritage site,^[1] located in Champaner, in the state of Gujarat, India. The mosque is a Monument of National Importance,^[2] and, together with other structures, is part of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is among the 114 monuments there which are listed by the Baroda Heritage Trust.^[3] The mosque is located approximately 46 metres (150 ft) east of the city walls (Jahdnpandh), near the east gate.

History

The mosque dates from 1513; and construction was carried out over 25 years.^[4] It is one of the most notable monuments built by Sultan Mahmud Begada. The Mughal architecture is said to have drawn from the architecture of the Sultanates, which is a blend of Jain religious connotations and workmanship with Muslim ethos; the large domes are indicative of such a mix.^[5]^[6]^[1]^[7] Restoration works were carried out in the 1890s.^[8]

Architecture

It has a blend of Jain ^[9] and Muslim architecture, preserving the Islamic ethos, and is considered one of the finest mosques in Western India with its elegant interiors.^[1] The ornamentation of the surface areas of the mosque and tomb consists of symbols of motifs of the Sun, diamonds, pots and vines, and lotus insignia which were used in the earlier temples; the artists of the region who worked on these monuments had imbibed their craftsmanship from their forefathers and they were not sectarian in character as they worked on assignments given by Hindus, Muslims or Jains. This mosque had three oblong mural plaques, one at the top of the pulpit and the other two on the sides, with engravings of hymns from the Koran.

The building is two-storied,^[10] with both Islamic and Hindu styles of decoration.^[4] The plan is similar to that of the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque in Ahmedabad; it is rectangular with the entrance on the east side. There is a portico which has a large dome built over a podium. There are steps to the mosque from northern and southern directions. Tall octagonal minarets 30 metres (98 ft) in height are situated on both sides of the main carved^[4]^[11] entrance.^[12] One of the two minarets were damaged by an intentional gun firing in 1812 by Patankar, a Scindia Governor.^[1] A typical Gujarat style of architecture is seen in the form of oriel windows with distinctive carvings on the outer surface.^[11] The carved roof contains several domes,^[12] and the courtyard is large.^[4] There are seven mihrabs and the entrance gates are carved and fitted with fine stone jalis.

Multiple prayer halls are separated by almost 200 pillars.^[12] The main prayer hall has eleven domes, with the central dome, a double-storied structure, built on pillars in an arcade form. The ruler's prayer hall is separated from the main area by jalis.^[4]^[7]^[13] There is a double clerestory in one of the domes. Other interior features include an arcuate maqsurah screen, trabeate hypostyle lwan, double square side wings, zanana enclosure, and screened off northern mihrab .^[14]

Grounds

Tombs have been built adjacent to the mosque, invariably to a square plan with columns and domes erected over them, and also embellished with decorations.^[6] An ablution tank of octagonal kund appearance^[10] is near the building; it was used for rainwater harvesting and washing before prayer. The mosque has become a place of pilgrimage for those who seek blessings from the pir who is buried in one corner of the garden.^[15]

Other mosques

There are several other mosques within the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, including the Bawaman, Kevada, Lila Gumbaj Ki, and Nagina mosques.

Gallery

Ceiling fractal carvings resemble to Kalpavriksha illustration in Dilwara Jain Temple ^[9]^[16]
Sky light and supports of main dome
'Jaali' design at minar base
Minarets
Open roof of the entry hall

Related Research Articles

Champaner is a historical town in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It is located in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city of Vadodara. The city was briefly the capital of the Sultanate of Gujarat. At an early period Champaner was the seat of a Bhil dynasty. Champaner was founded by King Champa Bhil.

Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establishment of Delhi as the capital of the Ghurid dynasty in 1193. Succeeding the Ghurids was the Delhi Sultanate, a series of Central Asian dynasties that consolidated much of North, East, and Central India, and later by the Mughal Empire during the early 16th century. Both of these dynasties introduced Islamic architecture and art styles from West Asia into the Indian subcontinent.

Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in Panchmahal district in Gujarat, India. It is located around the historical city of Champaner, a city which was founded by Vanraj Chavda, the most prominent king of the Chavda Dynasty, in the eighth century. He named it after the name of his friend and general Champa, also known later as Champaraj. The heritage site is studded with forts with bastions starting from the hills of Pavagadh, and extending into the city of Champaner. The park's landscape includes archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage monuments such as chalcolithic sites, a hill fortress of an early Hindu capital, and remains of the 16th-century capital of the state of Gujarat. There are palaces, entrance gates and arches, mosques, tombs and temples, residential complexes, agricultural structures and water installations such as stepwells and tanks, dating from the eighth to the 14th centuries. The Kalika Mata Temple, located on top of the 800 metres (2,600 ft) high Pavagadh Hill, is an important Hindu shrine in the region, attracting large numbers of pilgrims throughout the year.

The Gujarat Sultanate or Sultanate of Guzerat was a late medieval Islamic Indian kingdom in Western India, primarily in the present-day state of Gujarat. The kingdom was established in 1394 when Muzaffar Shah I, the Governor of Gujarat, declared independence from the Tughlaq dynasty of Delhi.

The Khirki Mosque is a former mosque, now in partial ruins, located in Khirki Village, near Satpula, in South Delhi, India. The mosque was built by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, the prime minister of Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388) of the Tughlaq Dynasty. The former mosque can be approached from Satpula or the seven–arched bridge on the edge of southern wall of Jahanpanah.

The Jama Masjid, also known as Jumah Mosque or Jami' Masjid, is a Friday mosque, located in Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, India. It was built in 1424 during the reign of Ahmad Shah I. The inscription on the central mihrab commemorates the inauguration of the mosque in AH 827 (1423/1424 CE), on the 1st Sarar, or January 4, by Sultan Ahmad Shah I. The mosque lies in the old walled city, and it is situated outside Bhadra Fort area. The old walled city is divided into separate quarters or pols, and the Jami' Masjid is found on the Gandhi Road. Along the south side of the road, the mosque is a short distance beyond the Teen Darwaza or Tripolia Gate. The structure is a Monument of National Importance.

Pavagadh Hill is situated within a plain in Panchmahal district, Gujarat, western India. A volcanic eruption occurred in the region approximately 500 million years ago and the etymology of Pavagadh is associated with this eruption: Pav-gadh means "one fourth hill" or "fire-hill". At its base is the historical city of Champaner, while the hill station of Pavagadh was built upon the volcanic cone itself. With Champaner, Pavagadh hill forms the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is spread over an area of more than 1,329 hectares. Known for its forts, there are also dozens of heritage structures on the hill. The site is 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Vadodara and 68 kilometres (42 mi) south of Godhra.

The Kevada Mosque is a former mosque, now a heritage site, in Champaner, in the state of Gujarat, India. The mosque and its cenotaph are Monuments of National Importance, and, together with other structures, are part of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and are among the 114 monuments there which are listed by the Baroda Heritage Trust. The mosque has minarets, globe-like domes, and narrow stairs. According to Ruggles (2008), the "built temple reified natural form" and nature was integrated into the Kevada mosque's architecture in a way that was unusual elsewhere in the Islamic world. Many temples in India were demolished to build mosques.

The Bawaman Mosque, also known as the Bava Man's Masjid, is a former mosque, now a heritage site, in Champaner, western India. The mosque is a Monument of National Importance, and, together with other structures, is part of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is among the 114 monuments there which are listed by the Baroda Heritage Trust. It is situated on the western side of one of the ancient city's fort gates.

The Nagina Mosque is a former mosque, now a heritage site, in Champaner, Gujarat, India. It was built during the time of Mahmud Begada, in the 15th century. It has minarets, globe-like domes, and narrow stairs. The mosque is a Monument of National Importance, and, together with other structures, is part of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is among the 114 monuments there which are listed by the Baroda Heritage Trust.

There are eleven different types of buildings at the UNESCO-protected Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park in Gujarat, India, including mosques, temples, granaries, tombs, wells, walls, and terraces. The monuments are situated at the foot of and around the Pavagadh Hill. The Baroda Heritage Trust lists 114 monuments in the area, of which only 39 are maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, due to limited funding. The Forest Department owns 94% of the land here, while the temple trusts and other sectarian establishments provide facilities for boarding and lodging to pilgrims and tourists. On the southern side near the foot of the hill some dilapidated houses and the foundations of Jain temples can also be seen.

The Lila Gumbaj Ki Mosque is a former mosque, now a heritage site, located in Champaner, in the state of Gujarat, India. The mosque is a Monument of National Importance, and, together with other structures, is part of the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is among the 114 monuments there which are listed by the Baroda Heritage Trust. It is located near the east gate of the former city.

The Ahmad Shah's Mosque, also known as Shahi Jam-e-Masjid or Juni Juma Masjid, completed in 1414, is the oldest mosque of Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, India. The structure is a Monument of National Importance.

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Rani Rupamati's Mosque, also known as Rani Rupavati's Mosque or Mirzapur Queen's Mosque, is a Sufi mosque and dargah complex in Mirzapur area of Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat, India. The structure is a Monument of National Importance.

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The Hilal Khan Ghazi Mosque, also known as Bahlol Khan Gazi's Mosque, is a mosque located in Dholka, in the Ahmedabad District of the state of Gujarat, India. Erected in AH 733 (1332/1333) by Hilal Khan Ghazi, a general during the Tughlaq dynasty, it is the oldest mosque in Dholka. The mosque is considered one of the most significant mosques of that historical period in its architectural style and artistic decorations.

References

1 2 3 4 5 Ruggles, D. Fairchild; Silverman, Helaine (2009). Intangible Heritage Embodied. Springer. pp. 91–93, 96–97. ISBN 9781441900715 . Retrieved 23 September 2012.
↑ "List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of Gujarat". Archaeological Survey of India . Retrieved 18 November 2016.
↑ Bombay (India: State) (1879). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Kaira and Panch Maháls (Public domain ed.). Government Central Press. pp. 308–. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
1 2 3 4 5 Sarina Singh (1 September 2009). India. LP. pp. 742–. ISBN 978-1-74179-151-8 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.
↑ "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Fact Sheet". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
1 2 "Advisory Body Evaluation, Champaner-Pavagadh (India) No 1101" (PDF). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. pp. 26–29. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
1 2 Bombay 1879, pp. 304–309.
↑ Bombay India General Dept (1897). Archaeology, Progress Report. Bombay: Archaeological Survey of India. Western Circle. p. 8. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
1 2 Travel, D. K. (7 September 2017). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide India. Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-32624-4.
1 2 Desai, Anjali H. (2007). India Guide Gujarat. India Guide Publications. pp. 178–. ISBN 978-0-9789517-0-2 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.
1 2 "Champaner: Central mehrab in the Jama mosque". Onlinegallery, British Library, UK. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
1 2 3 The Rough Guide to India. Penguin. 20 January 2011. pp. 1225–. ISBN 978-1-4053-8849-8 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.
↑ "Champaner-Pavagadh". Worldheritagesite.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
↑ Burton-Page, John; Michell, George (2008). Indian Islamic Architecture: Forms and Typologies, Sites and Monuments. BRILL. pp. 111–. ISBN 978-90-04-16339-3 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.
↑ Patel, Geeta (31 January 2002). Lyrical Movements, Historical Hauntings: On Gender, Colonialism, and Desire in Miraji's Urdu Poetry. Stanford University Press. pp. 38–. ISBN 978-0-8047-3329-8 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.
↑ "Dilwara Temples", Wikipedia, 1 September 2020, retrieved 12 September 2020

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[Ruggles_2009-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Ruggles, D. Fairchild; Silverman, Helaine (2009). Intangible Heritage Embodied. Springer. pp. 91–93, 96–97. ISBN 9781441900715 . Retrieved 23 September 2012.

[2] "List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of Gujarat". Archaeological Survey of India . Retrieved 18 November 2016.

[Bombay1879-3] Bombay (India: State) (1879). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Kaira and Panch Maháls (Public domain ed.). Government Central Press. pp. 308–. Retrieved 29 September 2012.

[Singh2009-4] 1 2 3 4 5 Sarina Singh (1 September 2009). India. LP. pp. 742–. ISBN 978-1-74179-151-8 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.

[Fact-5] "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Fact Sheet". United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 24 September 2012.

[Advisory-6] 1 2 "Advisory Body Evaluation, Champaner-Pavagadh (India) No 1101" (PDF). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. pp. 26–29. Retrieved 24 September 2012.

[FOOTNOTEBombay1879304–309-7] 1 2 Bombay 1879, pp. 304–309.

[CircleDept1897-8] Bombay India General Dept (1897). Archaeology, Progress Report. Bombay: Archaeological Survey of India. Western Circle. p. 8. Retrieved 1 October 2012.

[Travel-9] 1 2 Travel, D. K. (7 September 2017). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide India. Dorling Kindersley Limited. ISBN 978-0-241-32624-4.

[Desai2007-10] 1 2 Desai, Anjali H. (2007). India Guide Gujarat. India Guide Publications. pp. 178–. ISBN 978-0-9789517-0-2 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.

[Central-11] 1 2 "Champaner: Central mehrab in the Jama mosque". Onlinegallery, British Library, UK. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2012.

[Rough2011-12] 1 2 3 The Rough Guide to India. Penguin. 20 January 2011. pp. 1225–. ISBN 978-1-4053-8849-8 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.

[World-13] "Champaner-Pavagadh". Worldheritagesite.org. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.

[Burton-PageMichell2008-14] Burton-Page, John; Michell, George (2008). Indian Islamic Architecture: Forms and Typologies, Sites and Monuments. BRILL. pp. 111–. ISBN 978-90-04-16339-3 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.

[Patel2002-15] Patel, Geeta (31 January 2002). Lyrical Movements, Historical Hauntings: On Gender, Colonialism, and Desire in Miraji's Urdu Poetry. Stanford University Press. pp. 38–. ISBN 978-0-8047-3329-8 . Retrieved 29 September 2012.

[16] "Dilwara Temples", Wikipedia, 1 September 2020, retrieved 12 September 2020

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