Moorish Mosque, Kapurthala

Last updated

Moorish Mosque
Moorish Mosque.JPG
The mosque, in 2013
Religion
Affiliation Islam
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Mosque
Leadership Maharajah Jagatjit Singh
StatusActive
Location
Location Kapurthala, Punjab
Country India
India Punjab relief map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mosque in Punjab, India
Geographic coordinates 31°22′08″N75°22′52″E / 31.369°N 75.381°E / 31.369; 75.381
Architecture
Architect(s) Monsieur Maurice Mantout
Type Mosque architecture
Style
Founder Maharajah Jagatjit Singh
Groundbreaking1927
Completed1930
Construction costRs 600,000
Specifications
Minaret(s)One (square)
Minaret heightc.40 m (130 ft)
Materials Marble

The Moorish Mosque is a mosque located in Kapurthala in the state of Punjab, India. Commissioned by Maharajah Jagatjit Singh, the last ruler of Kapurthala, [1] the mosque was completed in 1930 in a fusion of Indo-Islamic and Moorish Revival styles, patterned on the lines of the Grand Mosque of Marrakesh, Morocco.[ citation needed ] At the time of its completion, Kapurthala city was the capital city of the Kapurthala State, known as 'Mini Paris of Punjab' and the mosque was stated to be one of the best in South-east Asia. [2] The mosque is a monument protected by the Punjab State Department of Archaeology.

Contents

Location

The mosque is situated in Kapurthala about 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Jalandhar. Kapurthala is also the nearest rail head to the mosque.

History

The mosque was built by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, the last ruler of Kapurthala. He was ruler with extravagant tastes but known for the developmental activities implemented in the then Kapurthala State. He was renowned for his secular credentials. [3] [4] The Maharaja, a Sikh, who built it, believed in catering to the aspirations of his largely Muslim subjects (about 60%). [5] The mosque was his ambitious effort to promote social integration among his people, and this is proved by the fact that when the then Viceroy of India sent him a letter questioning him on the large costs involved in building it, the Maharaja replied: "Your Excellency may be unaware that 60 per cent of my population comprises of my loyal Muslim subjects. It is only in the fitness of things that the best place of worship in my state be constructed for them". [6]

The mosque was built to the architectural design of the French architect Monsieur M. Manteaux, who had also designed the Jagatjit Palace in the city. [7] Construction was started in 1927 and completed in 1930 and built at a cost of Rs 600,000. The mosque was inaugurated by Nawab Sadeq Mohammad Khan V, the Nawab of Bhawalpur. [3] An inscription on the mosque also states that it was built in a period of four years. [5]

Features

The facade of the mosque Moorish Mosque Facade.JPG
The façade of the mosque

The mosque's architectural design is a replication of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh in Morocco. The artwork of the inner dome is attributed to the artists of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore.[ citation needed ] Architecturally the mosque is very elegant and is built with marble stones. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that unlike most other mosques in India, there are no external domes. There is a c.40-metre-tall (130 ft) square tower, or minaret, located at one end of the edifice. [5] The mosque's inner courtyard is paved entirely with marble, and has a unique design. [6]

Glass panes have been fitted in the arched sections of the doors, windows and other artistic feature. Wooden grills are provided in the interior while latticed iron work form the external features. The mosque is painted in light red colour. However, the doors and windows and eves are painted in green colour. Inside the mosque, the wooden ceiling is varnished in black and red colours. [2]

A model of the mosque was designed by Monsier Mantout and was exquisitely crafted in wood. This was presented to Mantout by the Maharaja on 14 March 1930. [8]

Restoration

In 1972, as part of the operation "city beautification" programme initiated by the state government at the suggestion of then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the mosque was cleaned up and a rose garden laid in its front lawn. [9] Further conservation work was completed in advance of a visit to the mosque by APJ Abdul Kalam, the President of India, in late 2013. The Archaeological Survey of India assessed the state of the mosque and, in November 2013, released a detailed project report that identified the required scope of restoration work. [10] Restoration and conservation work was completed between 2013 and 2017, funded by the Punjabi Government Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology & Museums. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lahore Fort</span> Citadel in Lahore, Pakistan

The Lahore Fort is a citadel in the walled interior of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of the Walled City and spreads over an area greater than 20 hectares. It contains 21 notable monuments, some of which date to the era of Emperor Akbar. The Lahore Fort is notable for having been almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, when the Mughal Empire was at the height of its splendor and opulence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Lahore</span> Overview of architecture in Lahore

The Architecture of Lahore reflects the history of Lahore and is remarkable for its variety and uniqueness. There are buildings left from the centuries of rule of the Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire, as well as from the era of the British Raj, whose style is a mixture of Victorian and Islamic architecture often referred to as Indo-Saracenic. In addition, there are newer buildings which are very modern in their design. Unlike the emphasis on functional architecture in the west, much of Lahore's architecture has always been about making a statement as much as anything else.

The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and victory tower comprising the Qutb complex, which lies at the site of Delhi's oldest fortified city, Lal Kot, founded by the Tomar Rajputs. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mehrauli area of South Delhi, India. It was mostly built between 1199 and 1220, contains 399 steps, and is one of the most-frequented heritage spots in the city. After defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, the last Hindu ruler of Delhi before the Ghurid conquest of the region,Qutab-ud-din Aibak initiated the construction of the victory tower, but only managed to finish the first level. It was to mark the beginning of Islamic rule in the region. Successive dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate continued the construction, and, in 1368, Firuz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt the top parts and added a cupola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patiala and East Punjab States Union</span> Former State of India

The Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was a state of India, uniting eight princely states between 1948 and 1956. The capital and principal city was Patiala. The state covered an area of 26,208 km2. Shimla, Kasauli, Kandaghat and Chail also became part of PEPSU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mughal architecture</span> 16th–18th-century Indo-Islamic architecture

Mughal architecture is the type of Indo-Islamic architecture developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the Indian subcontinent. It developed from the architectural styles of earlier Muslim dynasties in India and from Iranian and Central Asian architectural traditions, particularly Timurid architecture. It also further incorporated and syncretized influences from wider Indian architecture, especially during the reign of Akbar. Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character, including large bulbous domes, slender minarets at the corners, massive halls, large vaulted gateways, and delicate ornamentation; examples of the style can be found in modern-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

<i>Haveli</i> Traditional type of house in the Indian subcontinent

A haveli is a traditional townhouse, mansion, or manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word haveli is derived from Arabic hawali, meaning "partition" or "private space", popularised under the Mughal Empire, and was devoid of any architectural affiliations. Later, the word haveli came to be used as a generic term for various styles of regional mansions, manor houses, and townhouses found in the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kapurthala</span> City in Punjab, India

Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic architecture self-narrate its princely past. It is also known as city of Palaces & Gardens. According to the 2011 census, Kapurthala is the least populated city in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunehri Mosque, Lahore</span> Mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

The Sunehri Mosque, also known as the Talai Mosque, is a late Mughal architecture-era mosque in the Walled City of Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dai Anga Mosque</span> Mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Dai Anga Mosque is a mosque situated to southeast of the Lahore Railway Station, in the city of Lahore in Pakistan's Punjab province. The mosque is said to have been built in 1635 in honour of the wetnurse of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Dai Anga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majha</span> Region in the central parts of the historical Punjab region

Majha is a region located in the central parts of the historical Punjab region, presently split between the republics of Pakistan and India. It extends north from the right banks of the river Beas, and reaches as far north as left bank of the river Ravi, constituting upper half of the Bari Doab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalsa College, Amritsar</span> Higher education institution in Amritsar, India

Khalsa College is a historic educational institution in the northern Indian city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India. Founded in 1892, the sprawling 300-acre (1.2 km2) campus is located about eight kilometers from the city-center on the Amritsar-Lahore highway, adjoining Guru Nanak Dev University campus, to which Khalsa College is academically affiliated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagatjit Singh</span> Last ruling Maharaja of Kapurthala from 1877–1947

Colonel Maharajah Sir Jagatjit Singh Sahib Bahadur was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Kapurthala during the British Raj in India, from 1877 until his death, in 1949. He ascended to the throne of Kapurthala state on 16 October 1877 and assumed full ruling powers on 24 November 1890 as well indulging in traveling the world and being a Francophile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moorish architecture</span> Architectural style associated with the western Islamic world

Moorish architecture is a style within Islamic architecture which developed in the western Islamic world, including al-Andalus and what is now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Scholarly references on Islamic architecture often refer to this architectural tradition in terms such as architecture of the Islamic West or architecture of the Western Islamic lands. The use of the term "Moorish" comes from the historical Western European designation of the Muslim inhabitants of these regions as "Moors". Some references on Islamic art and architecture consider this term to be outdated or contested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikrama Singh</span>

Kanwar Sri Bikrama Singh Bahadur was a 19th-century Sikh leader.

Pakistani architecture is intertwined with the architecture of the broader Indian subcontinent. The major architectural styles popular in the past were Temple, Indo-Islamic, Mughal and Indo-Saracenic architecture, all of which have many regional varieties. With the beginning of the Indus civilization around the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, for the first time in the area which encompasses today's Pakistan an advanced urban culture developed with large structural facilities, some of which survive to this day. This was followed by the Gandhara style of Buddhist architecture that borrowed elements from Ancient Greece. These remnants are visible in the Gandhara capital of Taxila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kapurthala State</span> Princely state of India

Kapurthala State, was a kingdom and later Princely state of the Punjab Province of India. Ruled by Ahluwalia Sikh rulers, spread across 510 square miles (1,300 km2). According to the 1901 census the state had a population of 314,341 and contained two towns and 167 villages. In 1930, Kapurthala became part of the Punjab States Agency and acceded to the Union of India in 1947.

The NJSA Government College or Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Government College, also known as the Randhir College, is a college situated in Kapurthala, in Punjab. Established in 1856 by Maharaja Randir Singh in Kapurthala State as Sanskrit vidyalya, it has many historical buildings used for public services such as district courts, education, and health services. It was first college to be affiliated with the University of Calcutta. In 1857 Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Government College, and remained so 1882, when University of the Punjab was set up in Lahore. It is named after Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, the founder of Kapurthala State. It is now affiliated with Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badshahi Mosque</span> Mughal-era mosque in Lahore, Pakistan

The Badshahi Mosque is a Mughal-era imperial mosque located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was constructed between 1671 and 1673 during the rule of Aurangzeb, opposite of the Lahore Fort on the northern outskirts of the historic Walled City. It is widely considered to be one of the most iconic landmarks of the Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neevin Mosque</span> Mosque in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

The Neevin Mosque, or Neevin Masjid, is a 15th-century mosque built during the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. It is located in the ancient Walled City of Lahore, in Pakistan's Punjab province. It is notable for its foundation 25 feet below street level. The mosque is further noted for being one of Lahore's few remaining pre-Mughal monuments.

References

  1. "District Profile". Moorish Mosque. Official website of the District court, Government of Punjab. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 Proceedings Punjab History Conference. Publication Bureau, Punjabi University. 2007. p. 229. ISBN   9788130201467.
  3. 1 2 Discover Punjab. Parminder Singh Grover. p. 102. GGKEY:LDGC4W6XWEX.
  4. Arora, Anju (2001). The Princely States: British Paramountcy and Internal Administration, 1858-1948 : a Case Study of the Kapurthala State. National Book Organisation. p. 310. ISBN   978-81-87521-03-7.
  5. 1 2 3 Advance. Vol. 15. Public Relations Department, Punjab. 1968. p. 18.
  6. 1 2 Punjab Travel Guide. Good Earth. 2006. p. 90. ISBN   978-93-80262-17-8.
  7. "Tourism". Government of Punjab. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  8. Rehmani, Anjum (1994). Lahore Museum Heritage. Lahore Museum. p. 147.
  9. Kapoor (1972). Civic Affairs. P. C. Kapoor at the Citizen Press. p. 61.
  10. "New life for old Kapurthala buildings". Hindustan Times. 12 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  11. "Kapurthala Moorish Mosque". Projects. Abha Narain Lambah Associates. n.d. Retrieved 29 January 2025.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Moorish Mosque, Kapurthala at Wikimedia Commons