Nakhoda Mosque at Kolkata
Nakhoda Mosque is the main mosque in Kolkata which is located at the junction of Zakaria Street
Picture: collected
Nakhoda Mosque is the main mosque in Kolkata which is located at the junction of Zakaria Street and Rabindra Sarani in Central Kolkata's Posta, Barabazar area. There used to be a small mosque here. The present large mosque was built by a group of Sunni Muslims from the Kutch region of Gujarat called the Kutchi Memon Jamaat. Their leader was Abdur Rahim Osman. He donated the money to build this mosque. The construction of Nakhoda Mosque cost about 15 lakh rupees at that time. Abdur Rahim Osman was a famous sailor by profession. Nakhoda is a synonym for the sailor in Persian. From there the name of this shrine is 'Nakhoda Mosque'. The mosque was established on 11 September 1926 and the total cost of building the mosque at that time was Rs. 15,00,000 where 10,000 people can perform at the same time.The mosque with Its three domes and two minarets are 151 feet high from the ground including also 25 small minarets that are 100 feet to 118 feet high. The entrance to the mosque resembles the lofty gate of Fatehpur Sikri. Granite was brought from Tolpur during its construction. Inside the mosque, there is a gorgeous mix of fine ornaments and artistic imagination. It is also known as the 'Big Mosque' as it is the largest mosque in the metropolis. The two-storey attic of this shrine is so big that millions of people can gather here on these days. Every Friday a large number of worshipers gather here, about 10 to 15 thousand people pray together. It has been very popular since before partition. When Ramadan comes, the decoration of this mosque is worth seeing.
During Muharram, when a splendid Maziya comes out, Lots of people gathered to watch the game of sticks and the game of weapons. The attraction of shops around the mosque is not less. Musk perfume, sweet Jorda, embroidered prayer hats, Punjabi, sherwani, burqa, musical instruments - all kinds of Nosara are arranged. The main gate of the mosque was built following the lofty gate of Fatehpur Sikri with granite stone which was brought from Colour. Fatehpur Sikri, located in present-day Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, was built under the patronage of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Buland Darwaza is the main entrance of that Fatehpur Sikri town. Besides, the tomb of King Akbar in Sikandra in Sikandra also has a good effect on Nakhoda Mosque It is a beautiful architecture of Indo-Saracenic style made of red sandstone. The interior of the white stone mosque is reminiscent of the Taj Mahal. The mosque has a dome, two large minarets and 25 small minarets. Dazzling ornaments can be seen throughout the architecture. Not only for religious reasons but also because of the beauty and history of the mosque, many tourists come here.
Once it was one of the mosques of undivided India and Bengal. People used to come here from far and wide. People of all religions used to come to see this mosque not only for prayers. Today its current location is in North Kolkata. Still, the mosque is not only a religious place, but also one of the major tourist attractions. Perfumes made from deer musk are found all over Calcutta. The big market of sweet Jordan starts from here. However, there is a fear of being cheated if you buy these without knowing it. There is also a big market for embroidered prayer hats from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey. Wholesale markets of domestic and foreign Punjabis, sherwani, burqa and lungi are also in that area of North Kolkata. Not only clothes but also the biggest music market in Kolkata is here. As such, it can be said that thousands of buyers and sellers of tourists are going around the mosque every day without knowing it. And whoever is so organized, he will not decorate.
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Writer: Jamil been Abdul Gani
Reference: Wikipedia, anandabazar
