Jama Masjid, Jama Masjid Timings, Jama Masjid Entry Ticket, Jama Masjid Accommodation, Jama Masjid Guide, Jama Masjid Tour, History of Jama Masjid, Architecture of Jama Masjid, Facts of Jama Masjid, About Jama Masjid. What to do and don not at Jama Masjid. How to Reach Jama Masjid.
About Jama Masjid
This great mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was begun in 1644 and ended up being the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.
A beautiful pocket of calm at the heart of Old Delhi’s mayhem, India’s largest mosque is built on a 10m elevation, towering above the surrounding hubbub. It can hold a mind-blowing 25,000 people. The marble and red-sandstone ‘Friday Mosque’ was Shah Jahan’s final architectural triumph, built between 1644 and 1658. The four watchtowers were used for security. There are two minarets standing 40m high, one of which can be climbed for amazing views. All of the three gates allow access to the mosque.
The highly decorative mosque has three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. Travellers can hire robes at the northern gate. This may be the only time you get to dress like a local without feeling like an outsider so make the most of it.
The main prayer hall of the Jama Masjid is topped with three white bulbous domes and the entrance is adorned with high rising arches which cover the mihrab (an alcove in the wall which indicates the direction of prayer). A pool in the centre of the mosque is used by the faithful for ablutions before prayer.
The Jama Masjid is flanked by slim red and white minarets on all four sides which reach high into the sky. In the north east corner of the mosque is a small shrine which houses relics of Prophet Muhammad, such as a red hair from his beard, his sandals and his footprint imprinted on a marble slab.
Construction Started : 1644
Construction Completed : 1656
Cost of Construction : 1 million rupees
Who Built It : Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Maintained By : Delhi Waqf Board
Where is it Located : Delhi, India
Structure Type : Mosque
Dimensions : 80m in length; 27m in width; 41m in its highest point
Materials Used : Red Sandstone, Marble
Architectural Style : Islamic
Architect : Ustad Khalil
Capacity : 25,000
History of Jama Masjid
Following the death of his wife, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi and founded the walled city of Shahajahanabad. It remained the capital of the Mughals succeeding him and evolved to what we now know as Old Delhi. The Jama Masjid was commissioned to be the central mosque of the new city. Built by more than 5000 artisans under the supervision of Wazir Saadullah Khan, the mosque designed by architect Ustad Khalil, took 6 years to be completed. The mosque was inaugurated by Sayed Abdul Ghafoor Shah BukhariI, a mullah from Bukhara (now Uzbekistan), on 23 July 1656, on the invitation from Shah Jahan, whom he bequeathed the title Shahi Imam and appointed to the high office of Imamat-e-Uzma. The cost to build the mosque came to a whopping 1 million rupees at the time.The mosque houses several relics of Islamic religious significance like an age old transcript of the Quran printed on deer skin, the footmarks, sandals, and a red beard-hair of the Holy Prophet Mohammad.
Architecture and Facts
Three flights of steps, all built of red sandstone, enter the courtyard of the mosque from the east, north and south. The northern gate of the mosque has thirty nine steps. The southern side of the mosque has thirty three steps. The eastern gate of the mosque, serving as the royal entrance, has thirty five steps. Goods stalls, shops and street entertainers lined those sets of stairs. The eastern side of the mosque converted into a bazaar for poultry and birds during the evenings. Prior to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (which many Indian historians call the “The 1857 War of Independence”), a madrassah stood near the southern side of the mosque. After the mutiny, the British destroyed it.
Jama Masjid was the result of the efforts of over 5,000 workers, over a period of six years.[1][2] The cost incurred on the construction in those times amounted to ten lakh (1 million) Rupees. Shah Jahan built several important mosques in Delhi, Agra, Ajmer, and Lahore. Its majesty is further enhanced because of the high ground that he selected for building this mosque. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid of Lahore built by Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb in 1673 is closely related to the Jama Masjid in Delhi.
Among other notable features are the three entrance gates (Eastern, Northern and Southern Gate) and two tall minarets (precisely 40 metres high) – the minarets were done in strips of red sandstone (a regular raw material in the construction of many famed Mughal monuments) and white marble, adorned by winding steps and cupola at the top for a panoramic view of the city. The main courtyard has an ablution tank made of marble where the devotees wash themselves before settling for the prayers and because time is very important for offering Namaz so there are two sun dials in the courtyard for the purpose of indicating prayer time.
Three flights of steps, all built of red sandstone, enter the courtyard of the mosque from the east, north and south. The northern gate of the mosque has thirty nine steps. The southern side of the mosque has thirty three steps. The eastern gate of the mosque, serving as the royal entrance, has thirty five steps. Goods stalls, shops and street entertainers lined those sets of stairs. The eastern side of the mosque converted into a bazaar for poultry and birds during the evenings. Prior to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (which many Indian historians call the “The 1857 War of Independence”), a madrassah stood near the southern side of the mosque. After the mutiny, the British destroyed it.
The mosque stands on a platform approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) from the pavement of the terrace, three flights of steps leading to the interior of the mosque from the east, north, and the south. Covered with white and black marble ornamented to imitate the Muslim prayer mat, Jama Masjid has a thin black marble border marked for the worshipers, 3 feet (0.91 m) long and 1.5 feet (0.46 m) wide. 899 such spaces have been created in the floor of the mosque.
What to do and don not
Visitors should remove their shoes at the top of the stairs.
Timings and Entry Ticket
Summer – 7 AM to an hour before sunset.
Winter – 8 AM to an hour before sunset.
Jama Masjid is closed for half an hour in the afternoon for prayers.
Entry is free and open for all, though a fee of Rs.200 is charged for cameras.
Please remember to dress modestly while visiting the Jama Masjid, no shorts, short skirts or sleeveless tops are allowed. Visitors and worshippers are required to remove their shoes at the entrance.
Address
Meena Bazaar, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Delhi 110006
How to Reach
Walking distance from Old Delhi Railway station and ISBT Kashmere Gate. Chawri Bazaar is the nearest Metro Station – 500m away. AC and non-AC buses connect Jama Masjid to the entire Old and New Delhi. Autos and taxis can also be availed to reach here.
Accommodation
Delhi is one of the India’s busiest entry points. It has a wide range of accommodation available from deluxe five star luxury hotels, with top-notch restaurants, 24-hour coffee shops, swimming pools, travel agents and shopping arcades, to middle-range hotels and guest houses offering good services and a comfortable stay, down to economical tourist lodges. There are a few Tourist Hostels, Working women’s Hostels, Service Apartments, Camping Sites and Dharmashalas as well.
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