Alamgir Mosque

The Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi, also known as Beni Madhav ka Darera and Aurangzeb's Mosque, is a mosque built in the 17th century by Mughal king Aurangzeb in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.[1][2][3]

Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi Aurangzeb's Mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusFunctional
Location
LocationVaranasi, India 25.31 N 83.01 E
StateUttar Pradesh
Location in Uttar Pradesh, India
Geographic coordinates25.311°N 83.01°E / 25.311; 83.01
Architecture
FounderAurangzeb

Location

The mosque is located at a prominent site above the Panchganga Ghat. The ghat has broad steps that go down to the Ganges.[4]

Aurangzeb built a mosque 1669[5] and named it as Alamagir Mosque in the name of his own honorific title "Alamgir", which he had adopted after becoming the emperor of the Mughal empire.[6][7] Non-Muslims are allowed to enter the mosque.

Features

Aurangzeb Mosque or Alamgir Mosque

The mosque is architecturally a blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture.[6] The mosque has high domes and minarets.[8][7] Two of its minarets were damaged; one minaret collapsed killing a few people and the other was officially brought down owing to stability concerns.[7] The Panchaganga Ghat where the mosque is situated is where five streams are said to join. In October lamps are lighted on top of a bamboo staff as a mark of guidance to the ancestors.[8]

Interior view

References

  1. Gupta 1987, p. 38.
  2. Crowther, Raj & Wheeler 1984.
  3. "Alamgir Mosque – Lost Vishnu Temple Of Varanasi". Varanasi Guru. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  4. Hussain 1999, p. 70.
  5. Dunlop, Sykes & Jackson 2001, p. 135.
  6. Kumar 2003, p. 90.
  7. Betts & McCulloch 2013, p. 213.
  8. Shetty 2014, p. 73.

Bibliography

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.