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Jama Masjid Ahmedabad

The city of Ahmedabad is adorned with the beautiful mosque famous as the name Jama Masjid or also sometimes referred to as Friday Mosque. The mosque was construted during the ruling period of Ahmed Shah in the year 1424.The mosque is the part of old Ahmedabad and is located in the eastern direction of the famous Teen Darwaza just opposite to the Mahatma Gandhi Road.The architecture of Jama Masjid is remarkable.

The mosque houses the entombment of Sultan Ahmed Shah, Ahmed Shah 1, his son Mohammed Shah and his grandson Qutub-Ud-Din Ahmed Shah II. These entombments can be seen closer to the gate that is on the eastern side of the mosque. The material used for the construction of the mosque has been of excellent quality since the mosque has survived the drastic changes in the environmental condition.

The visit to the mosque is indubitably must when one visits the city of Ahmedabad.

History and Importance

It is the largest mosque that is part of the Indian subcontinent of the period when it was constructed. The architectural design of the mosque is very unique as it has its entrance from three different directions.

In the western direction of the mosque is located the entombments of Sultan Ahmed Shah and his son and grandson. The other entombments located in the mosque are of the queen and the wives of the sultans and are called as Rani Ka Hazira.

The color of the stone used for building the mosque was yellow in color. There is a large rectangle shaped quad that is located in the middle of the mosque and the size of this quad is 75 meters in length and 66 meters in its width. The mosque has the arcade in three different directions while the fourth remaining side of the mosque has a hall where the prayers are offered.

Structure

The prayer hall that is part of mosque is constructed in rectangular shape and is roofed by four vaults. The architectural type of the mosque is Indo-Saracenic. The domes in the mosque are given various shaped like one of the domes is in the shape of lotus flower while the other seems like a hanging bell on the chain like structure very similar to the bells in any of the temple of Hindu community. The domes also reflect the architecture similar to the domes of the Jain temples. The quad is very spacious and the use of white marble in its construction gives it a magnificent look. The walkaways in the mosque are ornate with the calligraphy of the Arabic styles. A sacred tank in the middle of the mosque is filled with the holy water and it is considered to purify the sins. During the earthquake in the year 1819 the top of the two chief spires got destroyed while the lower parts of these spires are still intact. The roof of the main prayer hall stands on 260 stakes and has a total of 15 cupolas. Thus moving inside this prayer halls is a very different experience and speaks about the rich heritage of the era in which it was built. The prayer wall known as qibla is richly ornate. The middle openings have the carved stones that are located in the two pillars. The other two pillars got destroyed in the earthquake of 1957.

There are various engravings that were inscribed on the pillars of the mosque while the construction of the mosque on the date 4th January in the year 1424 by Sultan Ahmad Shah 1. This mosque initially was not opened for the general public only the Sultans and his family members were allowed to visit the mosque.

As seen in all the other religions the sacred sentiments of the devotees are taken acre of similarly the worshippers of the mosque are also treated respectfully by each other’s during the current times. The visitors from any community can worship in the mosque but are expected to maintain the decorum of the mosque. The devotees are expected to be silent during their worship, should practice meditation, shoes are not allowed inside vicinity of the mosque and no devotee should be disturbed by any other devotee during the prayer offerings in the mosque. The head of all the devotees should be covered and only the males are allowed to worship inside the mail hall. No women should ever go inside the main hall. This is considered as an offensive act.

How to Get Here

By Road

The Gujarat state has the most well connected road linkages to the other states in the country. The city of Ahmedabad also has the good network of roads that leads to the other cities in the state. The two major bus-stands in the city are the Gitamandir and Paldi. Both the state owned buses and the buses run by the private transports ply in the city of Ahmedabad form various locations.

By Rail

The closest rail line to reach Ahmedabad is the Kalupur railhead. This railway line is very well connected to all the major cities and states in the country. Taxi or local buses can be hired to reach the mosque.

By Air

The airport Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel of Ahmedabad is the nearest airport to reach here. This is an international airport where the flights both from domestic and international locations. The international flights from the locations like USA, UK, Singapore, Dubai and few of the other international location ply to this airport.