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Atala Masjid

Atala Masjid, a beautiful and serene mosque is located in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur area.  The most attention grabbing feature of this mosque is its unique style of architecture. It does not look like the other mosques in the country. It has a striking style of Hindu architectural style, as it was built on the site of the Hindu temple dedicated to Atala Devi. Many people believe that the mosque got its name from this temple. Jaunpur belonged to the Delhi Sultanate till the 14th century. After this, it came under the control of Mohammad Tughluq. Under his governance, Jaunpur was considered as one of the religious and cultural hubs of Uttar Pradesh. Many monuments, mosques and structures of architectural importance were conducted in the district during the latter part of 14th century and the Atala Masjid was one of them.  This mosque was built according to the Islamic and Sharqi architectural styles. Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh is located at a distance of 214km and Mirzapur is located at a distance of 69km from Atala Masjid.

History

It was during 1408 that the construction of Atala Masjid was completed by Sultan Ibrahim. However the idea for this mosque was conceptualised during 1377 itself as the foundation for this structure was laid during this time by Tughluq Sultan Firuz Shah III who ruled here from 1351 to 1388. It is believed that this mosque was constructed using the same raw materials that were used for constructing the Atala Devi and other Hindu temples in this area. This mosque was considered quite special and sacred, because it was the first mosque to be built on the soils of Free Jaunpur that had just then gained independence from Delhi.

Architecture

While the Atala Masjid resembles Hindu temples, it is also heavily influenced by the Begampur Masjid in Delhi. The architectural style of the Atala Masjid bears a striking resemblance to the monuments built by the rulers belonging to the Delhi Sultanate’s Tughlaq dynasty, Muhammad Shah Tughlaq and Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Some of the symbolic structure that are found in the Delhi Sultante structures like walls in an inclining fashion, beams, pillars and tombs are found in the Atala Masjid as well.
The Atala Masjid has a huge and sprawling portico in the central area. The main room where prayers are held is located inside this portico. This prayer room is massive in size and there are three domes in this Atala Masjid. All these three are totally different from each other. The mihrab of the prayer hall indicates the director of the most sacred place of Muslims, Mecca. The prayer room and the corridor that runs across two floors are intricately carved with lots of decorations and elegant patterns.
The mosque is in the shape of a square and is marked by huge pylons in the shape of a rectangle. The entrance of the temple is marked by elegant brackets that are usually seen in the Hindu temples. There is a huge arch that connects these two pylons. On both the sides of the main pylon, there are two smaller pylons that are exactly similar to each other. At the northern, southern and eastern Liwans, there are three gateways. 

Current Status

The Atala Masjid is recognised as a monument of National Importance by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). The mosque attracts many tourists all through the year due to its unique and eye-catching architectural design. Prayers are conducted every day here. On Friday, special prayers that are conducted here, see hundreds of devotees participating in the same. The mosque is open for devotees from 7.30 in the morning till 8 in the night.  The courtyard that is located in the middle of the mosque also houses a Madrasa, which is an Islamic High School where Muslim children learn the history and culture of the Islam religion.

How to Reach

By Air

There are two airports that are quite close to Jaunpur. They are the Varanasi airport, which is located at a distance of 50km away and the Bamrauli airport, which is located at a distance of 93km away. These are domestic airports and connect Jaunpur very well with rest of the major cities in the country.

By Rail

Jaunpur has a railway junction that connects this place with almost all the big railway junctions in the country like Delhi, Allahabad, Varanasi and others.

By Road

Government and private sector buses are available round the clock for the benefit of tourists coming here during the wee hours of the night. These buses are available from Delhi, Allahabad, Varanasi and the capital city of Lucknow.

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