New Delhi: Jama Masjid in Delhi is one of the most significant architectural wonders in India. The centuries-old mosque is an exquisite piece of Mughal art with unmatched intricacy in its carvings, along with a rich cultural and political significance. Many, however, are oblivious to its importance and contribution to India's freedom struggle.
According to historians, Jama Masjid provided refuge to many revolutionaries of the Indian freedom struggle who were fighting the British colonial rule. The mosque, as such, was forcibly closed for a very long time as it became the centre of the Indian revolution.
"In 1857, the Indian soldiers fighting the British rule had taken refuge in this mosque while they were at war with the East India Company. Many of the protests organised against the British were held here. Enraged, the British Army later seized the mosque and no one was allowed to offer prayers in it until 1862," noted historian Rana Safvi told ETV Bharat.
Apart from contributing to India's revolutionary spirit in the British era, Jama Masjid was also a centre of importance for those against the partition of India. As the clouds of partition loomed over the country and Muslims were caught in a politically pivotal dilemma, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad delivered an indelible speech from the premises of the mosque.
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Through his speech, Safvi said, Azad had advised the Muslims not to leave the country assuring them the course of Indian politics had changed and that there was no place for Muslim League in India. "I assure you that no one would benefit you other than yourself," Azad had said as he beseeched people to stay put in India.
"In October 1947, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had given a historic speech at the Jama Masjid's premises, wherein he reminded the Indian Muslims of their contribution and sacrifices in the freedom struggle of India. He had urged them to stay back in India. He reminded them of the Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) that Allah has made the whole world a mosque," Safvi said.
Another revolutionary anecdote with roots in Jama Masjid is when a non-Muslim, Swami Shraddhanand Saraswati had given the message of Hindu-Muslim unity from the stairs of the mosque.
The year was 1922, a crucial time for the socio-political dynamics of India as the foundation of the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood in the country had started to shake. His speech was perhaps one of the most spectacular ones in the history of India, where a saffron-clad Hindu Pandit was preaching the essence of Hindu-Muslim unity from the stairs of Jama Masjid. History is witness to how a Hindu saint delivered Vedic Mantras to preach Hindu-Muslim unity from the stairs of this magnificent mosque.
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"Clad in saffron clothes, Swami Shraddhanand Saraswati stood on the stairs of Jama Masjid telling people that the only way forward for the Hindus and Muslims was to unite against the British. As he delivered his speech, the place was abuzz with slogans of Hindu-Muslim unity. There was a point when he was chanting Vedic mantras, and the people in the audience were responding with 'Aameen'," Safvi said.
Even today, Jama Masjid holds equal importance in defining and holding together India's true cultural and secular fabric. As India enters its 75th year of independence, the significance of this magnificent mosque remains intact.
The mosque was built by the Mughals in 1656. Since then, it has been strengthening the idea of brotherhood and harmony in India. Jama Masjid is remembered as a representative of the country's strong cultural and revolutionary fabric, having played a key part in keeping its integration intact.
Jama Masjid exhibits a variety of artforms in its carvings and designs, that seem to have evolved over a period of time. The aesthetics attached to the period of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan are also vividly reflected in the architecture here. The entire mosque is constructed with red sandstone and white marble. The black stripes on the three marble domes are conspicuous enough to be spotted from a distance. High-rise arches on 260 pillars and the 15 marble domes add to its quintessential Mughal style of architecture.
The main spot of worship in the mosque is situated on its western side. The complex of minarets on its southern side is 1,076 square feet wide. Spread across an area 65 meters long and 35 meters wide, the mosque can accommodate as many as 25,000 people at a time. With four entrances, four pillars and two minarets, it has a courtyard spread across an area of 100 square meters. According to historians, Shah Jahan had built this mosque at a cost of Rs 10 crore, and 5,000 artisans were engaged in its construction.
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