The Alamgir Mosque or Aurangzeb's Mosque (Hindi: आलमगीर मस्जिद) is a mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.[1][2]
| Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi Aurangzeb's Mosque आलमगीर मस्जिद | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Functional |
| Location | |
| Location | Varanasi, India |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
  Location in Uttar Pradesh, India | |
| Geographic coordinates | 25°18′55″N 83°01′04″E / 25.31534°N 83.01781°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Aurangzeb |
Location
editThe mosque is located at a prominent site above the Panchaganga Ghat. The ghat has broad steps that go down to the Ganges.[3]
Aurangzeb conquered Varanasi in 1669 and destroyed the bindu madhav temple in 1673 and built the Alamgir mosque on the ruins of the shiva temple of krittivaseshwara situated in Daranagar, the heart of varanasi[2] and named it Alamagir Mosque, in the name of his own honoury title "Alamgir", which he had adopted after becoming the emperor of the Mughal empire.[4]
The minarets could not withstand the test of time and in the 19th century, an English scholar James Prinsep had to restore them. In 1948 one of the minarets collapsed killing a few people around the time of the floods. Later the government pulled down the other minaret due to security reasons.[5][6]
Features
edit
The mosque is architecturally a blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture.[5] The mosque has high domes and minarets.[7][6] Two of its minarets were damaged; one minaret collapsed killing a few people and the other was officially brought down owing to stability concerns.[6] 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.[7]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ Crowther, Raj & Wheeler 1984.
- ^ a b "Alamgir Mosque – Lost Vishnu Temple Of Varanasi". Varanasi Guru. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ Hussain 1999, p. 70.
- ^ Davenport Adams, W. H. (1888). India Pictorial and Descriptive. T. Nelson and Sons. p. 138.
- ^ a b Kumar 2003, p. 90.
- ^ a b c Betts & McCulloch 2013, p. 213.
- ^ a b Shetty 2014, p. 73.
Bibliography
edit- Betts, Vanessa; McCulloch, Victoria (27 September 2013). India – The North: Forts, Palaces, the Himalaya Dream Trip. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-907263-74-3.
- Crowther, Geoff; Raj, Prakash A.; Wheeler, Tony (1984). India, a Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet.
- Dunlop, Fiona; Sykes, Carol; Jackson, Felicity (2001). Fodor's Exploring India. Fodor's Travel Publications. ISBN 978-0-679-00707-4.
- Hussain, Ansar (1 January 1999). Rediscovery of India, The: A New Subcontinent. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-1595-6.
- Kumar, Brajesh (2003). Pilgrimage Centres of India. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7182-185-3.
- Shetty, Rekha (1 May 2014). Innovation Sutra: The Secret of Good Business and a Good Life. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-93-5118-696-0.
Further reading
edit- Vit-Suzan, Dr Ilan (28 March 2014). Architectural Heritage Revisited: A Holistic Engagement of its Tangible and Intangible Constituents. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4724-2064-0.
