The Madina Mosque ( ar, مسجد المدينة شيلونغ) is a four-storeyed

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It took one and a half years to complete and is the only glass mosque in India. It serves

Meghalaya Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and J ...

's largest Muslim community, the Sunni Muslims. Combined with the adjoining Meherba Orphanage, Islamic Library & Information Centre, and Islamic Theological Institute Markaz, it is one of the largest mosques in

Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

, and the biggest in

, accommodating more than 2,000 worshippers for congregational prayers. The mosque was opened by the General Secretary of the Shillong Muslim Union Sayeedullah Nongrum and was inaugurated by

Salman Khurshid Salman Khurshid Alam Khan (born 1 January 1953) is an Indian politician, designated senior advocate, eminent author and a law teacher. He was the Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs. He belongs to the Indian National Congress. ...

, Shamim Akhtar and

Vincent Pala Vincent H Pala (born 14 February 1968) is an Indian politician, belonging to Indian National Congress. In the 2019 election he was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from the Shillong Lok Sabha constituency. Early life and personal life Vincent ...

Structure

The Madina Mosque is a large, multi-domed structure, with a central prayer hall and several smaller prayer rooms and courtyards. The mosque is constructed of brick and concrete, with decorative elements such as arched windows and intricate carvings. The exterior of the mosque is painted in a traditional white and green color scheme, and the central dome is adorned with gold-colored trim. The Mosque is 121 feet high and 61 feet wide. The four storied structure of the religious place also has an orphanage, a library, and an Islamic theological institute. The mosque and the adjoining Idgah has capacity to accommodate 8000 people for an assembly or prayer. The highest number of people, who contributed to the construction of mosque were Christians and Hindus. The Mosque also has a large garden with several plants. Over the years, it has acquired increasing significance in the world as a center for Islamic study and spirituality.

Women in the mosque

Madina Masjid has a capacity of around 2,000 people and has separate space for women to offer prayers.

Prayer

This mosque is a venue of celebration during festivals of Eid al-Fitr and

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's com ...

, by the local Muslim community. There are rickshaws available at the main Ponda bus stand which can take you to the site of the Safa Masjid. A lot of devotees celebrate their festivals here with due solemnity and are often seen rejoicing.

References

Mosques in Meghalaya Buildings and structures in Meghalaya Mosques completed in 2012 Glass buildings {{India-mosque-stub