mosques
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, i ...
in the city of
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
(earlier known as Calcutta), in
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 ...
.
Kolkata is the capital city of West Bengal, a state in the eastern part of India. The city is more than 300 years old (as Kolkata) and was the capital of British India till early 1911. Kolkata hosts many churches, temples and mosques, along with other religious places. Muslims have been settling in Calcutta since the early 19th century, but the pace was accelerated from the 1860s onwards, mainly due to the harsh economic conditions in
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
and the
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1921; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces (UP), by which the province had been ...
.
There are nearly 450 mosques (known as ''masjid'' in
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
) in Kolkata (from Ward 1 to Ward 141). Density is highest in the wards in the central part of the city, where the density of the Muslim population is higher. ''The most famous is the::''
# Basri Shah Mosque, on 8 Sett Pukur Road, which was built in 1804. It is the oldest mosque of Kolkata.
#
Nakhoda Masjid
The Nakhoda Musjid is the principal mosque of Kolkata, India, in the Chitpur area of the Burrabazar business district in Central Kolkata, at the intersection of Zakaria Street and Rabindra Sarani.
Construction
The mosque was built as an imita ...
, on Zakariya Street and Rabindra Sarani crossing near
Burrabazar
Burrabazar (also spelt ''Bara Bazar'') is a neighbourhood of Central-North Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Bazar Kolkata
In between Sutanuti haat made way for Bazar Kolkata, some time in the 18th century. The ...
, which was built in 1926. There are many beautiful and old mosques. ''Other famous and large mosques in Kolkata include the''
#
Tipu Sultan Mosque
The Tipu Sultan Shahi Mosque (also known as Tipu Sultan Masjid) is a famous mosque in Kolkata, India named after Tipu Sultan the ruler of Mysore. Located at 185 Dharamtalla Street, the mosque is a relic of architectural and cultural heritage ...
; the
# Rajabazar Barri Masjid; the
#Colootolla Chhoti Masjid; the
#Ahl-e-Hadees Masjid on Marquis Lane near Alimuddin Street; the
#Habib-ul-Masaajid on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, the
#Masjid-e-Mohammadi in
Park Circus
Park Circus is a neighbourhood of Central-South Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India.
Geography Police district
Karaya police station is in the South-east division of Kolkata Police.
Karaya Women police station, at the same a ...
; the
#Jumma Masjid in Mullickbazar, the
#Lal Masjid in Colootolla; and the
#Karbala Masjid in
Metiabruz
Garden Reach is a neighbourhood of the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. It is situated in the south-western part of Kolkata near the bank of the Hooghly River.
, which is Shia in orientation, while the rest all follow the Sunni faith.
#Two Haqqani Masjid of
Murshid
''Murshid'' ( ar, مرشد) is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher", derived from the root ''r-sh-d'', with the basic meaning of having integrity, being sensible, mature. Particularly in Sufism it refers to a spiritual guide. The term is frequently use ...
Maniktala
Maniktala is a residential area of North Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India.
Etymology
The tomb of Manik Pir is located in lane near Maniktala crossing. Some people say, the neighbourhood is named after Manik Pir.
Others say, M ...
where after every Nama ''Haqqani Wazifa'' is being read together with in community of all Namajee.
#Ahmadiyya Masjid on New Park Street in
Park Circus
Park Circus is a neighbourhood of Central-South Kolkata, in Kolkata district, West Bengal, India.
Geography Police district
Karaya police station is in the South-east division of Kolkata Police.
Karaya Women police station, at the same a ...
.
Like all growing cities, space is a problem in Kolkata. To accommodate the growing population, most of the mosques are expanding vertically. The structures are also getting changed from old style to new style, and the way of construction is changing.
In 1942, the last mosque was built in Kolkata (in
Entally
Entally (also spelt Entali) is a neighbourhood of Central Kolkata, in Kolkata district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It was considered close to the area which was home to the poor and the depressed castes.Nair, P. Thankappan in ''The Growt ...