Sylhet Shahi Eidgah ( bn, সিলেট শাহী ঈদগাহ), or simply Shahi Eidgah, is an open prayer hall situated in
Sylhet
Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
, north-east
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
, three kilometers to the north-east of the circuit house, meant for the
Eid prayers
Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid ( ar, صلاة العيد), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with ...
. It was built during the rule of Mughal Sultan Sarfaraz Khan. More than 100,000 people can perform prayer at same time in this
eidgah
Eidgah or Idgah, also Eid Gah or Id Gah ( fa, "site of Eid bservances; bn, ঈদগাহ; pnb, ; ur, ; hi, ईदगाह) is a term used in South Asian Islamic culture for the open-air enclosure usually outside the city (or at th ...
. It is also one of the most visited tourist spots in the city. Recently, the gates were rebuilt to ensure safety and security. As well as for prayer uses and Islamic congregations, the eidgah has historically been a place to give speeches and host rallies by the likes of
Mohandas Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
and
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...
. There have also been battles taken place there such as the
Muharram Rebellion
The Muharram Rebellion ( bn, মুহররমের হাঙ্গামা, Muhôrrômer Haṅgama) was a Bengali uprising which took place in early December 1782 against the East India Company in colonial Sylhet, eastern Bengal (now Bangla ...
.
History
![Night View of Sylhet Shahi Eidgah](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Night_View_of_Sylhet_Shahi_Eidgah.jpg)
During the rule of Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
,
Farhad Khan
Farhād Khān ( fa, , bn, ফরহাদ খাঁ), also known as Nizam-e-Zamanah ( bn, নিজাম-ই-জমানা) or Nizam-e-Zaman ( fa, ), was a Mughal military strategist who had many positions throughout his life. He was the m ...
was appointed as the
faujdar
Faujdar is a term of pre-Mughal origins. Under the Mughals it was an office that combined the functions of a military commander along with judicial and land revenue functions.
In pre-Mughal times, the term referred to a military officer but d ...
of Sylhet. Farhad Khan supervised the construction of the Shahi Eidgah on a hill in the 17th century. On 16 December 1782 (10
Muharram
Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after R ...
1197), the Pirzada of Sylhet two religious leaders, Syed Muhammad Hadi and Syed Muhammad Mahdi (known locally as Hada Miah & Mada Miah), led the first uprising against the British opposition in these grounds. The two brothers marched with their followers to the grounds with the main purpose for a
tazia
Ta'zieh ( ar, تعزية; fa, تعزیه; ur, ) means comfort, condolence, or expression of grief. It comes from roots ''aza'' (عزو and عزى) which means mourning.
Depending on the region, time, occasion, religion, etc. the word can sig ...
procession,
but to also do a sudden attack against the British. However,
Robert Lindsay, the colonial supervisor of
the district
''The District'' is an American crime drama and police procedural television series which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000, to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s police department.
Pre ...
, was already made aware of this and came armed with contingents forcing the rebels to surrender.
The rebels declined and revolted and a short battle took place in the grounds. In the aftermath, the leader of the rebels died with Hadi and the Pirzada being shot dead by Lindsay himself. The incident, known as the
1782 Sylhet uprising, was also mentioned in Lindsay's diary while he was going back to Europe.
Mohandas Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
gave a speech in these grounds as part of his
non-cooperation movement
The Non-cooperation movement was a political campaign launched on 4 September 1920, by Mahatma Gandhi to have Indians revoke their cooperation from the British government, with the aim of persuading them to grant self-governance. , and many other politicians followed after as the years went by such as
Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mono ...
,
Mohammad Ali Jauhar
Muhammad Ali Jauhar (10 December 1878 – 4 January 1931), was an British Raj, Indian Muslim activist, prominent member of the All-India Muslim League, journalist and a poet, a leading figure of the Khilafat Movement and one of the founders of J ...
,
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy ( bn, হোসেন শহীদ সোহ্রাওয়ার্দী; ur, ; 8 September 18925 December 1963) was a Bengali barrister and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 t ...
and
A. K. Fazlul Huq.
Architecture and design
Although designed like a grand Mughal fort, it is actually meant for
Eid prayers
Eid prayers, also referred to as Salat al-Eid ( ar, صلاة العيد), are holy holiday prayers in the Islamic tradition. The literal translation of the word "Eid" in Arabic is "festival" or "feast" and is a time when Muslims congregate with ...
. There are 3 gates to enter through and 15 domes. Through the large gate, there is a large pond, known locally as "fukoir" or "fukri", which is designated as a
wudu khana. The ground contains a large
mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
in the center of the wall, with other smaller
mihrab
Mihrab ( ar, محراب, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "qibla w ...
s scattered throughout. Around the borders of the eidgah are also many half-domed
minar
A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گلدسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
s.
See also
*
Sylhet District
Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট), located in north-east Bangladesh, is the divisional capital and one of the four districts in the Sylhet Division.
History
Sylhet district was established on 3 January 1782, and until 1878 it was part of Bengal Pro ...
References
Mosques in Bangladesh
Eidgahs
Buildings and structures in Sylhet
{{Bangladesh-mosque-stub