The Taj-ul-Masajid ( ar, , Tāj-ul-Masājid, lit=Crown of Mosques) or Tāj-ul-Masjid (), is a

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, ...

situated in

Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...

, Madhya Pradesh,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. It is the largest mosque in India and one of the largest mosques in the world.

History

The construction of the Taj-ul-Masajid was started by

Nawab Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian, Punjabi , Sindhi, Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...

Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal, in the newly-built walled suburb of Shahjahanabad. The exact year when construction was started is unclear; Sharma estimates it to be 1871. After Shah Jahan Begum died in 1901, the mosque continued to be built by her daughter Sultan Jahan Begum, till the end of her lifetime. The structure was planned in the midst of three water bodies, namely: Munshi Hussain Talab; Noor Mahal Talab; and Motia Talab. The mosque was not completed due to a lack of funds, and construction did not resume until 1971. The entrance was renovated with motifs from 13th century Syrian mosques donated by the Emir of Kuwait in memory of his late wife. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the mosque was used as a vaccination center.

Architecture

The Taj-ul-Masajid largely takes inspiration from Mughal architecture. The mosque has a pink facade topped by two 18-storey high octagonal

minaret 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 with marble domes, an impressive main hallway with attractive pillars, and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

flooring resembling the likes of

Jama Masjid A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

in Delhi and the

Badshahi Mosque The Badshahi Mosque ( Urdu, Punjabi: ; literally ''The Royal Mosque'') is a Mughal-era congregational mosque in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque is located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled ...

of Lahore. It has a courtyard with a large

ablution Ablution is the act of washing oneself. It may refer to: * Ablution as hygiene * Ablution as ritual purification ** Ablution in Islam: *** Wudu, daily wash *** Ghusl, bathing ablution *** Tayammum, waterless ablution ** Ablution in Christianity ...

tank in the centre. It has a double-storeyed gateway with four recessed archways and nine cusped multifold openings in the main prayer hall. The massive pillars in the hall hold 27 ceilings through squinted arches of which 16 ceilings are decorated with ornate petalled designs. The mosque also features a

zenana Zenana ( fa, زنانه, ur, , bn, জেনানা, hi, ज़नाना) literally meaning "of the women" or "pertaining to women", in Persian language contextually refers to the part of a house belonging to a Muslim, Sikh, or Hindu f ...

(women's gallery), rare given that prayer from home was the norm for women at the time of the mosque's construction.

Annual congregation

Madrasah in Taj-ul-Masjid, Bhopal, India

The

Bhopal Tablighi Ijtema Bhopal Tablighi Ijtema is an annual Islamic Ijtema (congregation) or Aalmi Ijtema held in Bhopal, India. The first ijtema was organised in 1949 at Masjid Shakoor Khan in Bhopal's old walled city. After the event grew, the venue was changed t ...

is an annual three-day congregation that draws people from all over the world. It was held at Taj-ul-Masajid until it was shifted to Intkhedi outside the city due to shortage of space.

Gallery

File:Taj Ul Masajid, Bhopal.JPG, Taj-ul-Masajid gate File:Entrance to Taj-ul Masajid.JPG, Entrance Gate of Taj-ul-Masajid File:Taj-ul-Masajid Aerial Photo.jpg, Taj-ul-Masajid aerial photo File:Taj-ul Masajid outside.png, Taj-ul-Masjid Ground File:Tau-ul-Masajid Entrance gate.jpg, Taj-ul-Masajid Entrance gate File:Madarsa in Taj-ul-Masajid.jpg, Madrasa in Taj-ul-Masajid File:Carvings on wall.jpg, Carvings on wall File:Clock showing Namaz Timing.jpg, Clock showing Namaz Timing File:Taj-ul-Masajid inside.jpg, Taj-ul-Masajid inside File:Taj-ul-Masajid , Bhopal.jpg, Taj-ul-masajid inside File:Taj-ul-masajid.jpg, Taj-ul-masajid outside view

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taj-Ul-Masajid Tourist attractions in Bhopal Mosques in Madhya Pradesh Mosques completed in 1985 Buildings and structures in Bhopal 20th-century mosques 1985 establishments in Madhya Pradesh