“Whoever prays shall find peace”-Lailah Gifty Akita
This is the second monument we have come across in Vijayapura (Bijapura) commemorated in honour of the victory over Vijaynagara in Battle of Talikote in 1564; the first one was Malik-E-Maidan Burj. It was commissioned by Ali Adil Shah I in the year 1578; however, it is said mosque was never completed because of lack of two minarets on the eastern entrance. Also being called as Jamia and Jumma, this one is one of the largest mosques in South India.
Since it was Saturday the mosque was rather quiet, devoid of any crowd. The central Mihrab was bedecked with gold. The engraving was in Persian essentially of Quran verses. In 1676, these inscriptions were completed by Malik Yakut who was appointed by Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah. When mosque was built by Ali Adil Shah I, it was devoid of any glitter and pomp as he followed Shiite sector. But, his grandson Muhammad Adil Shah, a practicing Sunni and it was at his time the mosque saw major upliftment in terms of design.
The courtyard is of square-shaped, while three sides consisting of seven arches each. The semi-circular dome rises above the Mihrab with crescent moon for a crown. The arches intersect at the top to form an octagonal cornice for supporting the base of the dome. The columns and ceilings were adorned with simple yet elegant designs. Usually we see carpets or prayer mats spread across the floor in most of the mosques. Here, the flooring is bare with elongated tiles.
This congregational architecture was on built on 1,16,300 square feet allowing around 2500 devotees to pray at a time. An arch was added to the entrance by Aurangzeb when he conquered Bijapura for a brief period.
We rested in the verandah taking in all the beauty of this architecture. We pondered over the religion, mankind, civilization, belief, and philosophy. We are not the ideal believers, but know how to keep our blessings and good fortune close to heart and count them too.
"Put no trust in life; it is short"
Tips
Best Season: Any
Visitors' Time: Avoid Friday and prayer time
Entry: Free
Nearby Attractions: Ibrahim Rouza, Gol Gumbaz, Navarasa Mahal, Bara Kaman, Saat Kabar, Malik-E-Maidan, Upli Burj
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