This blog will show you how to spend a day exploring- Jama Masjid.
This is based on my personal experience of visiting Jama Masjid since the last 12 years. I am always in awe with this elegant architectural marvel. Many people specially friends/readers from outside India have enquired about Jama Masjid.
Hope this blog will help satiate your curiosity about this magnificent monument called Jama Masjid.
For me standing inside Jama Masjid to offer prayers signifies the revelation of God’s silence amidst the mayhem at the heart of Old Delhi. Though I am not a devout but one step inside Jama Masjid will draw you towards divinity and make you respect the magnificent architecture. This monument has been standing tall with its full glory as long as the history of Delhi.
What is in store outside the Mosque
Once you are out of the mosque into the narrow alleys of Old Delhi you will be greeted by commotion and cacophony that is beyond imagination. The aroma of food emanating from the eating joints nearby will draw your attention to some of the best Non Vegetarian delicacies that Delhi has to offer. Old Delhi is rightly called the Melting Pot of Delhi.
Also Read: Food Delicacies near Jama Masjid
https://nomadlawyer.org/blogs/ramzaan-special-let-the-feast-begin-continued/
The Jama Masjid, Delhi
The Jama Masjid in Delhi is often referred to as the most magnificent mosque in India and for all the right reasons.
Entry to the Mosque
There are several entrance gates, but tourists only have access to Gate 1 (south), Gate 2 (east), and Gate 3 (north). Initially, the eastern gate was for imperial use. You have to purchase a €300 ticket if you have a camera of any kind (including your camera phone), even though you have no intention of taking photos. When within, a separate ticket for 121 steps up to the narrow southern minaret may be purchased (notices state that people who are not entered are not allowed). The Architect Edwin Lutyens also included the Mosque in his architecture of New Delhi from the peak of the minaret: the Masjid Jama, Sansad Bhavan and Place Connaught (Parliam).
Delhi Jama Masjid: History
The Maschid was founded by Shah Jahan in Shahjahanabad, the capital of the Mughal empire (or Delhi, as it is now known), in the walled city of Shahjahanabad. The Mosque started building in 1644 and was finished in 1656, for 12 years. Nearly 5,000 building staff were under the command of Saadullah Khan, the Emperor’s Prime Minister. This grand shrine had to be constructed at a rate of 1 million rupees and Shah Jahan could not spare the price.
A visit to Jama Masjid makes you realise that quintessential India resides in this age-old monument, in the alleys nearby,narrating a tale of India’s rich cultural heritage and religious harmony.
Some frequently asked questions pertaining to Jama Masjid
Is Jama Masjid the largest mosque?
Jama Masjid presently is the world’s largest mosque with a capacity for 25,000 people and a total of 85,000 people in its courtyard. 5000 employees were built.
Can people from other faith enter Jama Masjid?
Religion is no bar in entering Jama Masjid. There will be tons of people from other faiths and foreigners in the Masjid.You can roam around freely within the premises and even click pictures within the Masjid. Tourists are not allowed during prayers.
Can girls enter Jama Masjid?
In India, women, including the Jama Masjid in Dolhi, are allowed to come to the mosques but are not allowed to sit with men in the same congregation to offer prayer.
When you are tired at the end of the day, you can cool of by having a glass of Rooh Afza sherbet
Travel and Don’t stop!