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 India is known for her unity in diversity. People belonging
to different faiths and different mental thoughts co-exist
in the country with perfect harmony within themselves,
contributing thereby to the strength of the Indian fabric
in general. Their places of worship too, are thus sacred
not just to themselves but to their fellow-countrymen
as well, irrespective of the faith they follow. One
of these is the Jama Masjid in Delhi, built by the Mughal
emperor Shah Jahan in 1656. Generally considered to
be the largest and most respected mosque in India, the
Jama Masjid is one of the most famous landmarks of the
country, symbolizing for the country's Muslim population
a guide to the religious doctrines.
Architecturally, the Jama Masjid is similar to many
other mosques that the Emperor of Architecture, Shah
Jahan built all around his realm. These include mosques
by the same name in cities like Ajmer, Agra and a number
of others. The courtyard of the Jama Masjid, which is
completely built of red sandstone, is accessible from
the east, north and south by three different flights
of stairs. These steps are used to house markets, entertainers
as well as food stalls. The mosque also housed a Madrassah
near the southern side of the mosque which had been
pulled down after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.
Facing west, the Jama Masjid is covered on three sides
with open arched colonnades with a tower like gateway
in the center. Also called Masjid-I-Jahanuma or the
'mosque commanding view of the world', the Jama Masjid
is a constructional wonder with alternating strips of
red sandstone and marble.
The mosque owes much of the respect associated with
it to the relics of Mohammad, which it houses. These
include Quran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair
of the prophet, his sandals and his footprint, embedded
in a marble slab, all of which are still preserved.
» History of Jama Masjid
» Annual Events at Jama Masjid
» Jama Masjid Nearby Attractions
» Jama Masjid Fast Facts
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