Alamgir Mosque

Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi
Beni Madhav ka Darera
Aurangzeb's Mosque
Location in Uttar Pradesh, India
Basic information
Location Varanasi, India 25.31 N 83.01 E
Geographic coordinates 25°18′40″N 83°00′36″E / 25.311°N 83.01°E / 25.311; 83.01Coordinates: 25°18′40″N 83°00′36″E / 25.311°N 83.01°E / 25.311; 83.01
Affiliation Islam
State Uttar Pradesh
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Functional
Founder Aurangzeb

The Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi, also known as Beni Madhav ka Darera and Aurangzeb's Mosque, is a mosque built in the 17th century by emperor Aurangzeb in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.[1][2]

Location

The mosque is located at a prominent site above the Panchganga Ghat. The ghat has broad steps that go down to the Ganges.[3]

History

Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Hindu temple, built by Beni Madhur Rao Scindia, a Maratha chieftain, was demolished when the emperor Aurangzeb had captured Banaras and razed the temple over some political issues. Aurangzeb then built a mosque over the ruins of the temple in 1669[4] and named it as Alamagir Mosque in the name of his own honorific title "Alamgir", which he had adopted after becoming the emperor of the Mughal empire.[5][6] Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the mosque.[7] The mosque has a security cordon ensured by the police.[8]

Features

Aurangzeb Mosque or Alamgir Mosque

The mosque is architecturally a blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture. [5] The mosque has high domes and minarets.[9][6] Two of its minarets were damaged; one minaret collapsed killing a few people and the other was officially brought down owing to stability concerns.[6] The Panchaganga Ghat where the mosque is situated is where five streams are said to join. In October lamps are lighted on top of a bamboo staff as a mark of guidance to the ancestors.[9]

Interior view

References

  1. ↑ Gupta 1987, p. 38.
  2. ↑ Crowther, Raj & Wheeler 1984.
  3. ↑ Hussain 1999, p. 70.
  4. ↑ Dunlop, Sykes & Jackson 2001, p. 135.
  5. 1 2 Kumar 2003, p. 90.
  6. 1 2 3 Betts & McCulloch 2013, p. 213.
  7. ↑ Fodor's essential India : with Delhi, Rajasthan, Mumbai & Kerala. New York: Fodor's. 2015. ISBN 9781101878682.
  8. ↑ Vit-Suzan 2014, p. 11.
  9. 1 2 Shetty 2014, p. 73.

Bibliography

  • Betts, Vanessa; McCulloch, Victoria (27 September 2013). India – The North: Forts, Palaces, the Himalaya Dream Trip. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-907263-74-3.
  • Crowther, Geoff; Raj, Prakash A.; Wheeler, Tony (1984). India, a Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet.
  • Dunlop, Fiona; Sykes, Carol; Jackson, Felicity (2001). Fodor's Exploring India. Fodor's Travel Publications. ISBN 978-0-679-00707-4.
  • Hussain, Ansar (1 January 1999). Rediscovery of India, The: A New Subcontinent. Orient Blackswan. ISBN 978-81-250-1595-6.
  • Kumar, Brajesh (2003). Pilgrimage Centres of India. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. ISBN 978-81-7182-185-3.
  • Shetty, Rekha (1 May 2014). Innovation Sutra: The Secret of Good Business and a Good Life. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-93-5118-696-0.
  • Vit-Suzan, Dr Ilan (28 March 2014). Architectural Heritage Revisited: A Holistic Engagement of its Tangible and Intangible Constituents. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4724-2064-0.
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