Brief
Walipur Alamgiri Mosque is situated in Walipur village under Hajiganj Upazila of Chandpur district. There are two mosques in the same locality – one known as Shahi Alamgiri Mosque and the other as Shah Shuja Mosque. The Alamgiri mosque has suffered much due to subsequent restoration works. Nevertheless, enough still survives to give an idea of its original plan and design. A Persian inscription in fine nastaliq character, fixed over the central doorway, records the construction of the mosque by one Abdullah in 1692 AD in the reign of Alamgir Aurangzeb.
In the middle of the eastern facade of the oblong mosque (15.24 m by 8.23 m) there is a projected fronton bordered with octagonal turrets through which opens out the main doorway. This has a higher arch with a half-dome within a rectangular frame. There are two more doorways in the eastern facade, one on either side of the central opening, having an outer arch with a half-dome below. Each of the north and south walls is pierced with a pair of arched doorways. The mosque has therefore seven archways in total -three in the east and two on each of the north and south walls. The four exterior angles of the building are strengthened by octagonal towers, which are carried beyond the horizontal parapets and topped over with kalasa finials, but have now been renovated.
Two massive octagonal brick pillars divide the interior of the mosque into five square bays – a large one in the middle (5.87m a side) and two smaller ones on its either side which are arranged in the east-west axis. Archways interconnect the bays; the arches are placed directly on two free standing octagonal pillars and engaged semi-octagonal pillars. It is worth noting that these arches are continued upwards as walls to make the bays above. This special device has given the mosque a two-storied appearance internally. All the five bays are roofed over with domes crowned with lotus and kalasa finials on cylindrical drums. The domes are carried on half-domed squinches on the upper corners and the blocked arches in between the square inches in the middle of the walls.
Octagonal turrets rising high above the horizontal parapets border the outside projection of the central mihrab, like that of the central archway. Inside, there are three mihrabs in the qibla wall. The central mihrab is semi-octagonal in design, but the flanking mihrabs are of the shallow rectangular type.
The original plastering of the building has been replaced by modern cement plaster. The horizontal parapet is now plain. The facade of the central archway projection is marked with shallow rectangular panels, each being further enriched with such motifs as plants and small trees with flowers in stucco. The central mihrab arch springs from beautifully decorated pilasters and has foliaged designs at its spandrels. The rectangular frame of the central mihrab, though now barely plain, is topped over with a frieze of blind merlons. A fine specimen of Mughal stucco ornamentation is still preserved in the squinches and blocked arches in between, which support the domes above. The extrados of the squinch arches and blocked arches are ornamented with interlocking scrolls, while the tympanums of the blocked arches are minutely embellished with floral scrolls with intertwining rosettes in the centers. Above them all round the interior base of the cylindrical drum runs a slightly sunken frieze decorated with floral scrolls.
Five-domed type mosque, one of the important varieties of Bengal mosques, shows two sub-types: (a) a mosque with a large central dome and a pair of small domes on each side in the same line and (b) a mosque with a large central dome and four small domes on the corners. The present mosque is the culminating example of the second variety. Both in planning and in the execution of elevation details of the building, the architect and the artisans have left behind a clear mark of their skills and perfection of ideas. The division of the interior of the mosque into five squares has been very scientifically effected by the disposition of two octagonal short massive freestanding pillars instead of the two east-west wide arches of the previous examples of the series. Mosques on this model were not built in Bengal for a long time, but almost two centuries later the type reappeared in the Becharam Dewri Mosque (1872) in the city of Dhaka. In plan Becharam Dewri Mosque is an exact copy of the Alamgiri Mosque but inferior in quality and elevation details.
Such mosque design in Bengal started with austagram mosque and evolved through the sarail mosque and the Walipur Alamgiri Mosque. The design is really unique. Question may now arise as to the origin of this particular kind of Bengal mosques. In Turkey under the early Ottomans the mosque of Rustam Celebi (c first half of the 15th century) at Tokat provides perhaps the earliest known example of its kind with five domes – the large central one and a small one on four corners. Similar plan is also found in such other Ottoman mosques as the Guzelce Hasan Bey Mosque (1406) in Hayrabolu and the Uc Serefeli Cam (1437-47) at Edirne. These mosques are generally regarded as the precursors of the great Ottoman mosques at Istambul – Bayezid mosque (1501-06), Sulaymaniya Mosque (1550-59), and the beautiful Selimya Mosque (1569-75) at Edirne. The five-roomed or five-domed planning of the Ottoman mosques may perhaps be said to have been dictated by those of some early Muslim buildings of Syria.
In India the Jamat Khana Mosque (1310-16) at Delhi is a lone example of its kind. This mosque design continued to have been practiced in Northern India in an elaborated form in Humayun’s Mosque (1530) at Agra, where four small domed-rooms, instead of two, are attached on either side of the large central domed chamber. It may, therefore, be said that the plan of the second variety of the five-domed type mosques in Bengal was not innovated by Bengal architects, and its idea is very likely to have been borrowed from the sources stated above, particularly perhaps from those of Turkey or Upper India.
Written by: MA Bari
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[name] => {:en}Golakata Mosque and Dighi{:}{:bn}গলাকাটা মসজিদ এবং দীঘি{:}
[post_id] => 1782
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/golakata-mosque-and-dighi/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Galakata-Mosque-and-Dighi-1.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Golakata Mosque and Dighi were built in 16th century AD. the mosque's gigantic structure makes it very special. It stands 150 feet tall. The steps were made by bricks. Recently it looks a bit distinct. It is mixed with some colors but white & reds are frequently used. There is a huge prayer space where many people say their prayer.
There is a very big Dighi known as Galakata Dighi. This place becomes very calm and relaxed in evening by the whining of birds. Many people come here to chill. This Dighi is filled with natural beauty.
[This spot needs more detail. If you have more information and photos, please be advised to add in our website. Your name will be published as a Content Contributor]
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১৬শ শতকে নির্মিত গলাকাটা মসজিদটির বিশেষত্ব হল এটির বিশালাকৃতি। প্রায় ১৫০ ফুট উঁচু এই মসজিদটি অত্যন্ত যত্নের সাথে নির্মাণ করা হয় এমন একটি সময়ে যখন প্রযুক্তিগত দিক দিয়ে এই অঞ্চলের মানুষ পিছিয়ে ছিল। মসজিদের সিঁড়িগুলো ইটের তৈরি ছিল। তবে, বর্তমানে মসজিদটিকে সামান্য আলাদা দেখায়। মসজিদটিতে বিভিন্ন রঙ ব্যবহার করা হলেও লাল এবং সাদা রঙের প্রাধান্য চোখে পড়ে। গলাকাটা মসজিদের নামাজ আদায় করার স্থানটি বেশ বিশালাকারের।
এখানে গলাকাটা দীঘি নামে একটি বিশাল দীঘি রয়েছে। বিকালবেলা পাখিদের কিচিরমিচিরে দীঘির পাড়ে এক প্রশান্তিকর পরিবেশের সৃষ্টি হয়। প্রাকৃতিক সৌন্দর্যে ভরপুর এই দীঘিতে অনেকেই আসেন প্রশান্তি অর্জনের জন্য। দীঘিতে ভ্রমনের জন্য এবং এটির সৌন্দর্য উপভোগের জন্য এখানে বিভিন্ন আকারের নৌকা রয়েছে। এখানে আসলে আপনি বিশাল প্রকৃতিকে দেখে মুগ্ধ না হয়ে পারবেন না। প্রকৃতিকে দেখার পাশাপাশি আপনি দীঘিতে গোসলও করতে পারবেন।
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[1] => Array
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[name] => Sat Masjid
[post_id] => 7883
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/satmosjid-mohammadpur/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sat-Masjid2-300x225.jpg
[post_content] =>
Sat Masjid is located in the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka city, the building exhibits seven domes- three over the prayer chamber and four over the corner towers. Hence it is known as Sat Gombuz (seven domed) Mosque. The mosque occupies the western end of a slightly raised masonry plinth 26.82m by 25.60m, which is enclosed by a low wall with a gateway in the middle of the eastern side. This arched gateway with flanking ornamental turrets is exactly in alignment with the central doorway of the mosque proper. The top of the gateway could be approached from either the north or the south by an ascending flight of steps.
The mosque proper forms a large rectangle 14.33m by 4.88m on the inside and is emphasised with massive hollow domed towers of octagonal design on the exterior angles. The prayer chamber is entered through arched doorways - three in the east and one each on the north and south sides.
Corresponding to the three eastern archways there are three semi-octagonal mihrabs inside the western wall. Beside the central mihrab there is a three-stepped masonry pulpit. The central archway and the central mihrab, including two other archways on the north and south walls, have outwardly projected frontons depicting ornamental turrets on either flank.
The interior of the mosque is divided by two wide arches into three conventional divisions - a large central square bay and a smaller rectangular bay on either side. The roof is covered with three slightly bulbous domes on octagonal drums, the central one being bigger than its flanking counterparts. The large central dome is supported by the wide arches together with the two blocked arches over the central mihrab and central archway and the triangular pendentives on the upper angles. But in covering the side rectangles with domes a clever method has been adopted. In order to make a circular base for the dome, the rectangular space has first been made square above by creating half-domed vaults on the east and west walls. These half-domed vaults together with a further series of pendentives on the corners directly support the small domes.
The corner towers have flanking turrets like those in Khwaja Shahbaz’s Mosque and musa khan mosque, both in Dhaka city. Each of these consists of two storeys and is a monument by itself. The lower storey is pierced with four cardinally set arched openings in the north-south and east-west axis. Internally the roof of the lower storey is domical, but its reverse side is flat and forms the floor of the upper storey.
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[name] => {:en}Zinda Pir Mosque{:}{:bn}জিন্দা পীরের মসজিদ{:}
[post_id] => 6753
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/zinda-pir-mosque/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bagerhat-Jinda-Pir-Mosque-011-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Zinda Pir Mosque (জিন্দা পীরের মসজিদ) is very near from the Khan Jahan Ali Mazar. This is a small square shaped mosque having a dimension 6x6 (in meter). It has a single dome at the top. The Eastern side of the wall has three doors and other twos (not Western) are having a single door. This mosque was in ruin and restored during 2002.
During that restoration process the mosque has lost its most of the antiquities. They believe the guy who built this mosque was a holy man. He was reciting the Holy Quran one day and disappeared. That's why the believe that the guy is not dead yet. And hence they call him Zinda Pir (জিন্দা পীর), and call the mosque as Zinda Pir Mosque (জিন্দা পীরের মসজিদ). In English, the word Zinda Pir (জিন্দা পীর) means an alive holy man. This story doesn't have any authentic source to believe. It is simply the way they believe this. This mosque premise has a lot of old graves around. Those are not having any naming and that's why it is unsure about the graves. Also it has a Mazar (মাজার) near the mosque and lot of people pray on there.
{:}{:bn}খান জাহান আলী মাজারের খুব কাছেই জিন্দা পীরের মসজিদ অবস্থিত। ছোট বর্গক্ষেত্রাকার এই মসজিদের ব্যাপ্তি ৬মিটারx৬ মিটার। একগম্বুজ বিশিষ্ট এই মসজিদের পূর্ব দিকের দেয়ালে তিনটি দরজা আছে এবং পশ্চিমদিক ব্যাতিত বাকি দুই দিকের দেয়ালে একটি করে দরজা আছে। ২০০২ সালে ধ্বংসপ্রাপ্ত এই মসজিদটিকে মেরামত করা হয়। তবে, মেরামতের সময় মসজিদটি এটির প্রাচীনতা অনেকাংশেই হারিয়েছে। স্থানীয়রা মনে করেন একজন বুজুর্গ ব্যাক্তি এই মসজিদটি নির্মাণ করেছিলেন যিনি কোরআন শরীফ তেলাওয়াত করা অবস্থায় একদিন অদৃশ্য হয়ে যান। একারণে মনে করা হয়ে থাকে যে ঐ ব্যাক্তি এখনও জীবিত আছেন আর তাই তাঁকে জিন্দা পীর বলা হয় এবং মসজিদটিকে বলা হয় জিন্দা পীরের মসজিদ। ইংরেজিতে জিন্দা পীরের অর্থ জীবন্ত পবিত্র ব্যাক্তি। এই গল্পটির কোন বিশ্বাসযোগ্য সূত্র নেই তবে স্থানীয়রা এমনটাই বিশ্বাস করে থাকে। মসজিদের প্রাঙ্গনে বেশকিছু পুরাতন কবর রয়েছে তবে কোন নামফলক না থাকায় এসব কবর সম্পর্কে নিশ্চিত হয়ে কিছু জানা যায়নি। মসজিদের কাছে একটি মাজারও আছে যেখানে প্রচুর মানুষ প্রার্থনা করে থাকে।{:}
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[name] => {:en}Bibi Begni Mosque{:}{:bn}বিবি বেগনীর মসজিদ{:}
[post_id] => 6467
[post_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/bn/places/bibi-begni-mosque/
[thumb_link] => http://offroadbangladesh.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bibi-Begni-Mosque-bagerhat-011-300x225.jpg
[post_content] => {:en}
Bibi Begni Mosque (বিবি বেগনীর মসজিদ) is located at the western side of the famous Shat Gombuj Mosque of Bagerhat. The department of archaeology has renovated the mosque thoroughly, but couldn't restore the vicinity area that is occupied by the local villagers these days. Bibi Begni Mosque is yet another traditional singled dome mosque from Bangladesh. The original history behind the mosque is unknown. Some people believe that Bibi Begni was one of the wives of Khan Jahan Ali, and some believe that she was a concubine (a mistress) of him. And also, they doubt whether it is really a mosque or a grave. Some scholars represent this type of edifice as a funerary mosque.
This is a single dome mosque having entrances at the three sides other than West. At the Eastern side of the mosque it has three gates, whereas the middle one is larger. And at Northern and Southern side of the wall it has single door each. These days only the door from Northern side remains open to enter inside. The dome atop of the mosque is having a regular shape of other contemporary mosques (of 15th century). The area around the mosque is occupied by the villagers and only a few portion remained around it. It is probably not a good idea to preserve antiquity in such a way. Government should free some spaces from around so that visitors can move around the mosque freely.
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বাগেরহাটের বিখ্যাত ষাট গম্বুজ মসজিদের পশ্চিম দিকে বিবি বেগনীর মসজিদটি অবস্থিত। প্রত্নতত্ত্ব অধিদফতর মসজিদটির ব্যাপক মেরামতের কাজ করলেও স্থানীয়দের দখল করা মসজিদের এলাকা উদ্ধার করতে পারেনি। তারপরও বিবি বেগনীর মসজিদ বাংলাদেশের ঐতিহ্যবাহী একটি একগম্বুজ বিশিষ্ট মসজিদ। মসজিদের প্রকৃত ইতিহাস জানা না গেলেও স্থানীয়রা মনে করেন বিবি বেগনী ছিলেন খান জাহান আলীর একজন স্ত্রী আবার অনেকে মনে করেন তিনি ছিলেন খান জাহান আলীর একজন দাসী। এছাড়া এটি প্রকৃতপক্ষে একটি মসজিদ নাকি কবর এ ব্যাপারেও সন্দেহ রয়েছে। কোন কোন ইতিহাসবিদ এ জাতীয় স্থাপনাকে মাজার ভিত্তিক মসজিদ হিসেবে গণ্য করে থাকে।
একগম্বুজ বিশিষ্ট এই মসজিদের পশ্চিম দিক ব্যাতিত অন্য তিন দিকেই প্রবেশের ফটক রয়েছে। মসজিদের পূর্বদিকের তিনটি ফটকের মধ্যে মাঝেরটি বড়। এছাড়া এই মসজিদে উত্তর এবং দক্ষিন দিকের দেয়ালে একটি করে ফটক রয়েছে। তবে আজকাল শুধুমাত্র মসজিদের উত্তর দিকের ফটকটি মসজিদে প্রবেশের জন্য উন্মুক্ত রাখা হয়। বিবি বেগনীর মসজিদের গম্বুজটির আকার সমসাময়িক (১৫শ শতকের) অন্যান্য মসজিদের গম্বুজের মতই। মসজিদের আশেপাশের বেশীরভাগ এলাকাই গ্রামবাসীরা দখল করে নিয়েছে আর এভাবে মসজিদের প্রাচীনতা ধরে রাখা কঠিন। সরকারের উচিত মসজিদের আশেপাশের জায়গা দখলমুক্ত করা যাতে করে পর্যটকরা মসজিদের আশেপাশে ঘুরে বেড়াতে পারে।
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