Shah Shuja Mosque
Type: Mosque/Eidgah
Contributed By: Nayeem
Brief
Shah Shuja is not known to have made extensive conquests, though he appeared to have sent campaigns against Hijli and Tippera. Bahadur Khan, a habitual rebel, ruled Hijli (Medinipur district of West Bengal) in the southwestern corner of Bengal. In Shuja’s time Bahadur Khan delayed payment of revenues; prompt action was taken by Shuja as a result of it.
Bahadur Khan had to accept defeat, but he promised to pay more revenues than before. Shuja’s war with Tippera is mentioned in the Rajmala, the traditional history of the kings of Tippera. The Raja was defeated, but he made peace by ceding a slice of his territory bordering on modern Comilla. Shuja commemorated his victory by building a mosque, which is still extant in good condition and bears his name, on the bank of the river Gumti near Comilla town.
Shah Shuja Mosque is situated at Mughaltuli on the bank of the old Gumti in Comilla town. There is no inscription that could provide information about the construction of the mosque. According to legends, Shah Shuja, Subahdar of Bengal (1639-60) built it to commemorate his victory of Tripura.
The mosque is rectangular in plan and measures 17.68m in length and 8.53m in breadth from outside with 1.75m thick walls. There are octagonal corner towers in all four corners of the mosque, reaching above the cornice and finishing with cupolas. The mosque has five archways, three in the eastern wall and one each at the northern and southern sides. The central archway is bigger and prominent than the flanking ones. Both sides of the archways and their upper portions are decorated with panel ornamentation. There are three Mihrabs corresponding to the three archways in the eastern wall. The central Mihrab is comparatively bigger than the side ones and more attractive with the floral and geometric ornamentation. Two lateral arches divide the interior of the mosque in to three sections. The central section has outward projection towards the east and west. And in this section there are four turrets reaching above the cornice.
Three circular domes over octagonal drums cover the roof of the mosque. The middle one is bigger than the side ones. All these domes, terminate in lotus and kalasa finials. The lower portion of the cornice is decorated with merlons. The mosque has been renovated and extended several times. A stone inscription reads that Haji Imamuddin constructed the flat roofed verandah measuring 7.32m in breadth in 1882. Later the mosque was further extended and two minarets were added on two sides.
How to go
Take a rickshaw from Comilla town and go to Shah Shuja Mosque through The shah Suja Mosque Road, near to Kaptan Bazar in Comilla Sadar Upazila.
How To Reach: Comilla District
Comilla has excellent transport and communication system. Comilla and Dhaka are linked by both road and railway. There is also an airport in the district, but it is not currently being used.
The road distance of Comilla from Dhaka is 97 kilometers. You can take a bus from Dhaka to reach Comilla. Some of the bus services are listed below for your assistance:
1. Upakule Royal
Komolapur Bus stand
Contact: 01981-002 932, 01981-002 942
2. Tisha
Sayedabad
Contact: 01731-217 322
3. BRTC
Komolapur Bus stand
Contact: 01770-493 775
4. Prime Service
Hatchel Road
Contact: 02-9554496
Buses leave from Dhaka every fifteen minutes starting from 6:15am until 8pm.
Where to Stay
Some of the hotels/motels in Comilla are listed below for your assistance.
1. Ashik Residential Resthouse
Address: 186 Nazrul Avenue, Comilla
Contact: 68781
2. Hotel Abedin
Address: Station Road, Comilla
Contact: 76014
3. Hotel Noorjahan
Address: Dhaka-Chittagong Road, Comilla
Contact: 68737
4. Hotel Sonali
Address: Kandirpar Circle, Comilla
Contact: 63188
Things to do
1. Pray in the mosque.
2. Observe the architecture.
3. Take pictures.
Eating Facilities
You can taste the famous sweetmeat found here known as Roso Monjuri. It is known all over the country for its delicious taste and flavor.
