Jama
Masjid is located in the Old Delhi, just to the opposite side of the
massive Red Fort. Jama Masjid or the Jami Masjid was built by the
Mughal
Emperor, Shah Jahan, between 1644 and 1658 and is the final
architectural piece built by him. Situated in the ancient town of
Old Delhi, this pride of the Mughals was built by five thousand
artisans. The mosque stands on Bho Jhala, which is one of the old
Mughal capital cities of Shahjahanbad. Originally called the
Masjid-i-Jahanuma, or "mosque commanding view of the world",
this magnificent structure is the largest and most exquisite mosque
in India and is made up of alternate vertical strips of red
sandstone and white marble.
The Jama Masjid was
completed under the supervision of Saadullah Khan, the Prime
Minister of Shah Jahan. A sum of Rs 10 lakhs was spent on the
construction of the Jama Masjid. The Jama Masjid is built on a red
sandstone porch, about 30 feet (10 m) from the level of the ground
and is about 1400 square yards (1200 m²) in extent. The Jama
Masjid has three gateways, four towers and two minarets. The
gateways in the north and south are led by a fleet of steps. The
main entrance is on the eastern side facing the red fort. It was
probably used by the emperors. The tower of the Jama Masjid is made
up of five distinctive storeys. Each one of the storeys has a
projecting balcony. The adjoining edifices are beautifully done with
calligraphy.
The area surrounding Jama Masjid is like
another World. Located in the centre of the old city, the Mosque
sits on top of a large hill, projecting high into the Old-Delhi
skyline. You can hire a guide who can explain the history, show you
the footprint of Mohammed the Prophet. You can climb the tower of
Jama Masjid and get a great view over the city as well as you can
hear the sounds of Indian street-life. Jama Masjid Mosquee was built
by 5000 artisans, with red sandstone and marble. At the bottom of
this facades spreads a 100 meters sq esplanade where up to 25000
prayers group on the pray days. Once you are out on the streets, you
can see various small and beautifully designed rikshaws. The ride is
inexpensive and very cost effective, but always watch your bags.
Inspite of this, you should still not miss the experience of a
rikshaw ride as you can relish and have fun, while watching the
various places of Old Delhi.
How to Reach
- Air
Delhi has its own international and domestic
airport.
- Rail
Delhi has two railheads - the New Delhi
Railway Station and Old Delhi Railway Station.
- Road
The well defined roads of Delhi are properly
connected to all the major cities of the nearby states.
