Jama Masjid, Lucknow
Jama Masjid, Tehseenganj, Husainabad, Lucknow is a mosque located in the area of Lucknow. The construction of this mosque was started in the year 1839 A.D. by Mohammad Ali Shah, the third Badshah of Awadh with the intention to surpass the Jama Masjid at Delhi in size, but after his death, the mosque was completed by his wife Queen Malika Jahan Sahiba in the year 1845 A.D. Built with "Lakhauri" bricks and plastered with lime, it is decorated with colored stucco motifs. Standing on a square lofty terrace, it has a rectangular prayer hall, on the west with a magnificent facade of eleven arches. The central one is higher and provided with an unusually high doorway that rises above the roof in a sharply pointed arch decorated in colored stucco. The prayer hall is surmounted by three pear-shaped high double domes decorated with an inverted lotus on the top and is also flanked by two octagonal four-storeyed tapering minarets on either side, crowned by "Chhatries" on the top. An Imambara known as Imambara Malika Jahan is also situated at the south of this mosque.
Art & Sculpture
Like most of the popular historical sites in Lucknow, Jama Masjid also boasts impressive Mughal architecture. It is completely built of Lakhuri bricks and lime. Along with that, the entire structure of the mosque is magnificently adorned with stucco motifs, which adds a different grandeur to the stunning architecture of Jama Masjid. The mosque complex is erected on a square terrace and stands straight on around 260 pillars. Inside the mosque, there is a prayer hall that is rectangular in shape and a beautiful facade of eleven arches located on the west. The central facade is the largest of all with includes an imposing gateway which is also adorned with gorgeous stucco work.
History
The history of this renowned mosque is quite interesting. In the year 1839, Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah laid the foundation of the Jama Masjid in Lucknow with the intention to surpass the Jama Masjid of Delhi. However, his dream was left unfulfilled because of his sudden demise. Thereafter, his wife, Malika Jahan Begum, took the charge to finish the construction of this much-famed mosque in Lucknow. But because of the shortage of funds, the original ambition was curtailed. Despite being constructed on a low budget, Jama Masjid has an unrivaled charm.
Published Date: May 25, 2022, 5:57 p.m.
