Bhopal, India
Coordinates: 23.262934, 77.392802
The Taj-ul-Masajid (Crown of the Mosques) or, is a mosque situated in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the largest mosque in India and one of the largest mosques in Asia.
The Archways are quite massive and stunning to see. The mosque is said the host a capacity of 1,75,000 people at a time.
The construction work of this mosque started in the reign of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar by Nawab Shah Jahan Begum (1844–1860 and 1868–1901) of Bhopal and continued to be built by her daughter Sultan Jahan Begum, till her lifetime.
The mosque has a pink facade topped by two 18-storey high octagonal minarets with marble domes, an impressive main hallway with attractive pillars and marble flooring resembling Mughal architecture the likes of Jama Masjid in Delhi and the huge Badshahi Mosque of Lahore.
The mosque was not completed due to lack of funds, and after a long lay-off after the War of 1857, construction was resumed in 1971 by Allama Mohammad Imran Khan Nadwi Azhari and Maulana Sayed Hashmat Ali Sahab of Bhopal.
The construction was completed by 1985 and the entrance (eastern) gate was renovated grandly using ancient motifs from circa 1250 Syrian mosques by the contribution of the Emir of Kuwait to commemorate the memory of his departed wife.
As is evident from the picture, it is an impressive structure and an important place; it is rightly called “Taj-ul-Masajid” literally means “Crown Among Mosques”.
Madrasa in the mosque
Aalmi Tablighi Ijtima is an annual three-day congregation that draws people from all over the world. It was held at Taj-ul-Masajid until it was shifted to Islam Nagar outside the city due to shortage of space.
