Documentary on Moorish Mosque, Kapurthala by Sameer Ansari

MOORISH MOSQUE

KAPOORTHALA,PUNJAB

DOCUMENTATION BYSAMEER ANSARI B-ARCH (8TH SEM)

11810831

TABLE OF CONTENT DESCRIPTION

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SIGNIFICANCES     

LOCATION ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY ORIENTATION LANDMARKS OWNERSHIP SITE SURROUNDINGS

HISTORICAL REGIONAL ECOLOGICAL CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONAL

ARCHITECTURAL PROFILE     

PROFILE SITE PLAN FLOOR PLAN GALLERY DETAILS

MOORISH MOSQUE L O C A T I O N - The mosque is situated at Railway Road in

Kapurthala, Punjab about 21 Km from Jalandhar and about 387 Km in the north of Capital city New Delhi, India. N e a r e s t l a n d m a r k - Kapurthala railway station

ACCESS AND C O N N E C T I V I T Y-

Sultanpur road

The main access to the mosque is from Railway road, which is connected to the circular road and this circular road is further connected to the Sultanpur Lodhi- Kapurthala road.

Circular road The site

Railway station

I S B T - 1.8 Kilometres R a i l w a y S t a t i o n - 120 metres

ORIENTATION-

The building of Moorish Mosque lies on the west axis. The gate lies on west side, tower on north side and Mehrab (main chamber) of mosque facing west side of the site.

LANDMARKS-

Jhaggar Singh war memorial, Railway

station, Jagjit palace, Guru Nanak Stadium, State Gurdwara, Army Area Kapurthala

OWNERSHIP-

Maharaja Jagjit Singh 1930-1949 Kapurthala Cantonment 1949-1976 Muslim Waqf board 1976- Present

B u i l d i n g U s e - Mosque (Religious)

SITE SURROUNDINGS

Jagjit palace

Jhaggar Singh war memorial

Sultanpur Road

The site

State gurdwara

Kapurthala Railway station Circular Road

HISTORICAL The mosque was built by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, the last ruler of Kapurthala. He was ruler with extravagant tastes but known for the developmental activities implemented in the then Kapurthala State. The Maharaja, a Sikh, who built it, believed in catering to the aspirations of his largely Muslim subjects. The mosque was his ambitious effort to promote social integration among his people . This is proved by the fact that when the then Viceroy of India sent him a letter questioning him on the large costs involved in building it, the Maharaja replied: "Your Excellency may be unaware that 60 per cent of my population comprises of my loyal Muslim subjects. It is only in the fitness of things that the best place of worship in my state be constructed for them". The mosque was built to the architectural design of the French architect Monsieur M. Manteaux, who had also designed the Jagatjit Palace in the city. Construction was started in 1927 and completed in 1930 and built at a cost of Rs 600,000. An inscription on the mosque also states that it was built in a period of four years

Picture of Moorish Mosque in 1940

Maharaja Jagatjit Singh

REGIONAL Moorish mosque is the only mosque in India built in Moorish style architecture. Moorish mosque was built by Sikh maharaja for the Muslim population living in kapurthala during 1930. this is the only popular mosque in kapurthala at that time. but after independence of India most Muslims left the city and this mosque abandoned due to security reasons. In 1976 it was again reopened for the visitors. Moorish Mosque is the one of the greatest piece of architecture in India thus it attracts thousands of visitors every year from all over the India.

Arabic Calligraphy on Columns

Mehrab area

ECOLOGICAL In 1972, as part of the operation "city beautification" programme initiated by the state government at the suggestion of then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, the mosque was cleaned up and a rose garden laid in its front lawn. The mosque is now in a rundown condition with growth of wild grass in its back yards. The garden is also in a neglected state. There is very less pollution in air as less population living nearby due to cantonment area.

Garden outside the Moorish Mosque

CULTURAL The Moorish Mosque was commissioned the term ‘Moorish’ broadly referred to the Islamic Architecture of North African countries like Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia (the Maghreb), as well as Andalusia. The choice of this specific aesthetic for the mosque reflects that Maharaja Jagatjit Singh wanted it to be one of a kind. He consciously avoided the prevalent Indo- Saracenic or the historic Mughal forms that were more familiar to his citizens. For this reason this mosque become unique in the region of Punjab and peoples come here to visit and pray there.

Moorish Arches in Prayer Hall

ASSOCIATIONAL The mosque’s architectural design is based on the Grand Qutubiyya Mosque in the city Marrakesh of the Kingdom of Morocco. The Moors implemented their style of architecture in their houses of worship, or mosques. One of the greatest examples of a Moorish mosque is the Great Mosque at Cordoba in Spain, which was built between roughly 785 and 1000 CE. Its stunning interior features elaborate surface decorations and open rooms full of double arches of contrasting dark and light stone

Interior-Grand Qutubia Mosque

Exterior-Grand Qutubia Mosque

ARCHITECTURAL PROFILE The mosque's architectural design is a replication of the Koutoubia Mosquein Marrakesh in Morocco. The art work of the inner dome is attributed to the artists of the Mayo School of Art, Lahore. Architecturally the mosque is very elegant and is built with marble stones. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that unlike other mosques in India it is built without any external domes or minarets but has a tall tower at one end of the edifice. The mosque's inner courtyard is paved entirely with marble, and has a unique design. Glass panes have been fitted in the arched sections of the doors, windows and other artistic feature. Wooden grills are provided in the interior while latticed iron work form the external features. The mosque is painted in light red colour. However, the doors and windows and eves are painted in green colour. In the interior of the mosque, the wooden ceiling is varnished in black and red colours. A model of the mosque was designed by Monsieur Mantout and was exquisitely crafted in wood. This was presented to Mantout by the Maharaja on 14 March 1930

Moorish arch in Mehraab area

Interior of Mehraab

Inner Courtyard of the mosque

SITE PLAN

116 M

MOORISH MOSQUE

253 M

GARDEN

102 M CIRCULAR ROAD

FLOOR PLAN

35 M MEHRAAB

16 M

PRAYING HALL

20 M

INNER COURTYARD

FOUNTAIN HALL

75 M

48 M

1.5 M wide Corridor

MINAR

9M TOILETS

ENTRANCE HALL

ABLUTION AREA

55 M

GALLERY

Key plan

Entrance of the Mosque And its Facade

The View of the Minarets and its Courtyard

GALLERY

Key plan

The courtyard and the two cupolas covering the fountains

The view of the main dome and the prayer room from the courtyard

GALLERY

Key plan

The view from Prayer Hall

Interior View of Mehraab

DETAILS

Moorish arches at prayer hall

Dome and the chandelier in interior

Arabic Calligraphy on columns

Quadratic Dome in green colour

Minaret of height approx. 40 M Tile Mosaic in interiors

THE END

ARC-397 FIELD STUDY II DOCUMENTATION BYSAMEER ANSARI B-ARCH (8TH SEM)

11810831