Built with total construction costs of Rs. 15,00,000/- in 1926, Nakhoda Mosque in Chitpur area of the Burrabazaar business district in Kolkata at the intersection of Zakaria Street and Rabindra Sarani has been loosely modeled on the mausoleum of the Mughal Emperor Akbar at Sikandra. Abdur Rahim Usman, a leader of Kutchi Memon Community, who was a mariner, funded the mosque so it got the name Nakhoda Mosque. Nakhuda means a mariner in Persian Language and it resembles a ship as well. At present, the mosque is administered by a board of trustees. The gateway to the mosque is similar to the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri. There are two minarets and three domes in the Nakhoda Mosque. The length of the minarets is 151 feet. Furthermore, 25 smaller minarets are there and their length varies from 100 to 117 feet. In all, there are 27 minarets. The architectural pattern of the mosque is a perfect example of the blend of Indian and Sarscenic architecture.
The monument can accommodate 10,000 devotees during a prayer meeting. Inside the mosque, a small exhibition is held at regular intervals where you can choose to buy some exquisite ornaments. You can also buy perfumes outside the mosque on all days, except Sundays. Tourists throng to this monument to catch glimpses of its exquisite architecture. So if you are making a trip to Kolkata, do remember to visit this iconic structure.
Leave a Reply