Soul Silence in an Old Mosque

Travelogue

Mecca Masjid is near Charminar, Hyderabad. One of the largest mosque in India, Mecca Masjid still retains the old world charm. Nisha Aggarwal hops into a bus from the NTPC Township only to come back with these memories. 

Charminar Road in Old Hyderabad

Being a former student of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi which has been officially declared a Muslim university, I used to hear the Friday Namaz and daily praying in form of the airy voices impinging into the ears, as there is a Mosque in University premises. I was not familiar with such plaint sonic religious utterances before. Going to temple was a familiar ritual as I belonged to a Hindu household and it was considered to be a good habit. And I have followed it so many times since my childhood, visiting the local temples and also the known ones in Rajasthan, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and in South India during family tours and educational trips of college. But the kind of ‘Roohani’/spiritual solace mosques and tombs leaves upon the soul, I didn’t ever find in a temple.

Jostling devotees trying to find a glimpse of their beloved god, sounds of conch shells, bells and chanting mostly define a Hindu temple atmosphere. People visit religious places mainly for spiritual solace. One may feel a sense of fulfillment as they undertake a pilgrimage, tie sacred threads around trees or idols and then travel again to remove them or offer something more as a part of wish fulfillment. Visiting a mosque imparts a sense of ‘emptiness’ that leads to spiritual peace.

During my days in Jamia, I used to visit Jama Masjid in old Delhi with my friends. Those were the second mosque experiences I had. As I now live in Andhra Pradesh, I get to hear the namaz quite often from the mosques seen in various locations near and around the place of my stay, JyothiNagar in the National Thermal Power Corporation Township. Hyderabad is not far away from here. As there is a Bus via NTPC township to Hyderabad at 12.10 AM starting from NTPC Main Shopping complex which reaches to Hyderabad by early in morning. There is frequent bus service. There are many employees from NTPC, Godavari Khani coal mines, Ramagundam power station and nearby small industries those travel to Hyderabad on Saturday and Sunday nights. The route is well connected by train also. I too decided to travel to Hyderabad during this Eid celebration specially to see the ‘Mecca Masjid’, one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad.

Mecca Masjid: A Front View

A Left Side View of Mecca Masjid

Mecca Masjid, also known as Makkah Masjid, is one of the largest mosques of India. It is located near Charminar, the central point of Hyderabad. Chowmahalla Palace and Laad Bazaar are the other places around. Mecca Masjid is a listed heritage building in the old city of Hyderabad. In order to protect the old structures, vehicular traffic has been barred from this area by a special order by the government in 2001. Mecca Masjid derives its name from Mecca, the holiest site of Islam, because Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, commissioned bricks to be made from the soil imported from Mecca, and used them in the construction of the central arch of the mosque. One could say that the whole city moves around this centrally located mosque.

It is said that Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth Qutb Shahi Sultan of Golconda (now Hyderabad) personally laid the foundation stone for mosque. The three arched facades have been carved from a single piece of granite, which took five years to quarry. More than 8,000 workers were employed to build the mosque, which was later completed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1694 BC after conquering Hyderabad. The entrance courtyard of the mosque is a rectangular, arched and canopied building, which houses the marble graves of Asaf Jahi rulers. This structure came up during the rule of the Asaf Jah rulers. It contains the tombs of the Nizams and their family.

The Marble Graves of Asaf Juhi Rulers

The main structure of the mosque is sandwiched between two massive octagonal columns made out of a single piece of granite. The main hall of the mosque is 75 feet high, wide and long enough to accommodate 10,000 worshipers at a time. Fifteen arches support the roof of the main hall, five on each of the three sides. A wall rises on the fourth side to provide Mihrab. The octagonal columns have arched balconies on level with the roof of the mosque, above which the column continues upwards till it is crowned by a dome and spire. Inscriptions from the Quran adorn many of the arches and doors. The floral motifs and the friezes over the arches seem to have a close resemblance to the arches at Charminar and Golconda Fort.

One could see thriving local market at the entrance of the mosque. Pavement hawkers sell bangles, sweets, soft drinks, fruits and household items. The open quadrangle of the within the main mosque is filled with pigeons. Myths say that pigeons love silence and they like to live in graveyards, tombs and heritage sites. On the edge of the pond there are two stones and slab benches, and it is believed that whoever sits on them, returns to sit on them again. I did not sit on the slab benches though I want to come back here once again. But I don't want to go back to the places where religious superstitions are proliferated. However, I don't mind sitting there at the mosque in a serene night all alone and watching the crescent moon trying to listen to the secrets of spirits from the twin tombs.

The Crescent Moon Over The Tomb's Top

Originally Published in Travel&Deal Magazine, Issue-03, Vol-I, September 2013