Nakhoda Mosque

KOLKATAʼS BIGGEST MASJID

The Nakhoda Masjid in the Chitpore area of the Barabazar business district in Central Kolkata is one of the largest mosques within the city. Housed at the intersection of Zachariah Street and Rabindra Sarani, it soars into the sky most impressively above the bustle of shops, trams and surging humanity. The noise of the market, however, is not enough to shroud the shrine in darkness. Its beauty shines through the noise and the daily grind of life in that area. Modelled on Mughal Emperor Akbarʼs mausoleum in Sikandara, the foundation stone for this red sandstone house 52  Mani Matters ~ November 2013 – December 2013 of prayer was laid by Abdur Rahim Osman, a leader of the Kutchi Memon Jamaʼat. On 11 September 1926 the foundation stone was laid and it took almost one lakh and fifty thousand rupees to complete the construction, a huge sum of money at that time. Abdur Rahim Osman was a shipping magnate and the mosque was named ʻNakhodaʼ meaning ʻMarinerʼ. Its architecture represents the Indo-Saracenic form and during the Muslim festivities, it is decorated beautifully.

The direction of the entire façade faces the west.  You cannot miss the clock installed on the lofty wall close to the topmost floor. When you enter the mosque there is an open well in the courtyard. This magnificent masjid contains a spacious prayer hall that can accommodate almost ten thousand worshippers. It has three domes and two minarets which are 151 feet high. There are an additional 25 smaller minarets which range from 100 feet to 117 feet. The gateway is a replica of the BulandDarwaza at Fatehpur Sikri. For this purpose granite stones were brought from Dholpur. Inside is a superb exhibition of exquisite ornamentation and artistic extravaganza. If you wear appropriate clothes you can go into the mosque and check out the beautiful Islamic architecture.

When you step outside the mosque, you can buy excellent attar, surma, prayer caps and prayer mats. This locality is also famous for its kebabs and biryani.