Know the Islamic culture in Bengaluru through stories behind the heritage mosques

Sangeen Jamia masjid
The mosque was built by Khasim Khan, a general in Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's army . He was the first faujdar of Karnataka and a former Golconda official too.When Maratha ruler Shivaji Raje Bhosle's death in 1680 exposed the South to the Mughals, his half-brother decided to sell Bengaluru to Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar, the Mysuru Maharaja, for Rs 3 lakh. Before the deal was finalised, Khasim Khan captured Bengaluru in 1687. Mansoor Ali, founding member of Bygone Bangalore, says that this is the oldest and the only Mughal mosque in Bengaluru.

It was damaged in the third Anglo-Mysore war and was renovated in 1836 by Moinuddin Mehkri. “Over the years, modernisation and expansion ate into the space of the mosque. It was again reconstructed 30 years ago and currently on a 100 ft x 200 ft space,“ says Ali. It can accommodate a few hundred people today .

Jumma masjid

While the mosque was built by his father Munshi Syed Shah Umar Jalal, it was Qazi Syed Abdul Quddus who salvaged it from disrepair in the 19th century. The philanthropist and officer in the Mysuru state donated personal property so the mosque could be extended to accommodate more people. He was personally involved in its reconstruction.


Image: BCCL

The mosque took four years and a sum of one lakh rupees to be rebuilt. Anwar Sharieff, chairman of the Jumma Masjid Trust Board, says that the 90-feet single-stone minaret was built with materials supplied by Tipu Sultan from Srirangapatna. “The arch above the pulpit has an old clock that has been ticking nonstop for the past 106 years,“ he says.Though the mosque underwent another reconstruction about two decades ago, the novel dome at the entrance constructed for the Azan by Quddus saab remains intact even today . The mosque also houses relics of Hazrat Abdul Qudar Jeelani and The Prophet. The granite structure can accommodate close to 5,000 people for namaz.

Jamia masjid

Designed by Rayyaz Asifuddin, chief architect of the then Nizam of Hyderabad, the all-white masjid was built with marble from Rajasthan. Ateeq Ahmed, general secretary of Jamia Masjid since 1965, says, “There was a small mosque in this area which was acquired by the then Maharaja of Mysuru to build a park. While a compensation was paid, Muslims requested him to offer a piece of land to construct a mosque. Their plea was accepted. Jamia Masjid took 50 years to build.“ Apparently, the mosque can accommodate 10,000 worshippers. It also houses a regular coeducation school with girls forming 70% of its students.


Image: BCCL

Second President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, visited Jamia Masjid in the 1950s. Ageeb Aboushear (Sadar or head of Muslims in Bengaluru at the time) escorted him. Aboushear's grand-daughter Nabeela Gani says, “The President gifted carpets and a chandelier from Egypt to the masjid.“ Ateeq Ahmed confirmed that while the carpets had worn out, the chandelier still hung strong. The calligraphy at the mosque entrance was also gifted by Nasser, he says.

Hajee Sir Ismail Sait masjid

Hajee Sir Ismail Sait was a businessman and philanthropist who was born on March 7, 1859 in Mysuru. He moved to Bengaluru in 1870 and was 15 when he got into the business of buying and selling goods. He earned a fortune at Kolar Gold Fields and at the age of 22, became the director of Carnatic Mills (which later became Binny Mills). He was conferred Knighthood by the British in 1923 and was given the title `Fakhr-ut-Tujjar', the Pride of Merchants, by the Mysore Maharaja in 1919. Earlier in 1911, he was nominated to the Legislative Council of the Government of Madras.

Ismail Sait donated land and `50,000 for the construction of the Rs 50,000 for the construction of the mosque. Originally built to accommodate three hundred people, it was extended only in the recent past. The structure also gives the city's famous Ramzan food street, Mosque Road, its name, although the food stalls have been discontinued in the past two years. Mansoor Ali says, “At the time when this mosque was built, another was constructed by Ismail Sait behind the Whitefield railway station on a three-acre plot.“ Both mosques have similar architectural styles -two minarets, central and side bays covered by jack-arch roofs, with clearstory windows. The small mihrab here (a niche in the wall of the mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca during worship) has a beautiful ornamentation adorning it.

Masjid-e-Askari

Masjid-e-Askari is a tribute to Persian trader Aga Ali Asker, the brain behind many architecturally-rich heritage structures in Bengaluru including Balabrooie (the State Guest House) and the Governor's Residence. Before Aga Ali Asker's demise in 1891, he willed Rs 800 for a mosque to be built in Richmond Town for the community . Asker was buried at the Hosur Road cemetery . His grandson Sir Mirza Ismail was the Dewan of Mysuru and his family continues to stay here. One of the founding principles of the mosque is to bring people together in the spirit of brotherhood and unity . Mansoor Ali says, “The people who run and manage the mosque are so broadminded that they allow a Sunni like me to pray in the Shia mosque.“

Masjid-e-Khadria

Built originally by Mohammad Abdulla Basha in the memory of his father late Abdul Khader, a leading industrialist.

The grand new façade has a shining copper, onion-shaped dome and a palm garden with fountains. An imposing grand arch at the entrance is adorned with Toghra type calligraphy . Masjid-e-Khadriya is considered to be one of the most beautiful and well-planned mosques of Bengaluru.

Situated next to the largest idgah of the city, Masjid-e-Khadriya can accommodate about 10,000 worshippers. The built-up area of the mosque alone is 50,000 square feet. It may be fairly new yet significant because the Haj camp is organised here every year.

History of Islamic culture in Bengaluru

“Islam is known to have first come to India in 629 AD. In Karnataka, it was spread mostly by the Sufi saints who came from up north. This was at least 800 years ago or perhaps more. The continuous trade contact of the Arabs with the Western Coast penetrated from Kerala to Karnataka. The culture further spread with the influence of the Ba hamanis, Bijapuris (Adil Shahi rulers) and subsequently Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan.

They had a large artillery with various military centres across Karnataka. These officers stayed back here and married local people. When the population grew, a mosque and prayer hall became inevitable.

Building mosques is a passion.

Today, there are more than 200 mosques in Bengaluru.“

--Prof B Sheik Ali, historian