In the Indian state of West Bengal, Murshidabad is home to the holy Islamic mosque Katra Masjid. The well-known Katra Masjid is an Islamic mosque and the tomb of the Nawab of Bengal, Murshid Quli Khan. This Islamic mosque is located in the northeastern part of Murshidabad.
People go to the mosque to learn about Islam and to visit the tomb of Murshid Khan, which is hidden under its stairs. This mosque stands out because it has two substantial corner towers with some holes in them, especially for musketry. Currently, the Indian historical survey department and the West Bengal state government take care of and defend this Islamic mosque.
History
In the Indian state of West Bengal, Murshidabad is home to the famous Islamic mosque Katra Masjid. The mosque is not only a place where people can learn about Islam, but it also has the tomb of Murshid Quli Khan. When Murshid Kahn, the Nawab of Bengal, knew he would die, he asked that his holy tomb be built near a mosque.
After that, he asked a builder named Murad Farash Khan to build the mosque and his tomb. So the Katra Masjid was built between the years 1723 and 1724. The Arabic writing on the walls of the holy Islamic building is a well-known fact. The date it was built is written on a stone in the mosque. It is one of India’s landmarks that are kept safe.
Architecture
Katra Masjid is built on a very important square pedestal. This Islamic mosque is made of bricks and is ringed by two-story dome-topped rooms. It was built for Madrasa, another word for people who read the holy Quran. Also, each room in the mosque has enough space for 700 people to read the Quran. Also, right before the rooms, four tall Minars are at each corner. The two towers in front of the Masjid are called Miners. They are about 70 feet tall and 25 feet wide.
How to Reach?
By Air
The airport closest to the city is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. It connects the city to the other big towns in the country. So, people coming from the airport or going to the mosque can take a car, bus, or cab to get there.
By Train
By train, Murshidabad is well connected to other cities and places in the state that are close by. The mosque is only 2 km from the Murshidabad railway station, the closest train stop.
By Road
Developed roads connect the city of Murshidabad to other parts of the state. So, people who want to go to the mosque can also hire a car service.
Weather and When to Visit
The weather in the city of Murshidabad is constantly changing. It means the temperature goes up to 40 degrees Celsius in the summer and drops to 20 to 7 degrees Celsius in the winter. But there aren’t many intense rains in the city during the summer. So October through March is the best time for visiting Katra Masjid or Mosque.
Features
A square base holds up the mosque. It is a mosque made of bricks ringed by two-story dome-topped rooms built for people who read the Holy Quran back then. You might also call them a Madrasa. All rooms can fit 700 people who want to read the Quran. In front of these rooms is a large garden with a wall. At each corner, there is a big digger. These are octagon-shaped and get smaller as they go up.
The two towers or minarets at the mosque’s entrance are 70 feet tall and 25 feet in diameter. The whole building is in the shape of a square. The mosque doesn’t have any columns to hold it up. Instead, it has been held up by a high platform below it or by several arches. The earthquake of 1897, however, destroyed the mosque. Each class has twisting stairs that go to the top. From the top, you can see a big part of Murshidabad.
At each end of the mosque, there are still two 70-foot-tall emirates in lousy shape. They had domes that the earthquake of 1897 tore down. In the year 1780, a traveller named William Hodges wrote that the mosque was home to 700 people who could read the Quran. You can get to the mosque from the east by climbing fourteen flights of stairs, where Nawab Murshid Quli Khan was buried.
It was done because the Nawab wanted it to be. He felt terrible about his bad things and asked for it to be done. He wished to be buried where the noblemen who scaled those stairs and went into the mosque would step on him and leave their footprints. Since he died in 1725, his body has been buried under the stairs. The plan of this mosque is like a square. It is 45.5m long and 7.32m wide.
It is split into five rooms, each with an arched door. The one in the middle stands out the most because it has a thin tower. There are five domes in the mosque. Some of them have been wiped out. Some people lived through the big earthquake of 1897, which nearly destroyed most of the houses. The total area is 19.5 acres, and it can fit 2,000 people who want to pray Namaz. This is why there are 2000 square mats on the floor, each used by one person who prays Namaz.
The rooms in the mosque are 20 feet square and have two stories. Each has 6 doors with curved tops. 15 stone steps go up to the gate, with 5 domes on each side and a stone path leading to the mosque’s main door. The spaces between these rooms and the mosque are 13 feet wide on each side and 42 feet wide in the back of the mosque. The front terrace of the mosque is 166 feet long and 110 feet wide.
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