This great mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was begun in 1644 and ended up being the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.
The highly decorative mosque has three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. Travellers can hire robes at the northern gate. This may be the only time you get to dress like a local without feeling like an outsider so make the most of it.
Jama Masjid is oriented toward the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which lies to the west. The eastern gateway itself was originally reserved for royal use exclusively. Others used smaller gates on the north and south sides of the building. Above the prayer hall’s entrances are calligraphic inscriptions in Persian. Three large marble domes rise from the prayer hall’s roof.
The mosque houses many relics of Prophet Mohammad and draws devotees from far and wide. Some of these relics include a Quran written on deerskin, sandals and a footprint of the Prophet embedded in a marble slab, and a red hair, which is said to have been from his beard.
The best time to visit the mosque is during the festivities of Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Zoha, when it is resplendent as a bride and is thronged by devotees from all over the country. It is said that Lutyens incorporated the mosque into his design in such a way that the mosque along with Connaught Place and the Parliament House falls in direct line of sight. Tourists are not allowed in the mosque during prayers and while the entry is free, one will have to pay for carrying a camera into the premises.
