| Andu Masjid | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Mosque | |
| Status | Active[clarification needed] |
| Location | |
| Location | Bijapur, Karnataka |
| Country | India |
Location of the mosque in Karnataka | |
| Administration | Archaeological Survey of India |
| Coordinates | 16Ā°49ā²20ā³N 75Ā°43ā²06ā³Eļ»æ / ļ»æ16.8223Ā°N 75.7183Ā°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Style | Indo-Islamic |
| Founder | Iātibar Khan |
| Completed | Template:AH |
| Specifications | |
| Dome | One |
| Minaret | Four |
| Materials | Dressed stone |
| Template:Infobox designation list/entry | |
The Andu Masjid, also known as Anda Masjid, is a mosque located in Bijapur, in the state of Karnataka, India.[1] The mosque is a Monument of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India.[2]
Architecture[edit | edit source]
An inscription carved at the entrance of the mosque notes that it was commissioned by Iātibar Khan in Template:AH. Khan was a nobleman who lived during the reign of Ibrahim Adil Shah II.[3]
Henry Cousens posits that it was built as a women's mosque.[3] The absence of a pulpit within the prayer-hall points to this conclusion, since no man would be allowed to enter the mosque and deliver a sermon, due to purdah restrictions. Other elements supporting this theory include a parapet around the terrace of the building, which allows its occupants a view of the city without being seen themselves.[3] However, as of 2016[update], the mosque has banned the entry of women.[4] Its ground floor serves as a madrasa, while the upper floor serves as a prayer-hall for men.[4]
The building has two stories, with the mosque on the first floor and a hall on the ground floor, which might have served as a caravanserai. It is built out of dressed stone masonry. The first floor is ornately decorated, while the ground floor is plain.[3]
The mosque is situated on the western side of the first floor, and its faƧade has three arched entrances of equal size, opening out into a terrace. Two staircases provide access to the outer corners of the terrace, and a low parapet runs around it. The prayer-hall measures about 6 metres (20 ft) square. Its western wall contains a large mihrab (prayer-niche), flanked by two smaller niches. There is no minbar (pulpit) within the mosque.[1][5][3]
A ribbed dome surmounts the roof, resting upon an arcaded drum with sixteen sides. Four minarets rise above a projecting buttress at the rear of the dome, which aligns with the prayer-niche of the mosque below. Four more minarets are provided, one at each corner of the building. The main dome is melon-shaped, as are small domes crowning each of the minarets.[1][3][6]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Islam in India
- List of mosques in India
- List of Monuments of National Importance in Bijapur district, Karnataka
References[edit | edit source]
- ā 1.0 1.1 1.2 Desai, Ziyaud-din. Mosques of India. New Delhi: The Director General, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. ISBN 978-81-230-2618-3.
- ā "The Andu Masjid". Archaeological Survey of India, Dharwad Circle.
- ā 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Cousens, Henry (1976). Bijapur and its architectural remains with an historical outline of the 'Adil Shahi dynasty. Varanasi: Bharatiya Publishing House. pp. 77ā79.
- ā 4.0 4.1 Sharma, Ruchika (6 February 2016). "What history proves: Indian mosques barring women is only a recent trend". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ā Cousens, Henry (1905). Bijapur, the Capital of the Adil Shahi Kings: A Guide to Its Ruins. Scottish Mission Industries Company.
- ā Desai, Ziyaud-din. Indo-Islamic architecture. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN 978-81-230-2406-6.