THE JAMA MASJID OF DELHI
The Jama Musjid is located in the well-known Chandni Chowk shopping area in the heart of Delhi. It is in close walking distance from the Red Fort and is about a 10 minute drive from Connaught Place Shopping District.
HERITAGE SITE | THE JAMA MUSJID OF DELHI
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Commissioned and built by Shah Jahan with the aid of 5000 workers, the Musjid is regarded to be the second largest Musjid in the Indian subcontinent. Its courtyard can accommodate approximately 25 000 worshippers and is generally packed to capacity every Friday for the Jumuah prayers. Constructed in 1650–56, it is a celebrated icon of Old Delhi and amongst the most visited places in the city.
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The Musjid was designed by one of the greatest architects of his time, Ustadh Khalil. It has three gates, four towers and two 40m high minarets built from red sandstone and white marble. Each of its domes is unique in size and decoration making its design all the more extraordinary.
- Since the Jama Musjid and its courtyard stands on a surface more than 30 steps higher than the street, it provides the Musjid with a commanding view of the surrounding area. It was therefore aptly named ‘Musjid-i Jahān Numā’ which literally means the ‘world-reflecting Musjid’.
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During Mughal rule, it was the city’s principal congregational mosque for Friday (Jumuah) prayers and the emperor and his courtiers would arrive from the Red Fort to attend the prayers.
