Jumma Masjid

Mosque By No Comments

Tucked away in a behind a courtyard, the Jumma (Jama) Masjid is a mosque located near Mandvi. It is said that the mosque has existed in the area for centuries, and was built in 1461 A.D. during the Sultanate period. Although the present building of the mosque and the attached buildings were constructed with the aid of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1912 A.D..

The Mosque :

The construction of this mosque was carried under the supervision of the building committee of Anjuman-i-Islam, Baroda and the State architect Mr. Alfred Coyle.

The huge gate of the masjid is tucked between tightly packed shops on the way to Gendi Gate. Above these small shops one can see two storeys of rows of doors and windows behind a long continuous balcony, these are probably part of the building included in the complex of the mosque. After entering thru the huge gateway one comes upon a courtyard, which in turn leads one to the main prayer hall i.e. the “liwan”. The facade of this prayer hall is flanked by two tall minarets and features 9 arches arranged in a row. This hall is topped by three domes, and has 11 “mihrabs” on the “qibla” wall, facing in the direction of the holy city of Mecca.

Jumma Masjid (Jama Masjid)

The home to Asia’s biggest Quran : 

The mosque was home to the Asia’s biggest Quran for more than 200 years. Measuring a massive 1.4 by 1.9 meters, the holy book is written across 15 volumes and weighs more than 1.5 tonnes in total with each volume weighing about a 100 kilograms. It was written by Islamic saint Mohhamed Ghauz in the 18th century. It is said that the saint started writing it at the age of 18 and finished it when he was 65, in 1781. It is written in arabic with the use of natural inks such as “kajal” and gold water, with each page lined by cloth to ensure it’s longevity.

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The holy book had suffered some damage in the floods of July 2005 and was shifted to the Darul Uloom Seminary, Tandalja, Baroda.

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