Bagha Mosque- a landmark heritage of Bangladesh
Md. Ziaul Haque Howlader
The Historic Bagha Mosque – a wonder of Muslim Architecture – is located at Bagha Upazila of Rajshahi district. It is about 41 km southeast of Rajshahi district headquarters. The mosque with its mesmerizing beauty draws thousands of tourists from far and wide every year. It is a landmark archaeological site of Bangladesh, which is of the Sultanate period. Experts have identified the construction materials of the mosque are lime mortar, which is a wonder of Muslim architectural pattern. This is still a living mosque. People offer their prayers five-time a day.
The mosque was built in 1523-1524 (930 Hijri) by Sultan Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah, son of Alauddin Shah, the founder of Hussain Shahi dynasty. Later, this mosque was renovated several times and when the domes of the mosque were broken in an earthquake in 1897, the ruined mosque was re-built.
The mosque is situated on about 86 acres of land. The courtyard of the mosque has been made on a high plinth, which is 8-10 feet higher than the ground level. The pillars and the work above the gate on the north side have been damaged. This splendored mosque has ten domes, and inside there are six pillars. The mosque has four mehrabs which are very elaborately carved. The length of the mosque is 75 feet and width 42 feet, and height is 24 feet 6 inches. The walls are 8 feet wide, the diameter of the dome is 42 feet, and the height is 12 feet. The chauchala (four-roofed) dome has a diameter of 20 feet and a height of about 30 feet. Over the middle door is an inscription written in Persian.
The inner and outer walls have arches and pillars. Its walls are of 2.22 meters thick. The mosque has a total of 10 domes, 4 minarets (the top of which is domed) and 5 entrances. This mosque is surrounded by walls and there are two entrances on either side of the wall. Terracotta designs are present all over the inside and outside of the mosque. The huge pond next to the mosque is also a must see. Besides, there is a Mazar Sharif (shrine) next to the Bagha Mosque.
The inner and outer walls of the mosque have beautiful arches and pillars. Apart from this, there are numerous terracotta crafts including mango trees, lotus flowers, leaves and thousands of crafts used in Persian carving art. Besides, the shrines of Hazrat Shahdaula and his five companions are on the north side of the mosque premises.
Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah – the son of Alauddin Hussain Shah – the independent Sultan of Bengal, dug a large well in front of the mosque for public welfare and solve the water crisis in that period. Adjacent to Shahi Masjid, this pond is on fifty-two bighas of land. The pond is surrounded by rows of coconut trees. Every year during the winter, the area becomes lively with the call of numerous visiting birds in this lake.
Apart from this, there is a shrine of Jahar Khaki Pir (saint) adjacent to this mosque. His grave is on the north side of the main shrine. Apart from this, a mahal pond was discovered from under the ground adjacent to the mosque. Excavations in 1997 on the western side of the shrine revealed a 30-feet by 20-feet built-up mahal pond (stocking waterbody). This pond was connected to the inner palace by a tunnel.
There are many aesthetics terracotta plaques both the inside and outside the mosque. Inside the mosque, there is a special prayer room built a little higher in the north-west corner. In the area adjacent to this mosque, a fair named ‘Baghar Mela’ is organized every year from the day of Eid-ul-Fitr for three days as an added festival. The fair is participated by all walks of life of Bagha Upazila irrespective of religion, caste, race, rich and poor, who enjoy the fair a lot. This fair is a tradition of five-hundred years old.
There are many standard hotels and motels in Rajshahi City. Tourist visiting the Mosque may return to Rajshai town and visit other sites of the Rajshahi district such as Varendra Museum, Puthia Rajbari etc. Tourist can easily visit the site from Dhaka by air, rail and road. Reaching Rajshahi, tourists may avail rent-a-car service or travel by local buses. From Rajshahi City, it is less than one hour journey. Tourists are allowed to take pictures. Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism offers standard accommodation, restaurant, bar and car parking, souvenir shops, conference and other facilities to tourists in Rajshahi city. Tourists are advised to maintain sanctity while visit the Bagha Mosque. They are recommended to visit the Mosque and other nearby tourist sites under a package tour offered by the tour operators of Bangladesh.
The writer is a tourism expert.