Akbarabadi Mosque
Akbarabadi Mosque | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
District | Old Delhi |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque |
Location | |
Location | Delhi |
Country | India |
Territory | Delhi |
Geographic coordinates | 28°39′00″N 77°14′16″E / 28.6499°N 77.2379°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Mosque |
Style | Indo-Islamic |
Akbarabadi Mosque was a
History
Akbarabadi Masjid was built by one of
The mosque was reportedly[
Akbarabadi Masjid was one of the mutiny bases which was demolished by the British forces. Its existence has since been legendary and passed on generation after generation. It is not known where the mosque exactly stood, though many local
The debris from the demolished mosque was put on sale and somehow found a noble buyer in
Possible discovery
On 6 July 2012, while digging earth in Netaji Subhash Park area to construct a Metro station, the officials of the DMRC came across remains of some medieval era construction buried under the ground.[2] After investigation by the ASI, it has been confirmed that the remains belong to the Mughal era due to the material used the style of construction and other things like pottery excavated from the site.[3] It has however, not yet been ascertained if the remains are those of Akbarabadi Masjid or are a part of it. The ASI says that its investigations to establish the exact identity of the ruins are on. The digging by DMRC has been suspended. It was part of Delhi Metro's Phase-3 plan and minor modification to the route may have to be done to adhere to the ASI construction norms in protected heritage areas.[4]
The discovery has triggered excitement among local residents, who certainly believe the remains to belong to Akbarabadi Masjid. Following the construction of an illegal brick structure – which endangered the integrity of the ASI excavations – Muslim residents started offering
The local civic agency North Delhi Municipal Corporation had initially banned any activity except offering namaaz at the site.[9] However, on 20 July 2012 the Delhi High Court issued a ban on any construction and religious activities at the site, reasoning that it was not yet ascertained if the site belonged to some ancient mosque and that for over a century has no religious activity been carried out at the site.[10] It also ordered North Delhi Municipal Corporation to hand over the land to ASI for its investigations to begin.[11] On 25 July 2012 the site was handed over to ASI but the archaeology body said that it would start excavating the site only after the monsoons. Heavy police cover shall be provided to ASI during its work.[12] Following request by ASI, the Delhi High Court on 30 July 2012 ordered North Delhi Municipal Corporation to demolish the illegal construction and asked for heavy policing to maintain law and order.[13] On 11 October 2012, after much delay due to monsoons, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation sought Paramilitary cover in a bid to start the demolition drive at the site.[14]
See also
- Fatehpuri Masjid
- History of Delhi
- Indian Rebellion of 1857
- Old Delhi
- Shah Jahan
- Kali Masjid, Jalna
- Siege of Delhi
References
- ^ Why was Old Delhi Railway Station built in the heart of Shahjahanabad? Trisha Gupta[permanent dead link]
- ^ Akbarabadi Masjid found?
- ^ Relics belong to Mughal era
- ^ "Metro plans for alternative location". Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ People offer namaaz at possible Mosque site
- ^ Hader, Faidan (5 September 2012). "Riots proving new headache for city cops". Hindustan Times. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ Bhatnagar, Gaurav Vivek; Kumar, Ashok (22 July 2012). "High drama at Akbarabadi mosque site". The Hindu. New Delhi. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ "Two held for violence at Akbarabadi mosque site". The Hindu. New Delhi. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ^ Construction at relics site banned
- ^ All activity banned at site
- ^ Hand over land to ASI: Delhi High Court
- ^ Work on site only after monsoons: ASI
- ^ Demolish structure over Mughal-era ruins: Delhi HC
- ^ "Now, corporation seeks paramilitary cover". The Times of India. 12 October 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.