Beautiful Bangladesh

Bagerhat - Shat Gombuj Masjid

Posted by : Subrato Saha Friday, March 29, 2013

Shat Gombuj Masjid

Shat Gombuj Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Bangladesh. It is situated in southern and western side of Bagerhat. It is also one of the World Heritage Sites recognized by UNESCO.

In mid 15^th century, a muslim colony was founded in the inhospitable mangrove forest of the sundarbans near the seacoast in Bagerhat district by a saint Ulugh Khan Jahan. He was earliest torchbearer of Islam in the south who laid the nucleus of an affluent city during the reason of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1442-59), then known as ‘Khalifatabad’ (present Bagerhat). Khan Jahan adorned his city with numerous mosques, tanks, roads and public buildings. The most spectacular of which is the imposing multi-domed mosque in Bangladesh, known as the Shat Gombuj Masjid. The stately fabric monument stands on the eastern bank of a vast sweet water tank, clustered round by the heavy foliage of low-lying countryside characteristic of a seacoast landscape.

Now this mosque is one of the most attractive places in Bangladesh where thousands of people of Bangladesh visit this mosque everyday. If you go there you can see that the mosque is roofed over with 77 squat domes, including 7 chauchla or four sided domes in the middle row. The prayer hall is provided with 11 arched doorways on east and 7 each on north and south for ventilation and light. It has 7 longitudinal aisles and 11deep bays by a forest of slender stone columns. From these columns spring rows of endless arches, support the domes. The arches are six feet in thickness, have slightly tapering hollow and round walls. The interior and the exterior of the mosque give a view of rather plain architecture but the interior western wall of the mosque was beautifully decorated with terracotta flowers and foliage. The mosque was not only used as a prayer hall but also used as the court of Khan Jahan Ali. Most of the Muslim tourists going there take prayer in this mosque. There is a museum beside this mosque that you can first see entering through the gate. There is much terracotta in this museum. There are also many things such as glass, plate etc. which are used on the period off Khan Jahan Ali. There is a “Park” beside this masjid called ‘Sundarban Resorts and Picnic Corner”. You can also spend some moments here.

The mausoleum of Khan Jahan Ali is not so far from the Shat Gombuj Mosque. You can also go there. It is called the mazar of Khan Jahan Ali. It is one stored building that has a unique and beautiful dome. Inside of this building Khan Jahan Ali was buried. The building was made of beautiful stones. It is said that these stones are brought from Chittagong by Khan Jahan Ali.

Khan Jahan Ali's Mazhar

There is a big lake beside the mausoleum of Khan Jahan Ali that is called 'Khan . It looks very beautiful. There are some crocodiles in this lake. There was two oldest crocodiles named “Kala Pahar & Dhola Pahar”. But they died. Khan Jahan Ali was died on 25^th October, 1459. In every year a big fair is held on the night of full moon of Chaitra, a Bengali month. Many people from different countries come in this fair.

There is also a beautiful and big lake on the back side of the Shat Gombuj Masjid that is called Ghora Dighi. There is an interesting history before named this lake. It is said that a horse was given up to run and as far as the horse could cover by running, that area would be accepted for the length of the lake. Thus this Dighi or lake was dug and that’s why this lake is called “Ghora Dighi”.

There is a renowned college in Bagerhat named Prafullo Chandra (P.C.) College. If you go to Bagerhat, you can also visit this college that has a big college ground and a pond. And inside this college there is a Idol of Prafullo Chandra. There is a mission here that is only for Hindu students named "Ramkrishno Mission".