On this day the foundation stone of Nakhoda Masjid in Kolkata, the largest mosque in Bengal, was laid. The building of the current structure, which was preceded by a smaller one, was completed in about a decade at the expense of Rs 15,00,000. The chief donor was Abdur Rahim Osman, a leader of the Kutchi Memon Jamat community and a shipping tycoon.
Architecturally arresting, this large, dignified building puts together elements of Mughal architecture. It is modelled on Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra, near Agra.
Its prayer hall can accommodate 10,000 worshippers at a time. The mosque has three imposing domes and two tall minarets.
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Grand arches mark the red sandstone gateway design, modelled on the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur-Sikri.