Mecca Masjid (Hyderabad)

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Mecca Masjid is the oldest and the biggest of the mosques situated in Hyderabad city. About 10,000 people can offer prayers in this mosque at a time. It is said that Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah began the construction of the Masjid in 1617 but the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb completed the construction in 1694. The Mecca Masjid of Hyderabad is located just 100 yards away from the famous and historic Charminar.

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The name of the mosque has an interesting short story behind it. It is believed that some bricks were brought from Mecca and inserted in the walls of its main arch. Hence it came to be known as Mecca Masjid. There are fifteen arches that support the hall of the mosque. Three walls of the great hall have five arches each. This huge hall is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long. No wonder it can accommodate about 10,000 people at a time during worship. It is said that about 8000 workers had been employed to construct this grand mosque. The mosque took 77 years to be completed.

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Innumerable sermons from the Quran (the holy book of Muslims) have been intricately depicted on the arches of the Mecca Masjid. You can have a quiet and serene moment with yourself near the man made pond, which has soothing blue water. There are seating arrangements at the edges of the pond and it is believed that if a visitor sits on it, the person will surely visit Hyderabad again. There is a room in the courtyard of the mosque that stores ancient and holy relics. It is believed to contain the hair of Prophet Mohammed.

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Medak Church (Andhra pradesh)

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Once the centre of a flourishing Buddhist culture, Medak is richly endowed with archaeological treasures. The magnificent Catholic Church at the place is said to be one of the three big churches in South India. It’s foundation was laid in 1914 and it is was completed in 1924. On special occasions such as Easter, Christmas and New Year, this church attracts large crowds.

The Exquisite Architectural Splendour is that it Built with solid white granite, the lofty structure with its sylvan ambience is profoundly aesthetic, luring the faithful from far and wide. The main prayer hall of the church is 91m long and 45.5m wide.

The church has an impressive style of vaulting and large windows on either sides of the hall and the windows at the entrance are provided with pieces of coloured glass fitted in metal frames. The coloured glass pieces are beautifully arranged to depict scenes from the bible and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They serve as a picture book of the Bible to those who cannot read. The colour spectrum produced by these windows inside, by the early and late afternoon sun is marvellous.

The Cathedral is 61m high and accommodates 5,000 people at a time. The tower over the entrance is 53m high. The British artist, Sir O. Salisbury took 40 years creating this work of art at his studio in London.

The Legend has it that this church was born out of a famine that struck Medak during World War I. Mr. Charles Walker Posnett, a dedicated English missionary from England, was posted as the Reverend of Medak, which was reeling under an unprecedented famine that continued for as long as three years.

Hundreds of families approached the Reverend for food and blessings. Their pathetic condition moved him and he provided them with enough food. As an act of thanks giving to God who helped him provide food for the starving people of Medak, he proposed building a church. The grateful inhabitants of Medak instantly accepted the proposal. Thus with the labour of love from those simple peasants, the church rose. Started in the year 1914, it took ten years to complete it. It was consecrated in 1924 during Christmas.

With its immensity and beauty, this century old church stands out as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in India.

Kabuli Bagh Mosque Panipat ( New Delhi )

Kabuli Bagh Mosque, built in 1526, is an impressive structure located at Panipat, a historical town situated on the banks of the Yamuna. Panipat is about 92 km north of New Delhi.

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Panipat, the battle city is also a famous and interesting place in the pages of history. Without any surprise, just two kilometers away from this city exists the Kabuli Bagh Mosque. The then Muslim Ruler Babur had built it and named it after his wife Kabuli Begum. Babur constructed this mosque in order to commemorate his victory over Ibrahim Lodhi. After six years, Humayun defeated Salim Shah and got a platform called Chabutara Fateh Mubarak made around the mosque. It bears an inscription dating back to 1527 AD.

Babur erected this mosque after the first battle of Panipat to commemorate victory over Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. The mosque is housed inside an enclosure having octagonal towers at its corners. The building has its entry on the north, which is made of bricks with red sandstone facing. The entrance has a lintel bracket-type opening encased in a huge arch. The spandrels are decorated with arched recesses covered in rectangular panels.

The main prayer hall of the mosque has annexes on sides, which are crowned with hemispherical domes sitting on low drums. Its high facade, divided in panels, is plastered with lime. A masonry platform, the Chabutra-I-Fateh Mubarak, constructed by Humayun (the eldest son of Babur), bears an inscription dating back to 1527.

There are chambers on two sides of the mosque. In addition to this, there is also an inscription in Persian that runs along the parapet. The main prayer hall is square and has annexes on sides. Its high facade is divided in panels and plastered with lime. Each annex constitutes of nine bays. These bays are crowned with hemispherical domes sitting on low drums. The age and climate ravage the structure to an extent. Kabuli Bagh Mosque is now protected as a heritage building.