Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi Aurangzeb's Mosque | |
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Religion | |
Affiliation | Islam |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Functional |
Location | |
Location | Varanasi, India 25.31 N 83.01 E |
State | Uttar Pradesh |
Geographic coordinates | 25°18′40″N 83°00′36″E / 25.311°N 83.01°E |
Architecture | |
Founder | Aurangzeb |
The Alamgir Mosque, Varanasi,Aurangzeb's Mosque, is a mosque built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.[1][2] The mosque is located at a prominent site above the Panchganga Ghat. The ghat has broad steps that go down to the Ganges.[3]
Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Hindu temple, built by Beni Madhur Rao Scindia, a Maratha chieftain, was demolished when the emperor Aurangzeb had captured Banaras and had then ordered the total destruction of all its Hindu temples.[4] Later, Aurangzeb built a mosque 1669[4] and named it as Alamagir Mosque in the name of his own honorific title "Alamgir", which he had adopted after becoming the emperor of the Mughal empire. The minarets couldn’t withstand the test of time and in the 19th century, an English scholar James Prinsep had to restore them. In 1948 one of the minarets collapsed killing a few people around the time of the floods. Later the govt pulled down the other minaret due to security reasons. [5][6]
The mosque is architecturally a blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture.[5] The mosque has high domes and minarets.[7][6] Two of its minarets were damaged; one minaret collapsed killing a few people and the other was officially brought down owing to stability concerns.[6] The Panchaganga Ghat where the mosque is situated is where five streams are said to join. In October lamps are lighted on top of a bamboo staff as a mark of guidance to the ancestors.[7]