Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Eid-gah of Mughal times at Dhanmondi, Dhaka






Pics above taken on 16 jan 2007

pic source: New Age

Pic source: Daily Star

Historical Eidgah (Dhaka) at Sat Masjid Road, Dhanmondi was constructed by Mir Abul Qasim, Dewan by the order of Prince Shah Shuja, Mughal viceroy of Bengal, second son of Emperor Shahjahan. A Persian inscription records the date of its erection in 1640 AD (1050 AH). The Eidgah for Eid congregation was a platform measuring 148’ x 137’ in size raised from the surrounding land by 4-6 feet. During Mughal period, a river branch flowed beside the Eidgah connected the river near Saat Masjid.

The Eidgah (open field for Eid prayer) consists of a free standing wall on the west, measuring 137 feet 15 feet high, containing a semi-octagonal multi-cusped central Mihrab (prayer-niche) flanked on either side by panels set within frame. The whole wall surface is plastered with elegant decoration in low relief.

This beautiful structure typical of the Mughal architecture was in partial ruins for lack of maintenance after Mughal’s Bengal capital was shifted from Dhaka to Murshidabad and this portion of the Indian subcontinent was captured by the British.

This oldest Mughal monument in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, still draws a large number of visitors because of its architectural beauty. The Mughal Subehdars and Diwans living in this land used to come to the Eidgah for Eid prayers twice a year. People still gather at the place in congregation for prayers on Eid day.
The Eidgah with its red coloured high earthen platform and the elegant masonry wall on west was a prominent landmark in west Dhanmondi area and could be visible from a great distance till early 50’s (Dhanmondi residential area in its early stage). Since then, structures mushrooming around it have kept the old Mughal structure out of visibility. Residences, several Govt offices, godowns, a marriage registrar office, a youth club, few tea stalls, madrasah and a dormitory for the students around have completely overshadowed the Eidgah.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi I came across this website...THANK GOD SOME ONE LIKE YOURSELF HAS MADE AN EFFERT TO PUT UP BEAUTIFUL PICTURES OF Dhaka and Bangladesh...I wante dto ask you have you got Parsi/ anglo indian Community in Bangladesh??
im doing research on my family background..
Jacob
fcuke007@hotmail.co.uk
If anyone knows of the above please please let me know....Im visiting Bangladesh in Summer!

!!KamaKazi!! said...

Old memories... Very Nice place to visit... there is pond behind the post office ... used to be there... don't know about it now...

Anonymous said...

It really is an extra-ordinary work done by you. I appreciate for what you have done to uphold the culture, custom and creed of the people of our city. I liked the pics of Dhaka you uploaded here. It must have cost you a tireless effort to do all this.
Wasi
Nayapaltan Dhaka

aESTHETICS N dESIGN said...

nice n informatics blog.very helpful 4 all of the architecture student.

aanika said...

nice and informatics site.very helpful 4 all of architecture student.

nasir said...

very interesting image,thank you sir

Lash said...

This blog has been inspiring. THANK YOU. I have captured few pics of the work-in-progress of restoration, here :

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152449658929647.1073741831.634809646&type=1

I have re-published one of the pic from your site and added the credit on pic & also as comments. If this is un-acceptable please let me know, I can remove them if you like.

-Lashkar

Ershad Ahmed said...

Welcome Mr. Lashkar!