Attractions

• Architecture : Mughal style
• 90 ft high minarets
• Mughal-era domes
• Monolithic pulpit
• Golden inscriptions in Persian
• Relics of the Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat Jeelani
• An old clock ticking since 1906
• Temples on either side of the mosque

Jumma Masjid

  in the OPH Road ( Old Poor House Road) of Shivajinagar, is known to be the oldest mosque in Bangalore. This mosque is also known as the Sangeen Jamia. The foundation of this mosque is said to have been laid by Emperor Aurangzeb. Originally built in 1790 by Haji Qazi Abdul Quddus Saheb, the mosque had the patronage of Tipu Sultan with construction material specially brought from Srirangapatna. The 14 huge stone pillars in the prayer hall were transported on bullockcarts and worked on by skilled artisans from Mysore. The mosque was damaged by cannon fire during the Mysore war and renovated in 1836. The property was registered under Wakf Act in 1965, but taken over by Wakf Board only in 2012.

Architecture

The frame of Mehrab (pulpit), is carved out of a single block of black granite. The ornate roof has exquisite brown coloured patterns of large leaves and intricate carvings. On the left of the courtyard is the water pool with two beautiful fountains for ablutions (called wuzu). A panel of remarkable Persian-style carvings of flowers and leaves adorns the upper part of the walls. The ceilings are fitted with large chandeliers. The main prayer hall has a capacity to accommodate about 1,500 people

Relics

There is a window on the top of the dome under which the Imam (head priest) prays. The relics ( hairs from the beard) of Prophet Muhammad and Hazrat Abdul Qadar Jeelani are preserved there. On the first day of Rabi-ul-Awwal (the 3rd month of the Islamic calendar), the relic of the Prophet is displayed and on the first Friday of Rabi-ul-Akhir (the 4th month of the Islamic calendar), Hazrat's relics are displayed.

Unique Features

The arch above the pulpit has impressive carvings with Persian inscriptions in gold on either side, with an old clock that has not stopped ticking for the past 108 years now ( as of 2014). The inscriptions are by poets such as Muhammad Jalal Sahib Qadri (Wafa) and Ali Sahab (Qasam). The Masjid also has a unique record - Imam Abdul Hafiz Junaid is the only Imam in India who is known to have conducted prayers in a mosque for 54 years, from 1948 to 2002.

Communal Harmony

This mosque stands between 2 temples: Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple and the 101-year-old Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple. The OPH Road has a church: St.Paul's Church and 4 other mosques : Masjid-e-Azam, Masjid-e-Bewarpawan (Merchant's Mosque), Lal Masjid (1845), and Masjid-e-Lababeen. All places of worship have peacefully co-existed over the years.