Moghul Masjid: A piece of Persia in Mumbai

As we enter a narrow bylane of Dongri which leads towards the mosque the din of the chaotic traffic on the main road mellows giving a hint of the serenity that awaits us With its two minarets glinting in the evening sun the Moghul Masjid is a majestic piece of Iranian heritage that has withstood the travails of timeThe place almost transports one to Iran with its ornate architecture the pristine water in the pond the beautiful fountain and wellmanicured lawns Hossain Najafi 29 a third generation Iranian living in Mumbai reminisces coming to the mosque with his grandfather ldquoIrsquove been coming to this masjid since I was a kid The peace and serenity here makes you forget about all your problems and the architecture is one of the best I have ever seen he saysTwo minarets a feature of Shia mosques PicSayyed Sameer AbediOnce upon a timeThe masjid was built in 1860 by a wealthy Iranian merchant Haji Mohammad Hussain Shirazi ldquoThere was a reason behind building the mosque in Bhendi Bazaar At that point of time this area was considered an uptown a bastion for big traders and exporters who would come with shiploads of goodsrdquo says Ali Namazi the honorary secretary of the mosque These traders contributed heavily to the construction of religious places in Dongri The area is dotted with community halls and imambadasThe pond or hauz at the entrance PicSayyed Sameer AbediReza Masoudi Nejad a research scholar in his thesis lsquoPractising Fractal Shirsquoi Identities through Muharram Rituals in Mumbairsquo writes ldquoThrough a short walk around Dongri you can experience the diverse cultural background of the Shirsquoa communities through the architecture of religious placesrdquoBrick by brickThe masjid was built on the lines of the mosques in Shiraz Iran A peculiar feature of Shirazi architecture is that the mosques have only two minarets and no dome The inner walls of this masjid have been made using a combination of Onyx and granite One can also see several surahs verses from the Holy Quran engraved on the walls The foundation of the lsquomehrabrsquo or the inner sanctum is made of mud from the holy city of Karbala IraqThe main prayer hall PicSayyed Sameer AbediThe exterior faccedilade of the mosque is built using translucent mosaic tiles that reflect light giving it a surreal effect And the ornate crystal chandeliers and exquisite carpets have been imported all the way from IranThe pond or what they call lsquohauzrsquo was originally meant to be the place where ablutions were taken However with the construction of taps the pond is now more of a decorative piece ldquoThe tiles are wiped and cleaned everyday and the carpets are washed twice a year During the monsoon we do the water proofing of the place We have about 12odd people to look after the mosquerdquo says Nemazi The mosque is managed by the Haji Mohammed Shirazi trust The structure underwent a major facelift in 1996 under architect Reza Kabul who helped restore the mosque to its original gloryThe Minakari tiles specially imported from Iran PicSayyed Sameer AbediA typical dayThe mosque opens at 5 in the morning with the recitation of the morning prayer fajr followed by the afternoon namaaz Zohr Asr and then the evening prayer Maghrib ldquoAll through the year the masjid holds lsquomajlisrsquo a gathering held in the memory of departed souls Most notable among these are the ones held during Muharram Ramadan and AyameFateimieh celebrated as Womenrsquos Day in Iranrdquo reveals NemaziIn fact in a first of sorts a television crew from Iran was allowed to shoot in the mosque this month ldquoThe only reason we allowed it was because it was meant for a religious showrdquo he explainsTwotenth of the mosque is reserved for women Although women are restricted from entering the main hall the mosque has opened its doors for women on special occasions ldquoIf men and women are allowed to pray alongside each other in Mecca why not here It is about the culture and nothing to do with Shariahrdquo says NamaziSarover Zaidi a research scholar who has explored the anthropological and historical aspect of the mosque says ldquoThe Moghul Masjid is important for both Iranians as well as the Shias from Bombay and was built as a statement of solidarity The mosque is not just a heritage piece but a place that brims with liferdquo Zaidi adds that the mosque has a space beyond prayer ldquoIt provides a sense of relaxation in a crowded areaYou will notice people sitting relaxing reading the newspaper Itrsquos a combined space of religion and leisurerdquo she revealsInterestingly next to the masjid lies the only surviving Irani Hamam Turkish bath in India Apparently it was built around the same time as the Moghul Masjid and was once quite a popular spot among the Iranians living here We are told that visitors can get a massage for Rs 150 Well wersquod give that a pass for now