This mosque is India's first, built during the Prophet's lifetime

Kodungallur Kerala One will find nothing unusual about this place of worship for Muslims as one drives past this town in central Kerala just 30 km north of Kochi But its when you go in and chat up with the volunteers and officebearers that the enormity of its legacy actually hits youFor Cheraman Jumah Masjid in this town also known by its anglicised name Cranganore is not just the oldest in India and the subcontinent but one built during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammad in 629 AD by an Arab propagator of Islam Malik Ibn DinarThe presentday mosque PicIANSIt is also testimony to two facts One Islam came to India long before the Mughals came in from the northwest Two the entry of Islam was smooth and Muslims enjoyed the full patronage of the locals irrespective of their religions a facet that is still visible and cherished hereThis mosque stands proud with two other landmarks of Kodungallur also known as Muziris The first is the Saint Thomas Church also said to be among the first in India built by the Apostle himself around 52 AD He had arrived here in India and the church has some holy relics from the olden days The second is the Bhagavathy Temple of Cheran ruler Chenguttavan also known as Vel Kelu Kuttuvan around 150 ADA photograph of the mosque as it existed in 1905In fact in a manifestation of Indias cultural syncretism many nonMuslims are its devotees and hold Vidhyarambham or the commencement of education ceremony for their children at this mosque During Ramadan iftaar offerings are often made by the nonMuslim communities in the areaThere are several legends surrounding the Cheraman Jumah mosque As one goes It was built under the patronage of the last Chera king Cheraman Perumal who is also believed to have abdicated his throne and embraced Islam upon meeting the Prophet at MeccaBut before he died at Dhufar in Oman due to some illness on the way back to India he wrote some letters asking the local rulers to whom he had handed over his empire to extend all help they could to some Arab merchants who were planning to visit IndiaOne such merchant Malik Ibn Dinar was given permission by local chieftains to build Islamic places of worship around the area The mosque accordingly is called the Cheraman Mosque in recognition of the help extended by the last Chera rulerThis apart Malik Ibn Dinar who was also a sahaba or a companion of the Prophet was the mosques first Ghazi succeeded by his nephew Habib Bin Malik Both Habib Bin Malik and his wife are entombed at the Cheraman Juma MasjidThe sanctum sanctorum with a traditional Keralastyle lamp and a mimber or the pulpit from where the Imam delivers sermons that has intricate carvings and lacquer work unique to southern IndiaThe original mosque itself has undergone several renovations The oral traditions have it that the first such refurbishment took place in the 11th century and again some 300 years later In the modern era a revamp was done in 1974 after which a reconstruction happened in 2001But all along the sanctum sanctorum has been preserved Minarets and a dome are also modernday additions Yet despite the renovations a striking amalgam of different cultures and religions is in full play at the grand old mosqueFrom some angles it can even pass off as a templeAt the centre of this striking blend of several architectural styles and practices is a traditional Keralastyle lamp hanging from the ceiling This lamp also has inscriptions in old Malayalam script VattezhuthuA donation box in brass that had been kept in the mosque for centuries before it was transferred to the museumIn true style of temples in the south the mosque also has a pond Then the minber or the pulpit from where the Imam delivers sermons has some intricate carvings and lacquer work which is again unique to southern IndiaThe mosque also has a small museum At the centre inside a glass casing is a miniature replica of the mosque as it stood around 350 years ago There are also some other artefacts from the times gone by such as the redstones that were used to as building material in sizes uncommon today and an ancient sewage channel