Athar Jamad Mosque

Athar Jamad Masjid
The Big Mosque
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Leadership	President: janab. A.Shanawaz MA.,DMLT.,
Location
Location	Oppanakara Street, Coimbatore
Architecture
Type	Mosque
Date established	1904
Specifications
Capacity	2000
Minaret(s)	4
Minaret height	85 ft (26 m)

Athar Jamad Masjid ( Arabic: اثار جماعة المسجد ; Tamil: அத்தார் ஜமாத் மஸ்ஜித் ; also known as The Big Mosque ) is located at Oppanakara Street within the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu in India. It is one of the oldest and biggest masjid in Coimbatore.^[1]

History and construction

A perfume merchant named Athar, who migrated from Tirunelveli, built the structure. It took 44 years to complete, with construction beginning in 1860 and finishing in 1904. ^{[citation needed]}

The structure is made up of limestone and mortar and polished with egg white. The facade is covered with cusped arches surrounding the open courtyard, where the prayer halls stand. There is a covered ablution pond in the southeastern corner and a small library on the eastern side. There's also a kitchen that prepares nonbu kanji (rice soup)^[2] in the fasting period during Ramadan. Hawkers line the entrance with amulets and items of worship.

According to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the two minars with domed roofs on the northern and southern sides are 85 feet high. This pair of silver domes stand out in the skyline of the Town Hall area. The mosque can accommodate about 2,000 worshippers during Friday prayers.

Dargah

The mosque is built beside the tomb of Pir Jamesha Waliullah, a Sufi Waliullah who died in the 1850s. His tomb, which is now a dargah in the middle of Big Bazaar Street, is on the southern side of the masjid. Visitors are blessed inside the dargah with amulets tied around their necks to ward off evil spirits.

Following

The Jamaat comprises the descendants of the 52 families from Tirunelveli that moved to Coimbatore in 1850. According to Jamaat secretary A.R. Baserdeen, 1355 members are now alive.

The Jamaat's elected executive committee manages the mosque, as well as Jamesha Waliullah dargah on Big Bazaar Street, Jungal Pir dargah on Trichy road, and the Cemetery Masjid beside Coimbatore Junction. The committee also runs three schools in the area which serve 1200 students.

During Ramadan and Bakrid, crowds flock to the masjid and the dargah beside it.^[3]

See also

• List of mosques in India
• Timeline of Islamic history
• Islamic architecture
• Islamic art

References

1. kmdilip. "Athar Jamad Majeed coimbatore, Athar Jamad Masjid coimbatore, Athar Jamad Majeed Photos". Coimbatore365.com. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
2. Saqaf, Syed Muthahar (21 September 2009). "'Nonbu Kanji,' a noble thing that paves way for communal harmony". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
3. "Metro Plus Coimbatore : The Big Mosque". The Hindu. 3 September 2009. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2014.