‘Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra’ or “shed of 2½ days” is a large and imposing mosque in Ajmer, Rajasthan. One of the oldest mosques in India, and the oldest surviving monument in the city of Ajmer, it was commissioned by Sultan Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak in 1192 AD and completed in 1199 AD. Designed by Abu Bakr ibn Ahmed Khalu Al-Hirawi of Herat, Afghanistan; the mosque is a shining example of early Indo-Islamic architecture style. The mosque was further enhanced by Aibak’s successor, Sultan Iltutmish in 1213 AD. A legend says that a major part of the mosque was built in just two-and-a-half days. Some Sufi followers believe it signifies a human’s temporary life on earth.
According to ASI, the place got its name from a two-and-a-half-day or 60-hour long fair that was held at the site. A unique blend of Islamic, Hindu, and Jain architecture styles; the mosque was built by Hindu masons under the guidance of Afghan managers. The mosque has retained much of its original Indian features, including ornately designed pillars with exquisite detailing that feature several four-armed figures, including a figure of the Hindu goddess ‘Kali’. Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra was used as a mosque for more than 700 years till 1947, when India became independent. It was then handed over to the Jaipur circle of Archaeological Survey of India or ASI, who have been managing and maintaining it ever since.
A major tourist attraction in Ajmer, the mosque is the oldest surviving monument in Ajmer, it is visited by people of all religions, as a sample of Hindu, Muslim, and Jain architecture blend. It is one of the major attractions of the holy city of Ajmer besides the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. It is said the original building was a Jain temple built by Seth Viramdeva Kala in 660 CE to celebrate Panch Kalyanaka. Epigraphic evidence suggests that there was a Sanskrit college building also on the site that was reportedly commissioned by King Vigraharaja IV or Visaladeva, of the Shakambhari Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty.
Originally built as a square-shaped building with dome-shaped pavilions at each corner, it is expected to have been built sometime before 1153 AD. The 19th-century discovery of a stone tablet corroborates the same. A temple dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati was also reportedly located on the western side. The building materials used in the mosque were reportedly taken from Hindu and Jain temples. A legend goes that after defeating Vigraharaja’s nephew Prithviraj Chauhan in the 2nd Battle of Tarain, Sultan Muhammad Ghori was passing through Ajmer; when he saw a series of magnificent temples. Sultan Muhammad Ghori ordered his then slave general Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak to destroy them, and build a mosque within 60 hours.
The Hindu artisans could not build a complete mosque within 60 hours; and only built a small structure with a screen wall, where Muhammad Ghori was able to offer prayers. That is how the mosque got its unique name. Another legend says that period when Marathas controlled Ajmer, fakirs use to come to this mosque to celebrate Urs which lasted for two and a half days, so the mosque got its name ‘Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra’. Later around the turn of the 12th century, Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak now a Sultan actually managed to complete the mosque. The central mihrab of the mosque contains an inscription about April 1199 AD being the completion date.
This makes ‘Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra’ one of the oldest mosques in India. Sultan Iltutmish, Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak’s successor commissioned the construction of a screen wall pierced by corbelled engrailed arches. He also added 7 arch screens by 1230, architecturally the most notable feature of the mosque. The main arch is nearly 60 feet high and is flanked by six smaller arches. However, it fell out of favor with later Sultans including the Lodhis and Mughals. Maratha leader Daulat Rao Scindia in the 18th century restored the central dome of the building and banned the removal of stones from the site.
When Ajmer came under British rule in 1818, they described the mosque as “one of the most perfect as well as the most ancient monuments of Hindu architecture”. During the 1875–76 archaeological survey, several sculptures and 6 Devanagari basalt tablets were recovered from the site that is now on exhibition at the Ajmer Museum. During 1875 and 1878 and again between 1900 and 1903, the Britishers carried out detailed restoration work. ASI archaeologists Alexander Cunningham remarked that no other building in India of historical or archaeological importance was more worthy of preservation. The muazzin’s towers are in two small now ruined minarets located at the top of a thick screen wall.
The mosque was built using yellow limestone besides inscriptions from Holy Quran has floral designs inspired by Arabic architecture. The mosque is much larger than Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque; the 1st mosque built in North India. It has two entrances, from the south and from the east. The actual mosque located on the western side of the building has 10 domes and 124 pillars. In total there were 344 pillars in the entire building, of which only 70 pillars remain standing now. The pillars feature various designs and are heavily decorated like Jain and Hindu rock temples. The mihrab is built using white marbles.
The interior of the structure has a main hall supported by a large number of columns. These pillars are placed on top of each other, thereby providing more height to the entire structure. These columns built with large bases, diminish in size as their height increases. The archway features inscriptions and quotations from the Qoran. The Hindu patterns visible across buildings are similar to those seen on the 10th-century temple structures of Nagda and the 11th-century Saas-Bahu Temple of Gwalior. ‘Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra’ is easily an architectural masterpiece and an archaeological wonder that needs to be preserved for posterity as a symbol Indo-Islamic architectural style.
