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Moth-Ki-Masjid |
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| Built by Miyan Bhuwa, a minister during the reign
of Sikandar Lodi (1517-26) in the early 16th century, Moth-ki-Masjid
is located behind one of the modern localities of the capital,
South Extension Part II. Situated in the village named Masjid
Moth, the mosque can be reached either by taking the Khel Gaon
Marg through the Uday Park area or the Aurobindo Marg alongside
Yusuf-Sarai. |
| Raised on a platform, the mosque has an impressive
red sandstone gateway on the eastern side. This three-domed
mosque is considered an important milestone in the growth of
Mughal architecture, especially in regard to the ornamentation
of mosques, because of its special features. The prayer chamber
of the mosque has five arched openings, all of which are beautifully
ornamented, including the mihrab, which has Quranic inscriptions
in Naskh characters. Special treatment has been done to the
central arch built of red sandstone by decorating it with marble.
There are double storeyed towers with arched openings at the
rear ends of the roof and domed octagonal chhatris on the corresponding
walls. |
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| The mosque has the rather unusual name of Moth-ki-Masjid,
for according to legend, Miyan Bhuwa built this mosque from
the revenue earned by producing a large crop from just a single
grain of moth, a kind of lentil. his grain was presented to
him by Sikandar Lodi himself. The minister produced many more
seeds from that one seed and over a period of time raised a
large enough crop to construct this mosque with its revenue.
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