Rani Rupmati’s Mosque Ahmedabad is one of the most well known monuments in Ahmedabad, marking an important feature common in the Indian history of royalty, mostly in the Northern and Western states of the country. And as with so many of Ahmedabad’s early mosques, this one also displays in its architecture and adornments, elements of both Hindu and Islamic design. Rani Rupmati’s mosque is one of the better known holy places in Ahmedabad.
Rani Rupmati’s Mosque History:
Rani Rupmati’s Mosque Ahmedabad In India was built between 1430 and 1440 and named after the sultan’s Hindu wife Rupmati. The minarets of the mosque were partially brought down by the disastrous earthquake of 1819. Rani Rupmati was the princess of Dhar who was married to the Sultan of Ahmedabad.
Rani Rupmati was one of the Hindu queens of the emperor, who like many Mughal and Muslim rulers, married into the Rajput and local Hindu royal families. This was a practice common then among Muslims and Rajput rulers, to facilitate political aliances. However, many o these Hindu queens often retained much of their ancestral norms and rites, and some of the more fortunate ones, like Jodhabai, the queen of Emperor Akbar, even got to practice their own religion without having to go through a conversion.
The mosques and monuments commissioned by these queens however, displayed a unique blend of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. Rani Rupmati’s Mosque is also an instance of the same cultural tradition.
Ahmedabad boasts of an array of outstanding monuments that in some ways outshine even those of the Mughals. Remarkable for their ornate three-dimensional decoration these monuments show distinct influences of Hindu and Jain architecture. These monuments seamlessly incorporate motifs considered traditionally auspicious by the Hindus. Motifs like the Jain ‘lamp of knowledge’ and the ‘kalpalata’ (wish-fulfillment creeper) and the ‘kalpavriksha’ symbolizing fecundity and prosperity are commonly to be seen.
Rani Rupmati’s Mosque Description:
The Rupmati’s Mosque Ahmedabad is a rather small mosque situated to the north of the city centre. The dome of the mosque is elevated to allow light in around its base. The tomb of Rani Rupmati is located next to it.
A high central arch, 3 imposing domes, slim minarets, carved galleries and an exquisite mihrab are the most prominent and elegant architectural features of the mosque. Its three domes are linked together by a flat roof and the mosque is popularly known as Masjid-e-Nagina making it an exquisite gem of Ahmedabad. Though the mosque essentially follows Indo-Sarcenic style, it also serves as a stylistic interlude between Achut Kuki’s and Rani Sipri’s mosque.
The side entrances in the Rani Rupmati’s Mosque Ahmedabad open out in balcony windows on each side and end in windows with lattice work. The 3 domes are supported with rows of 12 pillars each. The smaller domes at the front and the rear of the bigger domes rise in gentle crescents that lend gentility to the mosque. The same is applicable for the four corners of the mosque. The central section is an elevated level that rises above the small flanks and provides for a pierced clerestory, which carries the dome above.
