Syed Khalique Ahmed
NEW DELHI—The 355-year-old imposing Jama Masjid, overlooking the historic Red Fort, lies in a state of ruin and utter neglect. Minarets and stones at dozens of places in the building have been damaged badly owing to their age. Moreover, some of the red sandstone and white marbles have fallen in the past several years, necessitating immediate repair of the monument.
A team of civil engineers carried out a ‘damage diagnosis’ of the stones and the structure of the building some time ago. The team reported that the monument is in a highly dilapidated condition. Its report says that the mosque may collapse anytime if urgent repairs are not carried out.
Yet, the Archaeological Survey of India, the only government agency with expertise and technology to repair the monuments, refuses to do the repairs.
Union Minister of Culture Meenakshi Lekhi, under whom the ASI works, stated on the floor of the Parliament a few days ago that the ASI could not undertake repair of the Mughal era mosque because it is not in the list of “protected monuments”. She made the statement on a question raised by Indian Union Muslim League MP PV Abdul Wahab.
The Jama Masjid Trust takes care of the mosque. But the trust does not have adequate funds to undertake the enormous task that requires tons of money.
But the minister’s statements defy logic. A few years ago, the ASI repaired Puri’s Jagannath Temple and several Hindu and Jain temples in Maharashtra as a “special case” because they are not on the list of “protected monuments”.
What prevents the ASI from repairing Jama Masjid, national heritage, and a Muslim place of worship? Is it because the monument is a mosque? Will government not undertake repairs of an ancient temple, Hindu, and Jain monuments if they require repair and renovation simply because they are not on the list of the ASI as a “protected monument”?
If the government can show magnanimity in the case of temples, why not similar generosity be displayed in the case of mosques? Why are two sets of standards in this country run with a Constitution that directs the government to practice secularism and equality with all religions?
Speaking to India Tomorrow, Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari said that the ASI had repaired several temples in South India that are not protected monuments. “We don’t oppose the ASI repairing temples”, he said. (Ahmed Bukhari is the 13th Shahi Imam of the mosque. He took over the job on October 14, 2000, after the demise of his father, Syed Abdullah Bukhari. This mosque’s Imams have been descendants of the first Shahi Imam Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari, who Shah Jahan himself appointed. Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari hailed from Bukhara, one of the largest cities in present-day Uzbekistan).
“But why can’t the ASI repair Jama Masjid”? he questions. He said that if the ASI could repair and renovate Lal Qila (Red Fort) and Taj Mahal, what was the reason for not repairing Jama Masjid, built by the same emperor?
Stating that Mughal monuments in the country attracted lakhs of foreign and domestic tourists earning revenue for the country, he suggested the government must preserve them.
He pointed out how Egypt, Italy, Turkey, and other countries have preserved monuments that earn them huge revenue. He wanted the Indian government to learn from them.
However, he categorically refuses to hand over Jama Masjid to the ASI.
“Neither the Masjid trust nor the Muslims of India will ever agree to transfer the mosque to the ASI,” he stated.
“The signing of an MoU and transferring the mosque to the ASI will create a new dispute in the country,” Bukhari clarified. “What will happen if the ASI bans namaz in the mosque?” he asks.
Bukhari fears that by bringing the mosque on the list of protected monuments, the ASI may in future ban the namaz in the mosque as has happened in cases of other mosques under the ASI control. There are as many as 70 mosques as “protected monuments” in Delhi where the ASI is not allowing namaz. This is despite the fact that there is no law to ban namaz in protected mosques because the mosques were built for offering namaz by Muslims, not as monuments.
Jama Masjid is badly damaged
If one closely looks at different parts of the mosque built by Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656, one will see how the outer layers of the red sandstones are scaling from the plinth level to the top, thus weakening the structure’s strength. In addition, the upper layer of the terraces, or what is called waterproofing, on verandahs of all four sides have been washed away over time, resulting in leakage of rainwater into the walls and on the ground.
Kangooras or stones with rounded teeth that form the parapet or boundary walls on all the verandahs have weakened due to continuous scaling and their detachment from the support of “lakhori” bricks. Many Kangooras have also broken and fallen due to neglect. Kangooras are held in position with an iron bar connecting the Kangooras with “lakhori” bricks.
Over time, most of the iron bars have rusted and disappeared, separating Kangooras and “lakhori” bricks at most of the places. The gap between the Kangooras and “lakhori” bricks causes heavy rainwater seepage in walls on all four sides of the Masjid, weakening and putting at risk its very existence. All the seepages and other vulnerable points and joints must be plugged to stop further damage to the monument.
A small marble minaret on top of Gate number 3 of the Masjid fell during lockdown owing to Covid-19. Luckily, no one was injured because there were no people around due to lockdown restrictions. However, another minaret over Gate Number 3 is badly damaged and might fall anytime if not repaired.
The dome on the right side of Gate Number 3 has completely deteriorated. Some of the parapet stones around the dome’s boundary have also fallen. Stones in arches of the dome and several other places are bulging out, and they may collapse any time. In addition, many peepal, or ficus plants, have grown on domes and walls, and their roots have penetrated deep into the cracks, thus weakening the structure.
Main marble domes of the mosque are cracking
If you climb on the top of the central part of the mosque, you will witness that three main domes made of white marble are cracking from several places. The gaps need to be filled to stop the leakage of rainwater. One of the minars (tower) on top of the mosque’s centre has developed cracks at many places and might collapse anytime. A small minar (turret) near the central marble dome is also dilapidated and might crumble anytime.
Most people don’t know the mezzanine floor between the roof of the mosque’s ground floor and the central domes. The mezzanine floor has three big halls. However, it is never used for prayers. Instead, the access to the mezzanine floor is through a small door on top of the mosque.
According to civil engineers, the mezzanine floor holds the weight of the three domes.
Mezzanine floor has badly worn-out, threatening collapse of the main structure
The mezzanine floor has become battered owing to its age and lack of repairs. The top layers or crust of stones of the mezzanine walls and those of the three domes are peeling off, thus weakening the structure. In addition, seepage of rainwater from the domes and the parapet has ruined the mezzanine floor.
The most significant risk to the Jama Masjid structure is from the mezzanine floor. If the mezzanine floor falls, the domes will also collapse. In such a situation, the ground floor may also collapse due to the weight of the domes and mezzanine floor. According to damage diagnosis, the mezzanine floor and domes, or crowns, require urgent and massive repairs to ensure the survival of the mosque.
According to engineers, immediate repair works needed to be carried out in the Jama Masjid are plugging all seepages, all the three ‘gumbads’ (domes) from inside and outside, including mezzanine floor, six ‘chhatris’ (umbrella-shaped structure) of the upper part of the inner monument.
Engineers have also suggested replacement of ‘chajjas’ (balconies) on all four sides of the monument, replacement of ‘kangooras’, repair of the top portion of Gate No 1 and 3, including small minarets atop these gates, restoration, and waterproofing of the terraces of verandahs of all four sides, repair of all four major ‘chhatris’ (East, West, North, and South), repair of prominent minarets and replacement of worn-out wall stones.
Nawab of Rampur and Nizam of Hyderabad gave generous donations, Britishers used Jama Masjid as a barrack for soldiers
Britishers took over the mosque after the 1857 revolt, the First War of Independence, because of the role of the Jama Masjid as a hub of freedom struggle and anti-British activities. The Christian rulers used the mosque as a barrack for their Sikh and British-Christian soldiers for several years by banning prayers and religious activities inside it. When the mosque was returned to Muslims in 1862 and re-established, it needed repairs. The Nawab of Rampur donated a sum of Rs. 1.55 lakh in 1886, and Nizam of Hyderabad contributed Rs. one lakh in 1926, with British rulers not contributing a pie.
About one-fourth of the mosque required repairs again in the late 1940s, and an appeal was made for a donation of Rs. 75,000. The Nizam of Hyderabad sanctioned a grant of Rs. 3 lakh in 1948 to renovate the mosque. But the political developments resulting in the merger of Hyderabad state into the Indian Union prevented the aid.
Late Prime Minister Pandit Nehru allocated funds for Jama Masjid as a “special case”
As the mosque required urgent repairs, a delegation of Muslims led by the then Shahi Imam late Maulana Syed Hameed Bukhari met the former Prime Minister late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1953. The meeting was arranged by the late Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. As Jama Masjid is not a protected monument, Pt Nehru promised that the ASI would carry out repair and renovation work of the mosque as a “special case,” and the government would allocate a fund for it in the union budget. Pt Nehru pointed out to the delegation that collecting donations for the mosque from people through a general appeal would bring a bad name to his government and the nation.
Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari said that an office of the ASI with engineers and technicians was set up inside the mosque premises in 1956. ASI carried out its work for about 30 years but with minimal repair. After that, the ASI closed its Jama Masjid office.
Ahmed Bukhari rejected the Vajpayee government’s proposals, refused to sign MoU with the ASI
In 2003, Ahmed Bukhari approached the then Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Jagmohan to repair the mosque as the ASI was under him. However, Jagmohan put certain conditions if the mosque management wanted the ASI to conduct repairs and conservation work.
Jagmohan asked the mosque management “to notify the mosque as a protected monument, sign a memorandum of understanding with the ASI to define their respective roles in the upkeep and maintenance of Jama Masjid so that there is no interference at all in the Masjid’s utilization by the Muslims for offering namaz and other customary and attendant rituals and events.”
However, Bukhari rejected the government proposals, saying that the signing of an MoU would “open up avenues of interference with the management of the mosque and even compromise its use for its basic purpose of namaz, etc. for the devotees.”
Bukhari was not wrong because namaz is prohibited in all the mosques in Delhi under the ASI protection though there is no rule to ban namaz in monuments.
“When even the solemn provisions of the Constitution incorporated after most careful and extensive debates in the Constituent Assembly and Parliament can be flouted and sought to be amended by the sheer force of numbers, the sanctity of an MoU or even a legislative formulation can hardly be taken for granted,” Bukhari wrote back to Jagmohan.
Stating that the signing of MoU would give an impression that the mosque has been handed over to the Government of India, Bukhari said, “In the event, the ramifications and seriousness of such an impression will be comparable to the demolition of the Babri Masjid. We will not like such a situation at all to arise. It will also not be in the interest of the Government of India.”
Bukhari, instead, suggested Jagmohan make a special provision in the annual budget of the Department of Tourism and Culture for Jama Masjid, and the ASI should carry out repairs in consultation with the Jama Masjid Trust.
Bukhari also said that the signing of an MoU would create a new dispute in the country, and neither Muslims nor the Jama Masjid Trust would accept it under any circumstances.
Bukhari requests Manmohan Singh for Jama Masjid’s repair
In August 2004, Bukhari wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh towards the dilapidated condition of the mosque and requested him to direct the ASI to repair and preserve Jama Masjid as was done by late Pandit Nehru. However, nothing happened.
Jama Masjid Trust approaches the ASI, Agha Khan Foundation
Ahmed Bukhari subsequently approached the ASI in February 2014, informing it of the poor condition of the mosque. Bukhari pointed out that the dilapidated state of the mosque ” brings a bad name to the nation and puts us into an embarrassing situation.” Therefore, he requested the ASI to carry out repairs and conservation of the monument.
Bukhari also asked the then ASI director-general, Pravin Srivastava, if an individual, a trust, or an NGO like Agha Khan Foundation can carry out renovation work of Jama Masjid? And if yes, then what will the procedure be for the sponsorship? Bukhari had this question because Agha Khan Foundation was carrying out repairs of the Humayun Tomb and has completed it now. However, there was no answer.
Bukhari also wrote to Agha Khan Foundation directly in June 2021, asking if the Foundation could play a role in carrying out urgent repairs of Jama Masjid. But the Foundation’s authority did not reply.
Bukhari wrote to the ASI again in January 2018, drawing its attention towards the state of dilapidation of the mosque. But, again, there was no reply.
Congress government rejects Saudi offer to repair Jama Masjid & its surroundings
When Saudi Arabia’s late King Abdullah visited India in 2006 as a special guest of India, Bukhari said that the King expressed his wish to repair Jama Masjid and the houses surrounding the monument to give the area an aesthetic look.
“I also received a call from an official of the Saudi government in Riyadh in this connection. I told him that the mosque management has no objection to the offer, but the Saudi government should contact the Government of India in this regard. But, unfortunately, the government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Congress turned down the Saudi offer,” said Bukhari.
“The government is neither repairing the mosque on its own nor allowing others to do it,” Bukhari laments.
He argues that if the Christian missionaries can use money from abroad for building and maintaining churches, apart from other activities, why can’t foreign funds be used for Jama Masjid?
Bukhari writes to PM Modi
Bukhari wrote two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about repairs of Jama Masjid. In the first letter sent to him on August 16, 2016, he sought an appointment with him to apprise him of the vulnerable condition of the mosque that requires urgent repairs.
Drawing his attention towards the bad condition of the mosque, he wrote, “I deem it necessary to bring to your knowledge that many stones of the monument are in a state of dilapidation. There is seepage from the roofs, and often big stones had fallen to the ground, though, thanks to God, no mishap had occurred.”
But Modi did not reply.
On June 6, 2021, he wrote the second letter a day after some stones fell from a minaret. Again, he requested the PM to instruct the ASI to inspect the monument and commence the necessary repairs. But, again, there was no reply from the PM.
Jama Masjid, not a protected monument, the ASI can’t repair it: Meenakshi Lekhi
The issue of Jama Masjid’s repair and renovation was raised in Parliament on December 9, 2021, by Indian Union Muslim League MP PV Abdul Wahab. However, Minister of Culture Meenakshi Lekhi replied that the government could not repair and renovate the Delhi Jama Masjid as it was not a protected monument.
When Abdul Wahab reminded her about Shahi Imam’s letter for a special fund for the mosque, she said that her department had not received such a letter. Hence, the government could not dispense from the special funds for renovations.
However, Bukhari contested the claims of the minister. He said that the ASI in the past had carried out repairs of several temples in South India that are not on the list of protected monuments. The ASI also repaired Puri’s Jagannath Temple and some Hindu and Jain temples in Maharashtra that are also not protected monuments. He wanted the government to show generosity and not be biased towards the Jama Masjid and Muslim monuments.
Bukhari hopes Modi will get the mosque repaired
Bukhari, however, hopes that PM Modi would take action and direct the ASI to repair the mosque and save it from decay and destruction.
More photos of the damaged portions of Jama Masjid:
