Nakhoda Masjid is accepted as the largest mosque in the city of Kolkata. It was built under the obligation of Abdur Rahim Osman, the resident of Kutch, in 1926. The mosque has become a major tourist attraction because of its size and magnificence of Kolkata. About 10,000 devotees can meet their prayers, or ‘Namaz’ together in this mosque. To complete the construction of this huge mosque, a huge sum of Rs. 15 lakhs was invested. At present, the mosque is administered by the trustee board.
People use to come by bus, tram, and taxi from Chittapur Road, where the mosque stands. Bronze utensils, musical instruments and the sale of perfumes are marked with all kinds of activities. In fact, in the truth of Kolkata, passengers often descend from their vehicles; they cut tasty kebabs. An eager visitor wants to sit with one tea in one of the many street shops, apart from people and sounds, the history of the intoxicating aura.
Earlier, the Nikoda Mosque of Kolkata was a small mosque. It was only in 1926 when the present structure of the mosque was built in the preservation of the structure built by Abdar Rahim Osman, the resident of Kutch. The architecture of the mosque took inspiration from the structure of Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra – which is actually a masterpiece of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
There is an equal parallel with the bulldog door in Fatehpur Sikri, the entrance to the mosque. For the construction of the mosque, original and superior quality granite stone was brought from Solapur. In the heart of the mosque’s base, there is a dome and two towers. The interior of the mosque includes excellent decoration and creativity. ‘Attar ‘, sweet aromatic water is available every day outside the mosque, except on Sunday.
