Last week I was in Chandni Chowk, in Old Delhi, to savor the delicacies served in that part of the town. Once I had satiated my taste buds, I decided to check out the Jama Masjid. I must say that even though I have come to Delhi many a times, I have never once entered this mosque, one of the most famous and largest mosques in India. I asked the locals about the admission timings to the mosque. They informed me that it was open every day of the week from 7 am to 12 pm and from 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm (sunset). They told me that there were 3 gates which could be used as entrances, but the eastern...

Last week I was in Chandni Chowk, in Old Delhi, to savor the delicacies served in that part of the town. Once I had satiated my taste buds, I decided to check out the Jama Masjid. I must say that even though I have come to Delhi many a times, I have never once entered this mosque, one of the most famous and largest mosques in India. I asked the locals about the admission timings to the mosque. They informed me that it was open every day of the week from 7 am to 12 pm and from 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm (sunset). They told me that there were 3 gates which could be used as entrances, but the eastern gate (used by the royals for entry in the past) was closed on weekdays. Entry into the mosque is free. However, visitors need to purchase a ticket if they want to go to the top of the minarets. I bought the ticket and climbed up the steps of the northern gate to finally enter the mosque. There are many touts and guides who will offer their services for a fee. I usually take their services in most of the places that I visit, but this time I decided to wander around on my own. From inside the Jama Masjid, you can distinctly see the different areas and architectural designs of the mosque. In addition to the 3 gates, it has 4 towers and 2 white marble and red sandstone 40 meter tall minarets. I could see that the entire structure was constructed using limestone and marble; later I read that the Jama Masjid is considered to be one of the best limestone and marble structures constructed during the Mughal era. The main mosque building is longer and less wide. I could see that it was constructed on a porch located at some height from the rest of the area. I walked inside and came across the prayer hall. I loved the marble domes and the arches with tall cusps. The main courtyard was an unusually large open area. The locals informed me that the courtyard could easily hold around 25,000 people during the prayers. A closer look made me realize that the floor was made up of ornamented black and white marble so as to make it appear like an Islamic prayer mat. It also featured a thin black color border marked for worshippers. Since I had the time, I counted, and the total number of such boxes was around 900. As I wandered around I came across the cabinet in the north gate. It had many Islamic artifacts such as the sandals, footmarks embedded on a block of marble, and reddish beard-hair of Mohammad, the Holy Prophet, as well as an ancient transcript of the Holy Quran inscribed on deer skin. My last item on the tour itinerary was a walk up the minaret. Each of the two minarets flanking the dome has stairs that lead to the top. Each features 5 floors with a balcony that juts out. I saw that the adjacent structures were decorated with calligraphy. After reaching the top, I enjoyed fantastic views of the Jama Masjid complex and the old city. It was time well spent. If you are in Old Delhi, do visit the Jama Masjid.