Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra

Ajmer is worldwide popular for being the holy city housing “Ajmer Shareef” where thousands of people flock each year to seek Allah’s blessings. Not many know that Ajmer is also known for Adhai-Din Ka-Jhonpra, which is a subtle example of early Indo-Islamic architecture, designed by Abu Bakr in 1198 AD.

As the name suggests, the memorial was finished within two and a half days (adhai-din) under the supervision of Mohammad Ghori and later the monument was skilfully decorated over an already existing structure that housed an ancient hub of Sanskrit learning. It is said that initially Adhai-Din Ka-Jhonpra was the only well-liked mosque in Ajmer right from the Mughal era. Till today, the wonderfully engraved pillars, vaulted screens and ruined minarets make the tomb one of the most frequently visited places in Rajasthan.

The structure of Adhai-Din Ka-Jhonpra is supported by 124 pillars and has 10 splendid domes. The grave is a remnant of an old mosque. The vaulted walls of the mosque have inscriptions with Islamic scripts. There is a stately tower extraordinarily located just inside the mosque, used by the Muezzin to chant prayers. The stone fortifications of the major prayer hall are created with carved rectangular panels having grid like appearance on them.

Despite various beliefs of people regarding the secular nature of Muslim rulers in India, the Adai-Din Ka-Jhonpra is a crucial example of the obliteration of a Hindu or Jain temple to construct a mosque as it is believed to have been built on an earlier Hindu or Jain temple.