Pathrail Dighir Par Mosque

M Mahmud Ali

A mosque, or ‘masjid’ in Arabic, is a gathering place for prayers for Muslims. The style, layout, and decoration of a mosque not only tell us a lot about Islam in general, but also about the period and region in which the mosque was constructed.
In Bangladesh, we have inherited hundreds of years of Islamic culture and heritage. There are many outstanding mosques all around the country that bear the history of past Muslim eras.
Pathrail Mosque is located at Pathrail village in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district. The mosque complex consists of a main prayer area, a water reservoir and a shrine. It is situated on the western bank of a large water reservoir, or dighi. For this, the mosque is called ‘Dighir Par Masjid’. The shrine is locally ascribed to Majlis Abdullah Khan, a saint widely known as Majlis Awlia. Thus, the mosque is also known as Majlis Awlia Mosque.
The beautiful mosque is oblong in shape. It has 10 domes. A variety of decorative designs, such as floral scrolls, rosettes, cusped arch motifs, etc, are visible at the doorways and mihrab (niche facing the Kaaba). The mosque was built sometime between 1393 and 1410 AD. Historians assume it was built by Sultan Giasuddin Azam Shah.
Pathrail Dighir Par Masjid or Majlis Awlia Mosque, no matter what we call it, the mosque complex is a beautiful heritage structure of our country.

References: Mosque Architecture of Pre-mughal Bengal by Syed Mahmudul Hasan (UPL); Archaeological Survey Report of Greater Faridpur District by M Abul Hashem Miah (DOA).

Photos: Writer.

Pathrail Dighir Par Mosque

M Mahmud Ali A mosque, or masjid in Arabic, is a gathering place for prayers for Muslims. The style, layout, and decoration of a mosque not only tell us a lot about Islam in general, but also about the period and region in which the mosque was constructed. In Bangladesh, we have inherited hundreds of years of Islamic culture and heritage. There are many outstanding mosques all around the country that bear the history of past Muslim eras. Pathrail Mosque is located at Pathrail village in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district. The mosque complex consists of a main prayer area, a water reservoir and a shrine. It is situated on the western bank of a large water reservoir, or dighi. For this, the mosque is called Dighir Par Masjid. The shrine is locally ascribed to Majlis Abdullah Khan, a saint widely known as Majlis Awlia. Thus, the mosque is also known as Majlis Awlia Mosque. The beautiful mosque is oblong in shape. It has 10 domes. A variety of decorative designs, such as floral scrolls, rosettes, cusped arch motifs, etc, are visible at the doorways and mihrab (niche facing the Kaaba). The mosque was built sometime between 1393 and 1410 AD. Historians assume it was built by Sultan Giasuddin Azam Shah. Pathrail Dighir Par Masjid or Majlis Awlia Mosque, no matter what we call it, the mosque complex is a beautiful heritage structure of our country. References: Mosque Architecture of Pre-mughal Bengal by Syed Mahmudul Hasan (UPL); Archaeological Survey Report of Greater Faridpur District by M Abul Hashem Miah (DOA). Photos: Writer.