Chandamari Mosque of Moghal reign in Kurigram

Chandamari Mosque of the Moghal era at Rajarhaat upazila

Chandamari Mosque in Kurigram district is one of ancient mosques of the Moghal reign.

Plaques of architectural art of the mosque are going to ruin due to high salinity and lack of proper care.

The mosque is situated at Chandamari (Mondal Para) village of Chakirpasha union under Rajarhaat upazila of the district.

When and who or whom have built the mosque, none can said. Local people assume it is a mosque of about five hundred years old. It is found similarities of structure and architectural design like mosques of the Moghal era. Some locals assume it is a mosque of the Sultani era.

Local Jakir Hossen Chawdhury said the mosque may be made in the 16th to 17th century, where some similarities with Atia Mosque (1609 AD) of Tangail are found.

According to local sources, the mosque has been set up on only five decimals of land. Height of the mosque is about 45-feet. There are three domes (large size), four miners (middle size) in four corners on the mosque and 24 small domes on the mosque. Nine of those have already been damaged. Ground space of its outside is about 1,150 square-feet (46-feet into 25-feet) and inner side is about 882 square-feet (42-feet into 21-feet).

There are three doors of about 13.75 square-feet size (5.5-feet into 2.5-feet) in the east side, two windows of about 13.13 square-feet size (5.25-feet into 2.5-feet) in the north and south sides and ten wall book-selves of about 1.5 square-feet size (1.5-feet into 1-feet) in the mosque. Thickness of wall, roof and domes of the mosque are four-feet.

The mosque was constructed with flat size tally bricks where Bhishkas (one kind of the pest) was used as alternative of cement.

The mosque committee cut about 1.5-feet of thickness around the middle dome and repaired in previous manner as a creak was found in the dome some years ago. Later the committee made a tin-shed veranda in its front side.

“The ancient mosque should be taken under the Department of Archaeology and should be step to preserve the mosque where prayers are held five times everyday still. Visitors come often to observe the ancient architecture of the mosque,” local said.