Islam has been around in Tamil Nadu for about 1000 years and there are many historical mosques and durgahs in this state. The Kilakarai (Ramanathpuram district) Mosque or Palaia Jumma Palli is a good example. It was built around 628 to 630 AD in the Pandya kingdom by the early Arab traders. The Begumpur mosque at Dindugul is an old one steeped in history and the fascinating fact is it is the legacy of Sultan Hyder Ali, the man who successfully employed long distance traveling missiles with heat-resistant tube in the battles against the British.
Located in Thadikombu Road, Begumpur in Dindigul City in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is the historical
Begumpur Mosque (also called Begumpur Big Mosque) built by Haidar Ali of Mysore Kingdom. He named the mosque after Ameerunnisa Begum, his younger sister who is buried in the mosque during 1766. It is built in typical mogul style.
The mosque is very large, besides being one of the oldest in Dindigul. During his reign Hyder Ali (c. 1720 - December 1782)
built three Mosques at Dindigul, - one for himself for Namaz, second for his soldiers underneath Rock Fort and the third in the south of Rock Fort for public. He also gave sufficient grants for upkeep of these places of worship. It was in Hijri 1187 (1766 AD) Ameer-un-Nisha Begum, the wife of Killedar Mir Riza Ali khan and the younger sister of Hyder Ali Bahadur died for unknown cause and Hyder Ali ceremoniously buried her and built a tomb in her memory in the Begampur Mosque complex.
During the Jumma prayer on Friday lots of people visit this famous mosque to offer namaz. The mosque has a Namaz area and tall minarets as are common in many mosques. The tomb of Ameerunnisa, found in the first building, has tiled roof in the fronts and a dome over the sanctum. The
mosque is located behind the mausoleum. Located in the heart of Dindigul, Begambur Big Mosque is easily accessible by bus and the nearest airport is Madurai.
Childless Hyder Ali (1721-82 CE), the Sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore and his wife Fakhr-un-Nisa prayed for several years at the tomb of Tipu Mastan Aulia in Arcot town, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. As blessed by the renowned Sufi saint, they were fortunate to have a male baby. The baby was none other than the famous Tipu Sultan, the first son of Hyder Ali. Both Tipu and Hyder Ali were sworn enemies of the British and had an military alliance with the French. Their association with Tamil Nadu was much closer and here in Dindigul, it is believed, both Hyder and Tipu resided together for many years. Hyder Ali in 1755 donated a part of the funds collected through taxes for the development of temples and mosques in the region. Hyder Ali helped Velu Nachiar, the 18th-century Queen of Sivagangai get back her kingdom from the British. She was in exile with her young girl under the care of Palayakkarar Goplala Naicker for a long time at Dindigul and had an alliance with Hyder Ali.
The mosque is administered by the Prince of Arcot Endowments Trust. Most of the administrative staff of the mosque are Hindus, and it bears testimony to the religious harmony between these two religions.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begumpur_Mosque,_Dindigul
Located in Thadikombu Road, Begumpur in Dindigul City in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is the historical
Begumpur Mosque,Dindugul, Tamil Nadu, |
Hyder Ali, Sultan of Mysore. radhikaranjanmarxist.blogspot.com |
Tipu Sultan, first son of Hyder Ali. urshadow.tumblr.com |
Childless Hyder Ali (1721-82 CE), the Sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore and his wife Fakhr-un-Nisa prayed for several years at the tomb of Tipu Mastan Aulia in Arcot town, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. As blessed by the renowned Sufi saint, they were fortunate to have a male baby. The baby was none other than the famous Tipu Sultan, the first son of Hyder Ali. Both Tipu and Hyder Ali were sworn enemies of the British and had an military alliance with the French. Their association with Tamil Nadu was much closer and here in Dindigul, it is believed, both Hyder and Tipu resided together for many years. Hyder Ali in 1755 donated a part of the funds collected through taxes for the development of temples and mosques in the region. Hyder Ali helped Velu Nachiar, the 18th-century Queen of Sivagangai get back her kingdom from the British. She was in exile with her young girl under the care of Palayakkarar Goplala Naicker for a long time at Dindigul and had an alliance with Hyder Ali.
The mosque is administered by the Prince of Arcot Endowments Trust. Most of the administrative staff of the mosque are Hindus, and it bears testimony to the religious harmony between these two religions.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begumpur_Mosque,_Dindigul