Lat Masjid, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh - made of spoila from Hindu andd Jain temples

Navrang India November 09, 2017

Interior of the Lat Masjid en.wikipedia.org
Lat Masjid (literally meaning "Pillar Mosque") in Dhar town of Madhya Pradesh is a famous tourist spot and within  its compound lie three fragments of once a long rust-free iron pillar (1000AD). The pillar is believed to have been erected by a Paramara ruler to commemorate a military victory. Named after the Iron pillar of Dhar (called "lāṭ" in Hindi), the mosque  also goes by the name of  Lat ki masjid, Lath Masjid, or Jami Masjid of Dhar.


Lat Masjid,Dhar, MP. bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex

Above image:  Photograph of the interior of the Lat Masjid, at Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, taken by an unknown photographer in c.1902.................

North entrance, Lat masjid, Dhar (1912) mages.rgs.org
It was Dilawar Khan, the first Sultan of Malwa built . the mosque in 1405 CE. The historical records point out that  spolia from Hindu and Jain temples were used in its construction.

Lat Masjid Hop Around India


Iron pillar fragments (1000AD) Lat Masjiden.wikipedia.org
In the colonnade of mosque's inner courtyard are found  pillars and carved brackets from the former temples. The pillars carry  Hindu and Jain-style carvings as one may see from the images.  Of the two main gates of the mosque, one exhibits jain-style of design. So, the mosque has a hybrid architectural character.  As in other mosques,there are  mihrabs (niche on the mosque's wall) and minbar (pulpit in the mosque) that were incorporated  by the Muslim rulers.

Lat masjid, Dhar(1912),mages.rgs.org/

Dhar in the Malwa region of central India  saw both Hindu and Muslim rule in different periods. Once ruled by the Hindu Paramara dynasty with Dhar as their capital from the 9th to the 13th century, the rulers were known to be patrons of arts and learning, This region came under the control of the Delhi Sultanate in 1305. Later it became part of the independent province of the Sultans of Malwa when Dilawar Khan broke away in 1401. The Gujarat sultanate in the 1530s took over the region.  The iron pillar lying outside the mosque was accidentally broken into pieces when Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat (ruled 1526-37) attempted to dig it up so that he could take it to Gujarat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lat_Masjid

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/i/019pho000430s32u00018000.html