Chandamary mosque of Moghal reign at Kurigram

ABDUL WAHED:

Chandamary mosque of Moghal reign is the one of ancient mosque of Kurigram. The plaque of architecture art of the mosque is being ruin due to high salinity and lack of proper maintenance.

The mosque is situated at Chandamary (Mandol Para) village of Chakirpasha union under Rajarhat upazila of the district. None knows the accurate foundation year of the mosque. Local people assumed it is the oldest mosque of about five hundred years. There are many similarities of it with the building structure and architecture design of Moghal reign. Some local historians found it’s similar with the architecture of Sultany reign. When and who or whom have built the mosque, none can said.

It is mentioned that there is no the department of Archaeology in the district. If the department visits the mosque for experiment but its foundation year or age may be known.

During a visit to the site, local people Abdul zalil Sarker, 53, and President of the mosque committee Jakir Hossen Chawdhury told The Daily Star that their passing fourth generations could not insure the age of the mosque. "It may be made in the 16th and 17th century. There is some similarities of it with the structure of Atia mosque (1609 AD) at Tangail", the local historian said. But most of the local people expressed their opinions to the mosque as the Moghal reign's mosque.

Local sources said there are 52 decimals of land under the mosque is established on only five decimals of land. The height of the mosque is 45 ©. There are three big size dome (hemispherical roof on the mosque), four middle size miners in four corners on the mosque and 24 small gambuds (dome) around on the mosque. Nine of small gambuds (dome) have already been damaged.

Its ground space is 46 ©×25 © in out side and 42 ©×21© in inside where wall-fitness is about 4 © around the mosque. There are three doors of 5.5 ©×2.5 © size (short height) in the east side, two windows of 5.25 ©×2.5 © size in north and the south sides and ten wall set book-selves of 1.5 © ×1 © size in inner side of the mosque.

The mosque has made with flat size tally bricks where one kind of the pest (named Bhishkas) has been used as alternative of cement. The fitness of whole wall, roof and domes are 4 ©(fit).

For a long time in having careless, a creak in a middle gambud (dome) was found before the last three years. Being unfit the middle gambud, the mosque committee cut about ¹/₂ © (fit) around the gambud and repaired it in previous same manner. They also made tin-shed veranda in its front side before 15 years.

The local people demand that the ancient mosque should be taken under the Department of Archaeology and should be step to preserve the mosque. Everyday five time prayers are held. Sometimes visitors came here to observe the ancient architecture of the mosque.