Deval Masjid

Deval Masjid
Partial ruins of the former temple and mosque, in 2020
Religion
Affiliation	Buddhism / Jainism (possibly former) Hinduism (former) Islam (former)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Temple (c. 12th–14th century) Mosque (14th century–????)
Status	Abandoned; (partial ruinous state)
Location
Location	Bodhan, Nizamabad district, Telangana
Country	India
Location of the former temple and mosque in Telangana
Geographic coordinates	18°39′49″N 77°53′07″E
Architecture
Type	Hindu temple architecture
Style	Kakatiya (12th century) Indo-Islamic (14th century)
Completed	c. 12th century CE; Kakatiya era
Specifications
Dome(s)	12
Inscriptions	Several
Materials	Stone

The Deval Masjid is a former Hindu temple and former mosque, in a partial ruinous state, located in Bodhan, in the Nizamabad district of the state of Telangana, India. The building was converted form a Hindu temple into a mosque in the 14th century. It is locally known as the Vanda Stambhala Gudi (hundred-pillared temple) in Telugu. The former temple and mosque is listed as a state protected monument.

History

The temple was constructed in the late 12th or early 13th century, during the reign of the Kakatiya kingdom. Ghulam Yazdani posits that it might have been a Buddhist or Jain temple before being used as Hindu temple, based on the imagery of all three religions being found in and around the temple.

In the 14th century, the region was invaded and taken over by Ulugh Khan, a general of the Delhi Sultanate, who would later become its sultan. In 1323, Ulugh Khan encamped in Bodhan, and a contemporary account by Abdul Malik Isami mentions that he laid siege to the fort of Bodhan for approximately two to three months. The report further states that the chief of Bodhan surrendered, converted to Islam with his family, and was granted amnesty. The style of the mosque does not correspond with other Tughluq architecture of the Deccan. Richard M. Eaton posited that the chief of Bodhan converted the temple into a mosque himself.

Architecture

The pillared hall, surmounted by several small brick domes, served as a pavilion leading to the prayer-hall.

The temple had a star-shaped plan, and it was composed of a garbhagriha (sanctum), antarala (antechamber), and mandapa (pillared hall). While the sanctum and antechamber were converted into a prayer-hall, the pillared hall remains almost completely intact, and serves as a pavilion leading up to the prayer-hall. Twelve small domes, made out of brick, were added on the roof of the pillared hall. The large number of domes is unusual for Tughluq mosques, and were probably included in order to give the building a more Indo-Islamic appearance.

The pillared hall is divided into nine bays and contains porches in the middle of its northern, eastern, and southern sides. It stands upon a plinth, and is accessible by flights of steps with balustrades on the northern and southern sides. The prayer-hall is divided into forty-five bays. The central bay is elaborately carved, and images of Narasimha can be found at its four corners. The western wall was closed up using rubble. A mihrab (prayer-niche) is carved into the western wall, and a minbar (pulpit) stands to its north. The building is surrounded by a wall built out of dressed stone, with four entrances facing the four cardinal points.

See also

• Islam in India
• Hinduism in India
• List of mosques in India
• List of Hindu temples in India
• List of State Protected Monuments in Telangana

References

Bibliography

• Eaton, Richard M. (2011). "Muhammad bin Tughluq and Temples of the Deccan, 1321-26". In Haidar, Navina Najat; Sardar, Marika (eds.). Sultans of the South: Arts of India's Deccan Courts, 1323-1687. Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 180–183. ISBN 978-1-58839-438-5.
• Yazdani, Ghulam (1916). Annual report of the Archaeological Department of His Highness the Nizams Dominions, 1323-24 F. (1914-15 A.D.). Baptist Mission Press. pp. 3–4.

External links

• Media related to Deval Masjid at Wikimedia Commons