Hooghly Imambara
| Hooghly Imambara | |
|---|---|
 Main façade and clocktower of the imambara | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shia (Twelver) |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque and Imambara |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Hooghly, Hooghly district, West Bengal |
| Country | India |
  Location of the imambara in West Bengal | |
| Geographic coordinates | 22°54′30″N 88°24′00″E / 22.90833°N 88.40000°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Style | Indo-Islamic |
| Founder | Muhammad Mohsin |
| Groundbreaking | 1841 |
| Completed | 1861 |
| Website | |
| hooghlyimambargah | |
The Hooghly Imambara is a Twelver Shia congregation hall and mosque, located in Hooghly, in the state of West Bengal, India.[1][2][3] The construction of the building was started by Muhammad Mohsin in 1841 and completed in 1861.[4] The building is a two-storied structure, with a tall clock tower over the entrance gate.[1] The mosque has intricate designs and texts from Quran engraved on the wall. The interior of the mosque is decorated with marbles, candles and hanging lanterns.
Clock
[edit]
The Hooghly Imambara is famous for its vaunted clock.[1] It is at the middle of the twin towers constructed on the doorway of the main entrance. Each tower, is approximately 46 metres (150 ft) high, with 152 steps to reach to its top. The clock has two dials with three bells that weigh 80 mds[clarification needed], 40 mds and 30 mds. Smaller bells ring at an interval of 15 minutes and larger bell rings to signify one hour. The clock requires two people to wind it for half an hour of each week, with a key that weighs 20 kilograms (44 lb). The clock was bought for Rs. 11,721 (in 1852) by Syed Keramat Ali from the manufacturer: M/s Black & Hurray Co., Big Ben, London.[5]
Accessibility
[edit]People who come from Kolkata typically to take a train to Naihati Junction railway station, and then they catch the Bandel local train to the Hooghly Ghat station. From there, the Imambara is a short walking distance. There are rickshaws and autos to ferry visitors to the Imambara from the station. An alternative is to access the Imambara via Howrah railway station and access the straight trains (local EMUs), which are more frequent and less crowded, to Bandel. From the Hooghly railway station, autos, totos, and rickshaws provide easy access to the Imambara.
Gallery
[edit]-
Photograph of the Imambara from Calcutta, Past & Present, by Kathleen Blechynden -
The rear portion of the Imambara -
The sun dial of the Imambara -
Imambara courtyard -
B&W version -
Inside the prayer hall -
Clock tower -
View of the Hooghly River from the clock tower -
An inside view -
Courtyard -
The inscription about activities of Muhammad Mohsin
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Mukherjee, Sreecheta (2011). "Hazi Muhammad Mohsin's Hooghly Imambara: a Tale of Diminishing Glory" (PDF). Chitrolekha International Magazine on Art and Design. 1 (3). Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "Hooghly Imambargah". Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Haji Mohammed Mohsin Waqf Estate
- ^ "Next weekend you can be at … Hooghly". The Telegraph. 26 February 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ Pinakpani (28 November 2021), English: Hooghly Imambara, congregation hall and mosque in Hooghly, West Bengal, retrieved 28 November 2021
External links
[edit]
Media related to Hooghly Imambara at Wikimedia Commons
