In search of ancient Mughal architecture: Gurdaspur's historic 'Gayibi' large-scale Shahi Jame Masjid

A wanderlust always loves to find something new. And if that something new is a historical structure that is hundreds of years old, then it is no wonder! Many may not be aware that such a beautiful and ancient Mughal monument is hidden in the heart of our own upazila Gurdaspur. Today, I will take you to a historical and mysterious place in Gurdaspur upazila of Natore district - the Bara-Chapila Shahi Jame Mosque, which is better known to the locals as the 'Gayebi Mosque'.

A strange mix of history and folklore:
While standing in front of the mosque, I was really thinking about its history. Since there is no specific inscription, no one can say the exact year of its construction. However, historians believe that it was built about 300-400 years ago, between 1628 and 1658.

It is said that when Shah Shuja, the son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, was the governor of Bengal, there was a large base of Mughal soldiers in this Chapila village. This mosque was probably built with lime and lead for the soldiers to worship. But once upon a time, a terrible cholera outbreak occurred in the area. To save their lives, the local residents, including the Mughal soldiers, left the area. Then gradually the entire area turned into a dangerous deep forest, which became the den of tigers and poisonous snakes.

​After a long time, in the sixties of the last century, when people started settling in this area again and started clearing the forest, suddenly this wonderful mosque, 40 feet long and 20 feet wide, emerged from the dense bushes! It was magically discovered from the forest, and that is why the locals named it "Gaibi Masjid".

The beauty of architecture captured in my camera frame
I felt a strange peace as soon as I stepped into the mosque premises. Under the shade of lush green trees and the blue sky, the three huge golden domes of the mosque seemed to be shining in the sun.

I took several pictures for you. The outer walls are pure white, with a pink border in between. There are Mughal-style minarets at the four corners, the tops of which are also painted in gold. The most beautiful thing is the golden moon and star design on the top of the large dome in the middle, where a small bird was sitting and resting.

Entering inside, there is no way to not be fascinated by its craftsmanship. The lower part of the inner wall is a soothing green color, and the upper part is completely white. However, the most attractive are its arches and pillars. The huge and thick pillars are coated in gold. The upper part of the arch has a beautiful semicircular grooved design and floral motifs, which is a perfect example of Mughal architecture. The inner side of the roof is also quite high and the bottom of the dome has a beautiful grooved design. For the convenience of the worshippers, modern tiles, fans and AC have also been arranged inside, which is a great combination of modernity with the ancient structure.

​Surroundings
Not only the mosque, but the surroundings are also beautiful. To maintain this ancient look, a slight expansion has been made in the front. Just to the east of the mosque is the huge 'Bara-Chapila Shahi Eidgah Math', a cemetery in the west and a separate place for women's prayers in the north. There is a beautiful ablution room on the south side. And the sight of local youth playing cricket and football on the huge green field in front always makes the place lively.

​Last words
Bara-Chapila Shahi Jame Masjid is not just a place of worship, it is a silent witness to our centuries-old history, tradition and culture. In this era of concrete, it is truly a great experience to see such a 300-400 year old lime-surki structure with your own eyes.
​Those of you who love history and are thinking of traveling to Natore or its surroundings, must visit this ancient Mughal monument of Gurdaspur at least once. I promise, its beauty and the mysterious story behind it will not disappoint you.

​Thank you all for reading this little travelogue of mine. See you another day, with a story of a new place.

Since I learned some of the information from Wikipedia, I added a link to Wikipedia. Link: https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%83-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE_%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%80_%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%87_%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6

(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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