“Time unfolds beauty, wonder, and mystery to reveal the auspicious tapestry of life.”
A.D. Posey
Khayr al Manazil – A Woman’s Ode to Divinity
Religion has been a man’s world for long. It’s also where women have found solace in, more than men. Whether over a space for prayer or the right to perform rituals, women have had to fight their way in. On that note, let’s not forget the immense will that women in every era displayed to earn a place equal to the other binary.
While Razia Begum made her way to the throne of Delhi in the early 13th century, her Mughal successors stood their ground in court matters.Mughal emperors always held consultations with their mothers, wives, daughters and consorts and they influenced court politics to a large extent. In that lineage is Maham Anga – Emperor Akbar’s chief wet nurse who governed Delhi for a young Jalaluddin and continued to exercise power long after he ascended the throne.
The Most Auspicious of Houses
Khayr al Manazil translates to the most auspicious house, a name apt for this mosque built in 1581 AD. It is the first mosque commissioned by a woman, for women in India. As a woman of power, it only befitted her to commission this mosque directly opposite the Purana Qila and next to Lal Darwaza (Red gateway) on the Grand Trunk Road of Sher Shah Suri (present Mathura Road).
At the junction of Subramaniam Bharati Road and Mathura Road, a large red sandstone gateway hidden by trees marks the entrance to Masjid Khayr al Manazil. It displays early Mughal architecture with high walls showing that the mosque was for women. Rooms surrounding the courtyard with a screen separating the two also suggest that the mosque also functioned as a madrasa (religious seminary) for female pupils.
Features Of The Mosque
The mosque is a large construct with an expansive courtyard and a monumental gateway. This imposing gate leads into the courtyard with an octagonal ablutions pool in the centre. Two stories of rooms surround the courtyard, now in ruins owing to British shelling during the independence revolt of 1857 AD. Historians believe these rooms to be classrooms of the seminary. (see featured image). From here, one can see steps leading to the top of the gateway that has two-storeyed arched pavilions forming an arcade.
The prayer hall towards the west borrows heavily from the architecture of the Qila-e-Kuhna mosque within Purana Qila. Five bays make the prayer hall, with the three central bays having pointed arched entrances. The central arch has a marble plaque that mentions Maham Anga as a constructor of this edifice during the reign of Akbar. The central entrance holds the bulbous dome decorated with lotus petal design.
This portion of the mosque in entirety shows remnants of blue and green tile work and intricate calligraphy. A band of Koranic verses line the frame of these entrances. The western wall has three mihrabs corresponding to the three arches. It is covered in plaster relief work and patterned glazed mosaic tiles in yellow, green and blue.
While the inscription on the plaque states “Maham Anga, the protector of chastity, erected this building for the virtuous”, Khayr al Manazil, a woman’s ode to divinity, was not only that. It brought respect and status to the ambitions of an intelligent woman who, alas, fell to the greed of power.
Next time you visit Delhi, don’t miss out on getting some inspiration here!
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