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Moth
Ki
Masjid
is
a
mosque
located
in
Delhi,
and
was
built
in
1505
by Wazir Miya
Bhoiya, Prime
Ministerduring
the
reign
of Sikander
Lodi (1517–26)
of
the Lodi
dynasty.
It
was
a
new
type
of
mosque
developed
by
the
Lodis
in
the
fourth
city
of
the
medieval Delhi of
the Delhi
Sultanate.[1][2][3]The
name
of
the
mosque
literally
translated
into
English
language
means
‘Lentil
Mosque’
and
this
name
tag
‘Lentil’
has
an
interesting
legend.
This
mosque
was
considered
a
beautiful Dome (Gumbad)
structure
of
the
period.
The
mosque
is
now
completely
enclosed
within
the
modern
locality
of South
ExtensionPart
II,
Uday
Park
and
Masjid
Moth
comprising
residential
and
commercial
establishments
in
the
urban
setting
of
South
Delhi.
It
is
famously
narrated
that
when SultanSikandar
Lodi was
on
a
visit
to
a
mosque
in
the
vicinity
of
the
present
location
of
the
Moth
Ki
Masjid
for
prayer,
he
knelt
over
a
grain
of
moth
(a
kind
of lentil),
which
had
been
dropped
by
a
bird.
His
loyal
Prime
Minister
Wazir
Miya
Bhoiya,
who
had
accompanied
the
King,
saw
the
lentil
seed
and
observed
that
A
seed
so
honoured
by
His
majesty
must
not
be
thrown
away.
It
must
be
used
in
the
service
of
God.
So
he
took
the
moth
seed
and
planted
it
in
his
garden
for
further
growth.
Over
the
years,
the
process
of
repeated
planting
and
replanting
of
the
moth
seeds
was
carried
out.
In
this
process,
the
seeds
multiplied
several
times.
The Wazir finally
sold
the
rich
harvest
and
earned
good
money.
With
the
proceeds
of
the
sale
he
built
the
mosque
after
seeking
permission
from
the Sultan to
construct
the
Mosque.[1] Impressed
by
the
ingenuity
of
his
minister,
Sikandar
Lodi
laid
the
foundation
for
building
the
mosque.[5]
Another
version
of
the
legend
is
that
Sikandar
Lodhi
on
one
of
his
visits
to
the
area
played
a
prank
on
his
Prime
Minister
by
giving
him
a
gift
of
a
grain
of
moth
(lentil).
The
Wazir
accepted
the
gift
in
good
grace
and
instead
of
throwing
it
away
planted
it
in
his
garden.
Over
the
years
repeated
plantation
resulted
in
a
rich
harvest
that
provided
a
surplus
income
to
the
Wazir.
Thereafter,
the
wazir,
with
the
revenue
earned
from
the
lentil
grains,
decided
to
build
a
mosque.
On
completion,
he
invited
the
Sultan
to
visit
the
mosque
and
narrated
the
sequence
of
events
which
led
to
the
building
of
the
mosque.
Impressed
by
this
unique
achievement,
the
Lodi
named
the
mosque
as
"Moth
Ki
Masjid"
or
the
Mosque
from
the
Moth
Lentil.
Raised
on
a
high
plinth,
the
mosque
has
a
square
layout.
It
is
approached
from
the
eastern
side
street
of
village
Moti
Masjid,
through
an
exquisitely
designed
gate
made
of
red,
blue,
black
and
white
coloured sandstones arranged
in
a
neat
design
(see
picture).
In
particular,
the
arch
of
the
gateway
has
a Hindu arch within
a Muslim arch.[1][7]
Up
the
gateway
steps,
the
entry
is
into
a
large
courtyard
of
38.6 m
(126.6 ft)
width
surrounded
by
walls.
Within
the
courtyard,
on
the
western
side
is
the
main
shrine
or
the
mosque
with
the
rectangular
prayer
hall
porch,
which
has
a
façade
of
five
arched
openings.
The
corners
of
the
rectangular
prayer
hall
are
adorned
with
double
storied
towers.
The
towers
have
arched
openings
at
the
rear
end
of
the
roof
with
domed
octagonal chhatris(the
Cenotophs)
on
the
related
walls.
The
west
side
wall
is
provided
with
tapering turrets that
depict
a
sophisticated
outline
(pictured).
The
Cenotophs
were
the
first
of
its
kind
to
be
built
in
India
and
since
then
these
have
been
replicated
in
several
other
monuments,
even
in
the Deccan.
There
are
three
impressive
domes
inside
the
prayer
hall
with
the Mihrablocated
on
the
west qibla wall
of
the
central
dome,
which
is
the
largest
of
the
three
domes.
The
Mihrab
depicts Quranic inscriptions
in
flora
Nakashi
in Iranian design.
Turrets
project
out
of
the
qibla.
The
central
dome
is
supported
on squinches.
The
domes
on
both
flanks
are
borne
on muqarnas pendentives.
Carved
panels
of
red
sandstone
and
white marble and
plaster,
as
well
as
glazed
tiles
embellish
the
walls
of
the
mosque.
The
overall
effect
of
the
Mosque
has
been
best
described
as:
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