KHIRKI MOSQUE

This Mosque of Windows lays in Khirki Extension village, opposite to the Select City Walk Mall, Saket, Delhi  in this modern era.

It was built by ‘Khan-i-Jahan’ Junan Shah, the prime minister of Feroz Shah Thuglaq in 1380 in Jahanpanah. {Jahanpanah is the Fourth city of Medieval Delhi built by Muhammad bin Thuglaq in 14^th century}.

Interestingly Khan-i- jahan is none other than Nagaya Ganna (Maqbul Tilangani) the commander of Kakatiya Empire under Pratapa Rudra, who became a wazir of Delhi Sulthanate under Firoz Shah Thugluq.  Under Firoz Shah, he converted into Islam and got a new name ‘Malik Maqbul’. He rose step by step and finally became the Wazir of Delhi Sulthanate under Firoz Shah.

Firoz Shah in his autobiography Futuhat-i-Firozshahi mentions that Junan Shah has built seven mosques-

1. Khirki Mosque
2. Begumpur Mosque
3. Masjid Kalu Sarai
4. Kalan Masjid (Hazrat Nizamuddin)
5. Masjid Firoz Shah Kotla.
6. Masjid Wakya (Lahori gate)
7. Kalan Masjid (Turkaman gate)

Only the mosques at Begumpur, Khirki, Turkman Gate, and Nizamuddin exist. The remaining three have disappeared. (If time permits, I will visit and write about those too)

Architecture of Khirki Mosque: 

Khirki Mosque is a cross axial mosque in Tughluqian architectural style with rubble masonry and has latticed Khirkis (perforated windows) on its second floor.

Latticed Khirkis- hence the name!

Occupying an area of 87 square meters, the mosque is built on a raised platform in square plan, with arched recessed openings (taikhana) that is 3 meters in height. 

Unlike an open courtyard (hypostyle) congregational mosque, it is subdivided into quarters; each quarter has its own inner courtyard.

Inner Courtyards

The main entrance to the prayer hall is through the southern entrance: one climbs a flight of stairs to a gateway flanked by tapering turrets.

Thus there are four open courtyards on each side that provide light and ventilation to the internal prayer spaces.

The four corners of the mosque are adorned with towers, with three protruding gateways.

Eastern Entrance

Corner towers

The roof of the Khirki Masjid is divided into 25 squares equal in size. Group of 9 small domes together alternate with flat roofs (and the four open courts) to cover the roof. (Total 81 domes and 12 flat roofs).

Roof View

Khirki Mosque Plan of the roof from Tughluqs- the Master Builders of Delhi Sulthanate

There are no specific inscriptions on the mosque on its construction date.
It is one of the finest architectural compositions of Sultanate history, a precursor to Mughal architecture.

Woh masjid ghar na ban jaaye kisi ka

Namaaze’n band hain khaali padi hai

(Alas! That mosque may become someone’s residence
No longer are prayers held there, what echoes there is silence)
                                            – Sardar Asif
On Khirki Masjid- from Historian and translator Rana Safvi’s "The Forgotten Cities of Delhi" 
Recently, some copper coins of Lodi and Sur Periods are found here in a ‘chance discovery’. It would mean that the mosque was in use even 200years after it was built.

The Tughluqs: Master Builders of Delhi Sulthanate by Anthony Welch and Howard Crane.

Entire architecture of the mosque is described in Delhi, the Capital of India by John Capper and The Tughluqs: Master Builders of Delhi Sulthanate by Anthony Welch and Howard Crane.

Delhi, the Capital of India by John Capper