Qadam Rasul Mosque of Gaur-India

Qadam Rasul Mosque of Gaur As Photographed by Revenshaw in 1860s

Dr.Mazhar Naqvi

‘Qadam Rasul’ (Holy Prophet’s Footprints) mosque of Gaur is undoubtedly the best known and well-preserved in India. Designed like a hut, it is a square room with verandahs on three sides. The central domed room contains a small, carved pedestal of black stone that once had the relic. The shrine attracts visitors from different parts of the world, for Qadam Rasul and other historic monuments of Gaur represent how Bengali style of architecture developed and reached its maturity under the Sultanate.

Gaur lies on India-Bangladesh border in Malda district of West Bengal. Previously known as Lakshmanavati or Lakhnauti, the city was an ancient capital of Bengal. A seat of the Buddhist Pala dynasty from the 8th century and later the Hindu Sena dynasty from the 12th century, Gaur became a part of Delhi Sultanate in early 13th century. It became the capital of the Sultans of Bengal and together with neighboring Pandua emerged as a centre of provincial Islamic culture until its abandonment following a course change in the Ganges and an outbreak of the plague in the late 16th century.

The Qadam Rasul, a single-domed square edifice, was built by Sultan Nusrat Shah in 1530, according to Philip Davis. He erected the structure to enshrine a stone reproduction of an impression of Holy Prophet's foot. The edifice built with red bricks has a verandah that forms a barrel-vaulted corridor on three sides. The eastern side is elaborately decorated. Arched entrances pierce the north, south and east sides. Nusrat Shah was son of Sultan AlauddinHussain Shah, and he ruled from 1519 until his assassination in 1533. He had married daughter of Ibrahim Lodhi who had lost to Babur in the battle of Panipat. He was an able administrator with secular outlook and he erected several magnificent structures at gaur in his life time. After 1526, he had to contend with the Mughal ascendency.

Qadam Rasul Mosque Now 

The Mughal Emperor Humayun considered gaur so beautiful that he named it as Jannatabad and fortified it. Jannat means heaven and it gives an idea how serene and captivating Gaur must have been during its hey days. The city is mostly in ruins but Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been able to maintain the historical sites and their surroundings satisfactorily. While the mosque is very much in use, the holy relic is no longer its part. According to Syed Anwar Abbas, the historian who has worked a lot on the heritage of Lucknow, the relic was shifted to Mahdipur by the caretakers. They took the step as they were worried about its protection at Gaur that has yet to have proper security arrangements for its precious monuments. The caretakers however have left behind two Arabic inscriptions at the mosque and both have fortunately survived. The inscriptions are examples of Islamic calligraphy with Bengali influence. The Qadam Rasul also figures in the album of John Henry Revenshaw titled ‘Gaur-Its ruins and inscriptions’. He was an employee of the Bengal Civil Service,. He took photographs of Gaur monuments whilst staying in the region between 1865 and 1867. In 1874, Revenshaw died in England, leaving the images unpublished. His widow, Caroline, arranged the publication of the album. (References available on request. Photo Courtesy- Google Images)