The Sanjhi Virasat of our Mosques and Mandirs

On 6 December, a reminder that our shared heritage of mutual respect for religions goes back for centuries and cannot be erased by majoritarian forces. The Supreme Court judgement on the Babri Masjid- Ram Janmabhoomi case quotes the findings of the Archeological Survey of India in terms of Islamic architecture and Hindu architecture. But can architecture be categorized in terms of religions?

If Islamic architecture were a category, every mosque in the world should have looked the same. The oldest mosque in Kerala, built during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammad has no gumbad (dome), mehrab (niche in the wall) or minar(tower). It was made with coconut leaves and timber.

With the Karwan e Mohabbat, visit a living mosque that evokes the architectural details of a South Indian temple. This is the shared heritage of India, our collective Sanjhi Virasat.