Baro Shona Masjid, Monument of National Importance in Ramkeli, India.
Baro Shona Masjid is a monument of national importance in the Gaur-Lakhnauti region, designed as a rectangular building approximately 50 meters long and 23 meters wide. The structure features four corner towers and eleven entrances, with its original design still recognizable despite the loss of several domes over time.
The construction of this Indo-Arabic mosque was initiated by Sultan Alauddin Husain Shah and completed by his son Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah in 1526. It represents an important example of Islamic architecture built during the reign of the Husain Shahi dynasty in Bengal.
The mosque displays carved stone details, glazed colored tiles, and floral patterns around its doorways, showing the building practices common to Bengal during that period.
The mosque is located roughly half a kilometer south of Ramkeli and about 12 kilometers south of Malda, making it accessible from both towns. Plan enough time to walk around the large building and explore its multiple entrances and different areas.
The building is known as Baro Shona, a name suggesting twelve gates, yet it actually has only eleven entrances. Each entrance leads to a long covered space supported by wide stone pillars that connects the outside to the interior areas.
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