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| Athar Jamad Mosque (The Big Mosque) | |
|---|---|
 The mosque in 2015 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Oppanakara Street,Coimbatore,Tamil Nadu |
| Country | India |
  Location of the mosque inTamil Nadu | |
| Coordinates | 10°59′37″N76°57′37″E / 10.993685991999287°N 76.9603318139299°E /10.993685991999287; 76.9603318139299 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Groundbreaking | 1860 |
| Completed | 1904 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,000 worshipers |
| Dome | Two(maybe more) |
| Minaret | Four |
| Minaret height | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Materials | Limestone; mortar |
TheAthar Jamad Mosque (Arabic:اثار جماعة المسجد;Tamil:அத்தார் ஜமாத் மஸ்ஜித்), also known as theAthar Jamaath Masjid and colloquially asThe Big Mosque, is amosque located onOppanakara Street within theCoimbatore district of the state ofTamil Nadu,India. It is one of the oldest and biggest mosques in Coimbatore.[1]
Aperfumemerchant named Athar, who migrated fromTirunelveli, built the structure. It took 44 years to complete, with construction beginning in 1860 and finishing in 1904.[2]
The structure is made oflimestone andmortar and polished with egg white. Thefaçade is covered with cusped arches surrounding the open courtyard, where the prayer halls stand. There is a coveredwudu pond in the southeastern corner, a small library on the eastern side, and a kitchen for the preparation ofnonbu kanji (rice soup)[3] duringRamadan. Hawkers line the entrance withamulets and items of worship.
According to theIndian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the twominars with domed roofs on the northern and southern sides are 26 metres (85 ft) high. This pair of silverdomes stand out in theskyline of the Town Hall area. The mosque can accommodate approximately 2,000 worshippers duringFriday prayers.
The mosque is built beside thetomb ofPir Jamesha Waliullah, aSufiWaliullah who died in the 1850s. His tomb, which is now adargah in the middle of Big Bazaar Street, is on the southern side of the masjid. Visitors are blessed inside the dargah with amulets tied around their necks to ward offevil spirits.
TheJamaat comprises the descendants of the 52 families fromTirunelveli that moved to Coimbatore in 1850. According to Jamaatsecretary A.R. Baserdeen, 1,355 members are now alive. The Jamaat's elected executive committee manages the mosque, as well as Jamesha Waliullah dargah on Big Bazaar Street, Jungal Pir dargah on Trichy road, and the Cemetery Masjid besideCoimbatore Junction. The committee also runs three schools in the area which serve 1,200 students.
During Ramadan and Bakrid, crowds flock to the mosque and dargah.[4]
Worshipers at theHinduKoniamman Temple, parade by the mosque annually. To promote harmony between Muslims and Hindus, in 2020 representatives of the mosque handed 5,000 water bottles to Hindus.[5]
Media related toAthar Jamaath Masjid at Wikimedia Commons
