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Deval Masjid
Former mosque and former Hindu temple in Bodhan, Telangana, India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Deval Masjid is a former Hindu temple and former mosque, in a partial ruinous state, located in Bodhan, in the Nizamabad district of the state of Telangana, India. The building was converted from a Hindu temple into a mosque in the 14th century. It is locally known as the Vanda Stambhala Gudi (hundred-pillared temple) in Telugu.[1][2] The former temple and mosque is listed as a state protected monument.[3]
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History
The temple was constructed in the late 12th or early 13th century, during the reign of the Kakatiya kingdom.[1] Ghulam Yazdani posits that it might have been a Buddhist or Jain temple before being used as Hindu temple, based on the imagery of all three religions being found in and around the temple.[4]
In the 14th century, the region was invaded and taken over by Ulugh Khan, a general of the Delhi Sultanate, who would later become its sultan. In 1323, Ulugh Khan encamped in Bodhan, and a contemporary account by Abdul Malik Isami mentions that he laid siege to the fort of Bodhan for approximately two to three months. The report further states that the chief of Bodhan surrendered, converted to Islam with his family, and was granted amnesty.[5] The style of the mosque does not correspond with other Tughluq architecture of the Deccan. Richard M. Eaton posited that the chief of Bodhan converted the temple into a mosque himself.[6]
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Architecture
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The temple had a star-shaped plan, and it was composed of a garbhagriha (sanctum), antarala (antechamber), and mandapa (pillared hall). While the sanctum and antechamber were converted into a prayer-hall, the pillared hall remains almost completely intact, and serves as a pavilion leading up to the prayer-hall. Twelve small domes, made out of brick, were added on the roof of the pillared hall. The large number of domes is unusual for Tughluq mosques, and were probably included in order to give the building a more Indo-Islamic appearance.[7][4]
The pillared hall is divided into nine bays and contains porches in the middle of its northern, eastern, and southern sides. It stands upon a plinth, and is accessible by flights of steps with balustrades on the northern and southern sides.[7] The prayer-hall is divided into forty-five bays. The central bay is elaborately carved, and images of Narasimha can be found at its four corners.[4] The western wall was closed up using rubble. A mihrab (prayer-niche) is carved into the western wall, and a minbar (pulpit) stands to its north.[8] The building is surrounded by a wall built out of dressed stone, with four entrances facing the four cardinal points.[4]
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