Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb

Shaikh Fazl-uulah alisa jalal khna, but better known by his son nom de plume of jamali, was a great traveller, a man of literary fame and a poet whom kings delighted to honour. He was the favourite of four successive rulers of Delhi, he was in the height of his fame in the reign of sikandar Lodi, and died in that of Humayun, still standing high in royal favour.

His power of debate in the assembly of religious men was acknowledged by all, and even the learned submitted to his authority. IN the year 935 A.H (1528 A.D), he built a mosque and a room afterwards his tomb in the old village of Qutub Sahib, and the ruins of village may yet be seen in thier nighbourhood. Jamali accompanied Humayun to Gujrat, where he died on the 10th of Ziqad, in the year 942 A.H (1535 A.D), His body was brought to Delhi and interred in the room which he had occupied as a dwelling during his lifetime. The mosque and the tomb are in two adjoining walled courts and in the northen wall of the mosque, which is the southern wall of the tomb, is a doorway now closed.

The court of the mosque is about 120 feet long and 70 feet broad it is now entered through its eastern wall, but this entrance appears to be quite a modern alteration. Its original gateway was in the southern wall, which has now been cut off by new wall which unites the eastern with the western wall. The mosque is in the later has three. The dome of jamali's mosque is in the later lodi style. The body of the building is 120 feet long and 27 feet wide from the floor of the mosque to its roof is 32 feet high, and from the roof to top of the dome is gains 10 feet more.

There are five arched doors to the mosque, the center arch which is recessed about 2 feet deep into the face of the wall, is 30 feet high and 15 feet wide, the capital of the pilasters from which the arch springs are red sand stone, tastefully engraved, but whether the ever rose above the level of the roof it is impossible to say inner edge of the arch is ornamenetd with fretwork, and the spanderls are decorated with ornamental bosses. The rectangular bands which enclose the arch of marble and red sand stone.

Under the apex of the arch, in the wall which contains the centre door of the mosque, there is a small arched opening waith a stone bracket for its base. ABout three or four feet under this window is the cntre door refered to it is about 14 feet high and 10½ feet wide, and is also enclosed by rectangular bands of marble and red sand snad stone having bosses in the spnadrels.

On either side of the centre arch there are two side arches, about 12 feet high and 10 feet wide. The roof over the centre arch is fully 8 feet higher than the roofs over side arches. In the pilasters of extreme side arches there are two , 3 feet high but shallow, recessed arches the lower arches in te outer pilasters are open and contain steps which lead to the roof of the mosque. The spandrels of the minor arches are also ornamenetd with bosses and like the rest of the face of the mosque, are cased with grey and red sand stone.

The mosque is paved with sand stone. In each of the five rooms the western wall contains a high recessed arch with a niche in it those niches are ornamenetd with marble bands and engravings. The cntre room support the dome of the mosque its ceilling is arched while those of the side rooms are flat. The centre rooms are square but above a certain high from the floor it becomes octagon from which the dome, the corners of this room are cut off with beautifully engraved pendentives.

eavy stone brackets stand out from the wall of the mosque and are intended to reliev its blank spaces. To the north of the mosque, and in the north side corner of a court, about 70 feet square, with embattle walss about 10 feet high is the tomb of Maulana jamali. The walss are built of grey stone and mortar, the courtyards is entered through a low doorway in its northen wall, there are small arched niches in the walls all round, those in the western wall are generally open. In the south western corner of the enclosure is aroom which was evidently intended for the attendant of the tomb, here also is the door which communicated with the mosque, and which is now closed. To the east of the tomb of jamali is an open domed pavilion in which there are several graves.

The graves of jamali is in aroom, 25 fett square 16 feet high and has a door in its southern wall. Over the door which is set in a narrow arch, and all round the building is a deep stone ledge supported by a sries of plain corbels underneath this, but not covered by the ledge an enamelled band goes round the room. The parapet round the flat roof is also ornamented with fancy designs in bright colours. On the either side of the door is a narrow recessed arch half way round the top of these arches are small niches built for lamps.

The floor of the room is paved with white marble borderd with bands of black marble. In the centre of the western wall is a small recessed arch intended for a mosque. In the southern and the eastern of light and air. On either side of these screens, of the door and the recessed arch in the western wall, there are two feet square niches. The ceiling of the room, which is flat is beautifully, but rather profusely painted in bright colours. The grave of jamali is in the centre of the room on its right is another grave supposed to be that of one kamali, abrother of jamali, but for this statement i have not been able to find any authority. There is room for a third grave on the left of the grave in the centre. The two graves are of marble, beautifully polished but flat and without any ornament or inscription.