ADHAI DIN KA JHOPRA, AJMER

A SHOWPIECE OF EARLY ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

One of the least well-known yet in my opinion, the most important monument in Ajmer from historical perspective is the Adhai Din ka Jhopra, also known as the Jama Altamash. As you come out of the shrine of Gharib Nawaz, take the Andar Kot road and walk past hotels and sweet shops navigating your way through the hordes of people to reach this monument. Unlike the Magazine, the entrance is shabby and is lined with beggars. Certainly, the ASI can do a better job here.

There are two prominent theories as to how this edifice got its name. The more popular one says that this Ghurid mosque was constructed within a span of two and a half days; the story goes that after capturing Ajmer following his victory over the forces of Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain AD 1192, Sultan Mohammed asked his deputy Qutub ud din Aibak to construct a mosque here so that he could offer namaz before leaving for Afghanistan. The general obliged and converted a university that stood at this site earlier into a masjid within dhai din or two and a half days. There is no way that such an impressive structure was erected in such a small time even if remains of temples were used for its construction. A different version to the above mentioned theory states that only the marble arch in the center of the mosque was completed in two and half days and the grand structure around it was built much later. A second theory which is far more convincing says that this place gets its name from an annual fair that was organized here in olden days that lasted for two and half days.

My own take on this unique nomenclature is something like this. While the mosque may have been well maintained initially during the era of the Delhi Sultanate, it seems that it fell out of use during the days of the later Mughals and the British. There is a possibility that during these years, the place was deserted and was only used for the annual fair. Considering the fact that the monument is located on the outskirts of the old city, may be the traders and the craftsmen who would come from nearby places to sell their stuff in the fair used to stay here in jhopras which in Hindi means 'hut' and can be equated to temporary residences. Of course, this is just what I am suggesting and there is no historical evidence to back it.

The confusion regarding the name apart, one thing that is clear is that the site was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. As such, it also doubled up as a Sanskrit university where knowledge of the Vedas and other religious texts were imparted to students. Though this claim has been refuted by some scholars, the large number of idols found here as well as the Sanskrit inscriptions discovered on the monument itself is ample proof of the origins of the structure. Many of the statues of Hindu gods that have been found here are now housed in the ASI Museum (Link). The construction of this place of learning is attributed to King Visaldeva - an early Chauhan king of Ajmer in AD 1150. In spite of searching on the net, I could not find much information regarding this ruler.

The Jhopra has been constructed on a raised platform and the steps leading to it are pretty steep. The main entrance is decorated with floral patterns and has certain intricate carvings that are worth seeing. As you walk towards the mosque, you will see a grand screen that consists of seven corbelled gateways. The one at the center is the tallest and the most beautiful in spite of the fact the two minars (columns) that erected on top of it have perished. You can clearly see inscriptions from the holy Quran engraved on it. This structure, the first of its kind in the country was added by Sultan Iltutmish in AD 1213 after occupying the throne of Delhi. The prayer hall that lies beyond it consists of small octagonal rooms have beautifully carved ceilings and are supported by about 70 towering columns, something which is rarely seen in India. Certainly, this place deserves to be amongst the most beautiful structures built during the time of the Delhi Sultanate. The walls around the monument are in ruins and there are remains of a tower from where the prayers were read by the muezzin.

The Adhai Din ka Jhopra is in fact a 'cousin' of the Quwwat ul Islam mosque located in the Qutub Minar complex in Delhi. The construction of both these masjids was started sometime between AD 1192 to AD 1198 i.e. at the dawn of the Islamic rule in India making them some of the oldest mosques in the country. Both of these magnificent structures are attributed to Sultan Qutub ud din Aibak, the viceroy of Mohammed Ghori in Delhi who declared his independence at the death of his master. Both have the iconic corbelled archways that were built by Sultan Iltutmish in the early thirteenth century. They have similar structure, probably because of the fact that they were originally Hindu temples that were later re-modeled as mosques following the defeat of the Rajputs. And most importantly, they are wonderful specimens of the early Islamic architecture.

USEFUL LINKS

(1) Dargah Ajmer - Ajmer Sharif (Link)

(2) ASI, Jaipur Circle - Adhai Din ka Jhopra (Link)

MORE POSTS RELATED TO AJMER

(1) Terracotta Wall Frames (Link)

(2) Akbar's Palace or the Magazine or the ASI Museum (Link)

(3) Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's Dargah (Link)

(4) Anasagar Lake (Link)

TERRACOTTA WALL FRAMES @ AJMER

PRITHVIRAJ RASO ON TERRACOTTA

It is evident that in Rajasthan, there is a conscious attempt to display the state's rich past and cultural heritage in as many ways as possible. Take the example of the railway stations. From Jaipur to Jaisalmer and Udaipur, the stations are modeled on the state's magnificent palaces, though on a much smaller scale. Some of them even have paintings displaying scenes from mythology and Rajput history. We traveled extensively by rail during our trip while travelling from one city to another. Perhaps, the one station that impressed me the most was Ajmer which is filled with terracotta wall frames on its front side. The holy city of Ajmer was the twin capital of the Chauhan dynasty prior to the twelfth century. Prithviraj - the last Hindu ruler of Delhi who was defeated by Ghori in the Second Battle of Tarain (AD 1192) is a celebrated figure here.

The station has lots of scenes from Prithviraj Raso - the epic ballad written by Chand Bardai who served as the royal poet at the court of the Chauhan Kings. It 'romanticizes' the life of Prithviraj, giving us exaggerated tales of his bravery, both on the battlefield and in love. There is one figure of the king Prthivraj III Chauhan and his queen Sanyogita, the princess of Kannauj whom he is said to have eloped with during the latter's Sayamwara. And then there is the image of a blind Chauhan ruler killing his adversary. Chand writes that after being beaten in Tarain, the King of Delhi was blinded and taken to the court of the Sultan Mohammed of Ghori in Afghanistan along with his friend, the royal poet. Ghori is believed to have expressed his desire to witness the Shabdbhedi Baan Vidya (Sonic Archery) wherein an archer with blindfold relies on the source of sound to shoot arrows at his foe, an art form which Chauhan is supposed to have mastered. As he got ready to shoot the arrow, Chand is believed to have uttered his famous lines, helping his master to strike the enemy in his own court:

Char Baas, Chaubees Gaj, 

Angul Ashta Praman,

Ta Upaar Sultan Hain, 

Mat Chuko Chauhan.

With these clues, Prithvi is supposed to have killed the Sultan and thus avenged his defeat. As the guards closed in on them, Chauhan and Chand are said to have killed themselves. Luckily, Persian and other contemporary Indian records help us unearth the real history the unfolded after the Chauhans were beaten at Tarain in 1192. It is generally believed that the Prithviraj was captured after the battle, brought before the Sultan and then executed. It is highly likely that he was given an option to convert to Islam which he would have rejected. Ghori then went on to capture Delhi and other parts in northern and central India. He nominated his slave Qutub-ud-din Aibak as his Viceroy, bringing an end to the Rajput dominance of North Indian that began with the death of King Harshavardhan. Ghori was assassinated by local tribals in western Punjab while offering prayers about 15 years later. In 1210, Aibak would crown himself the Sultan of Delhi, thereby laying the foundation of Islamic rule in the country.

Meanwhile, even episodes from mythology and rural life are also portrayed here. What I did not like was the conspicuous absence of any reference to the shrine of Gahrib Nawaz. Probably, eight out of every ten people who come to Ajmer pay their obeisance to the great Sufi saint who has been buried here. From great emperors like Akbar to politicians and film personalities, people descend to this city in thousands to seek the blessings of Moinuddin Chishti. As such, a terracotta depiction of Emperor Akbar walking towards the Dargah or something of this sort would have been fantastic. In many ways, it along with the story of Chauhan would have truly reflected the social harmony of the historic city of Ajmer.

Prithviraj Chauhan takes aim at Sultan Ghori with Chand by his side

Scenes from Rural Rajasthan

Radhe-Krishna (Left) and Shrinathji (Right)

Even the sparrows seem to love the Terracotta work

MORE POSTS RELATED TO AJMER

(1) Akbar's Palace or the Magazine or the ASI Museum (Link)

(2) Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's Dargah (Link)

(3) Adhai Din ka Jhopra or Jama Altamash (Link)

(4) Anasagar Lake (Link)