Bahuara Masjid

At the heart of Bahuara, there is a spectacular masjid built by our ancestors more than a century and a quarter ago.  The masjid certainly is an iconic landmark in the region. The masjid stands on a three-and-a-half acre waqf property.  The property also holds a dugout fishpond, a playground, and a madrasa.  While the pond is placed in the west of the masjid, the playground and madrasa are in the north and south respectively. 

A plaque installed by the mihrab of the masjid alludes to the history and architecture in a poetic manner that we have a reason to boast about. And above all, celebrate the achievements of its founder Farkhund Ali, popularly known as Haji Doman.  

The profound responsibility of serving as the first Mutawalli (Trustee) of the waqf was duly bestowed upon Shaikh Amir Ali, son of Shaikh Barkat Ali. Notably, Shaikh Amir Ali was also a Hafiz al-Qur’an.

Because I am not trained in literature, I am afraid that my narration of the poetry will not do justice to the unnamed poet. However, a literary translation is provided below for those who, like me, are not fluent in Urdu. 

It is an act of great strength and courage that the commissioning of…
the water well, fishpond, and masjid by Haji Doman
The angels exclaimed their delightfulness and beamed respect through their eyes
A heavenly voice seemed to be heard expressing that the act has been accepted by the creator

The project was commissioned on 27th Ramadan, 1304 Hijri (19th June 1887). 

The roof of the main prayer hall is comprised of three equal-sized domes.  The domes are surrounded by four octagonally shaped minarets on the four corners of the hall.  The main prayer hall has the capacity of two rows of about 25 supplicants each. In the original design, the verandah also had the same capacity.  The courtyard, however, can comfortably accommodate six rows.  

A massive renovation of the masjid took place under the direction of Mohammad Masood (1940-2018), son of, Shaikh Abdul Latif.

As per the scope of the project, the open courtyard was fully enclosed. The ablution area (wuzu khana) and washrooms were rebuilt.  The project was successfully completed in 2005.

Side view of Bahuara Masjid before and after the 2005 renovation.