What is the name of mining company that restricts entry? Sesa Goa? Vedanta? Dempos?
On Sun, Feb 22, 2015 at 6:02 PM, samir umarye <[email protected]> wrote: > > > -- > Samir Umarye > > Perched atop a dreary hillock in Bicholim is a minuscule remnant of > Islamic architecture in Goa—Bicholim's famed Namazgah. > > Built in 1683 for prince Akbar II — the rebellious son of Mughal emperor > Aurangzeb — it gives visitors an extensive view of the town and its > surrounding villages. > > > > "It's a unique piece of architectural elegance," gushes Prajal > Sakhardande, history lecturer and president of the Goa Heritage Action > Group. > > Not your conventional mosque, the Namazgah, with etymological roots in > Persian, is an open-air prayer area; a possible amalgamation of namaz, > prayer, and idgah, place of prayer. > > But it's its architecture that is breathtaking. "It combines the best > features of Persian and Mughal structural design, giving us rare pieces of > Turko-Persian architecture in India," says Sakhardande. > > Within the main structure is a box-like enclosure, with arched openings on > each wall, atop of which is a pumpkin-shaped dome with petals at its base. > This enclosure could have possibly been the hujrah — a drawing room of > sorts. > > Adjoining the enclosure's entrance are long balconies that face an open > courtyard lined with pillars crowned with crescent capitals. This courtyard > is now used for congregation on Eid. > > The long balconies are very similar to the balcoes (singular balcao) found > in Goan Portuguese homes, showcasing a blend of Islamic and Portuguese > architecture. Experts deem that the balcoes may have been a later addition, > as a result of the Portuguese influence. > > Adjacent is a raised platform led by stairs, used perhaps as a seating > area by the imam for the Quran recitation or khutbah. The azaan, or call > for namaz, was likely given from here too. > > Experts point out that the very birth of the architecturally > multi-influenced Namazgah was also a collaboration of sorts. > In the early 1680s, Akbar II went rogue, declaring himself Mughal emperor > of India, much to the dislike of his father, Aurangzeb, elucidates > Sakhardande. > > Despite the support of a combined army of Muslim and Rajput soldiers, the > prince's attempt to seize control failed and he was forced to retreat to > the Deccan for safety. > > The Maratha king, Sambhaji, granted the fallen prince asylum, forging an > alliance, and the Rajput-Mughal and Maratha troops collaborated to defeat > the Portuguese invasion in Goa. > > In commemoration of this victory, Sambhaji allotted Akbar II land to erect > the Namazgah. Today, the Namazgah shares its historically-important space > with a mining ground. > > A board states that "the monument/site has been declared to be of state > importance under the Goa, Daman and Diu Ancient Monuments and Archeological > sites and Remains Act, 1978...", but access to it is a Herculean task for > locals and visitors. > Shaikh Shabbir Ismail, a resident of Bicholim, claims officials of the > firm that holds the lease of the adjacent mining ground keep the gate > leading to the hilltop closed, restricting visitors. "In the past, locals > would regularly visit the Namazgah; we would even sometimes offer namaz or > just sit there for leisure. But today, security guards of the mining firm > restrict our entry into the area and even drive tourists away." > > The Namazgah is currently accessible only to Bicholim's Muslims on Eid for > idgah. > > Sakhardande says he had written in 2011 to the then chief minister > Digambar Kamat to make the place accessible to the public, but the > restrictions continue. "The Namazgah is a historical monument. People > cannot be stopped from visiting it," says Sakhardande in conclusion.(TOI) > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Bicholim Goa" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/bicholim-goa. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >
