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    Taras Shevchenko

    For similarly named mosques, see List of grand mosques.

    Cheraman Juma Mosque
    The mosque in 2022, following restoration.
    (The added dome and minarets cannot be seen).
    Religion
    AffiliationSunni Islam
    Ecclesiastical or organizational statusMosque
    StatusActive
    Location
    LocationMethala, Kodungalloor, Thrissur district, Kerala
    CountryIndia
    Cheraman Juma Mosque is located in Kerala
    Cheraman Juma Mosque
    Location of the mosque in Kerala
    Geographic coordinates10°13′12″N 76°11′38″E / 10.22°N 76.194°E / 10.22; 76.194
    Architecture
    TypeMosque architecture
    Style
    FounderMalik Bin Dinar
    (at the behest of Cheraman Perumal)
    Completed
    • 629 CE; or
      14-15th century
    • 1568 CE (rebuild)
    • 1984 (extensions)
    • 2022 (restoration)
    Specifications
    Length61 m (200 ft)
    Width24 m (79 ft)
    Dome(s)One (1994–2022)
    Minaret(s)Four (1994–2022)
    [1]

    The Cheraman Juma Mosque is a mosque in Kodungallur, Thrissur district, in the state of Kerala, India. According to traditional legends, it is claimed that the mosque was built in 629 CE by Malik Bin Dinar[2] though some scholars suggest a later construction date in the 14th–15th century.[3] Due to these claims, it is often regarded as the first mosque built in India[2][4] and the oldest mosque on the Indian subcontinent still in use.[5][6][7] However, historical research has cast doubt on these claims, suggesting that the origin story may be fictitious or legendary rather than factual.[8]

    The mosque was built in the Kerala-Islamic traditional Vastu shastra architectural style, with hanging lamps, making the historicity of its date claims more convincing.[1][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][better source needed]

    Modern corridors and halls were added in 1984, which surround the original building, and conceal almost all of the exterior features of the original structure.[3] A dome and minarets were added in 1994 and removed following a restoration of the building in 2022.[1]

    The mosque is located on the Paravur–Kodungalloor Road.

    History

    A remodelling of the mosque in 1994 added a dome and minarets

    One legend states that the mosque was built in 629 CE.[2][4] Other scholars are more skeptical and, based on the architectural style, have dated the structure from the 14th-15th century.[3]

    Legend of Cheraman Perumals

    According to some legends, the Chera king Cheraman Perumal witnessed the a supernatural event mentioned in the Quran[16] The story goes that Cheraman Perumal arrived in Arabia with a gift of ginger pickles for Muhammad and his companions[17] and converted to Islam "at the feet of Prophet Muhammad".[18]

    According to historian M.G.S. Narayanan, "there is no reason to reject the tradition that the last Chera king embraced Islam and went to Mecca, since it finds its place not only in Muslim chronicles, but also in Hindu brahmanical chronicles like the Keralolpatti, which need not be expected to concoct such a tale which in no way enhances the prestige of the Brahmins or Hindu population."[19][20]

    Scholar Mehrdad Shokoohy however traced such legends to a much later accounts with different dating than the supposed earlier date.[3] Historical research has found this story to be fictitious.[8]

    Visitors to the region

    A scaled model of the mosque, in 2009

    Several early Muslim or Arab travellers visited Kerala in medieval times. Among them were Sulaiman, in 851 CE;[21][full citation needed] Persian traveller Nakhuda Buzurg, in 951 CE;[22][full citation needed] Ibn E Batuta, in 1342 CE;[23] and Abd-Al-Razzaq, in 1442;[23][full citation needed] as well as many others. The Cheraman Juma Mosque was not mentioned in their respective writings.[21][full citation needed][22][page needed][23][24]

    Since 2005, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India[citation needed] and Dr Shashi Tharoor, the Member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram,[25] have visited the mosque.

    Appointment of the Aven (Priest)

    According to Chellikkattil Sundaran, president of the Hindu temple trust, the aven (priest) of Shobhaparamba Sreekurumba Bhagavati temple in Tanur, Malappuram, is traditionally appointed from the local Thiyya family by a member of the Brahmin family of Pazhayakhath Ilom. The family disintegrated over the years and its remaining members converted to Islam, but both the temple authorities and the family upheld the tradition. The temple's Hindu priest is appointed in a special ritual once every 12 years, presided over by a Muslim member of the Pazhayakath family, who makes the formal announcement. Locals ascribe this camaraderie to Cheraman Perumal.[18][26]

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b c Naseef, T. P. (28 June 2023). "The Kerala Mosques That Have Been Restored To Their Past Glory: Cheraman Juma Mosque". Benny Kuriakose and Associates. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
    2. ^ a b c Geaves, Ron (2017). Islam and Britain: Muslim Mission in an Age of Empire. Bloomsbury. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4742-7175-2.
    3. ^ a b c d Shokoohy, Mehrdad (2003). Muslim Architecture of South India: The Sultanate of Ma'bar and the Traditions of the Maritime Settlers on the Malabar and Coromandel Coasts (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa). Psychology Press. pp. 139–142.
    4. ^ a b "Cheraman Juma Masjid - the first mosque to be built in India at Kodungalloor". Kerala Tourism. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
    5. ^ "Mosque in Kerala dates back to the Prophet's time". The Times of India.
    6. ^ Anandan, S. (19 July 2015). "Tinkering with the past". The Hindu.
    7. ^ "India's oldest mosque Cheraman Juma Masjid set to reopen after renovation". Onmanorama. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
    8. ^ a b Prange, Sebastian R. (3 May 2018). Monsoon Islam: Trade and Faith on the Medieval Malabar Coast. Cambridge University Press. pp. 94–5, 100. ISBN 978-1-108-42438-7.
    9. ^ "INTERVIEW". iosworld.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
    10. ^ "'Cheraman Juma Masjid': The first mosque of India, built in 629". Siasat. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015.
    11. ^ "Oldest Indian mosque sets new precedent". Deccan Herald. 9 July 2011.
    12. ^ "1400-year-old mosque to be restored to its original form". The Hindu.
    13. ^ "Cheraman Juma Masjid: A 1,000-year-old lamp burns in this mosque". The Times of India.
    14. ^ "Solomon To Cheraman". Outlook India.
    15. ^ "Cheraman Juma Masjid: Kerala mosque built during Prophet's lifetime". Gulf News.
    16. ^ "Surah Al-Qamar [54:1]". Surah Al-Qamar [54:1]. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
    17. ^ "The Kerala king who embraced Islam". Arab News. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
    18. ^ a b "The Syncretic Treasure of India's Oldest Mosque". Madras Courier. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
    19. ^ Narayanan, M. G. S. (1996). Perumals of Kerala: Political and Social Conditions of Kerala Under the Cēra Perumals of Makotai (c. 800 A.D.-1124 A.D.). Kerala (India): Xavier Press. p. 65.
    20. ^ Raṇṭattāṇi, Husain (2007). Mappila Muslims: A Study on Society and Anti Colonial Struggles. Other Books. ISBN 9788190388788.
    21. ^ a b Menon, A Sreedhara. A Survey Of Kerala History. p. 95.
    22. ^ a b Buzurg, Nakhuda. Ajaib Al-Hind.
    23. ^ a b c Menon, A Sreedhara. A Survey Of Kerala History. p. 121.
    24. ^ Wink, André. Al-Hind, the Making of the Indo-Islamic World: Early Medieval India.
    25. ^ "Shashi Tharoor on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
    26. ^ "Where traditions break communal divisions". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 November 2018.

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