What is history? History is the preserved record of past events, which teaches us lessons for the present and the future. The identity and progress of a nation are based on its history.
I have been interested in old places for a long time, so whenever I get the chance, I like to travel to villages or places with history. The mosques and temples of the past were not done in the same beautiful way they were done today.
One such mosque with an old history is "Nayabad Mosque" which is located in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. You can find out about this mosque on the board kept next to the mosque, if you look at the border information, you can find it- " A testament to the rich history of the region, Nayabad Mosque is located on the west bank of the Dhepa River in Nayabad village of Ramchandrapur Union, Dinajpur, about 20 kilometers northwest of Dinajpur district town and about 8 kilometers east-southeast of Kaharol Upazila headquarters.
According to the inscription, -
"the Nayabad Mosque was built in 2 Jyishta 1200 Bengal (1793 AD) during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. Local folklore has it that,In the mid-18th century, Muslim architects from Persia (Iran) settled in the village of Nayabad to build the Kantanagar Temple. They built a mosque locally and began offering prayers.
This rectangular three-domed mosque has octagonal minarets at its four corners. Its length is 12.45 meters, its width is 5.50 meters, and its walls are 1.10 meters thick.A total of 104 pieces of quadrangular terracotta plaques and 28 pieces measuring 0.40 meters and 0.30 meters have been used to decorate the walls of the mosque.
Nayabad Mosque is a protected monument of the Department of Archaeology, Government of Bangladesh. The management of Nayabad Mosque is supervised by a committee formed under the leadership of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Kaharol, Dinajpur."
That's all the formal information. Now I will tell you my story, my perception. Considering it from a religious point of view, I can say that after entering the mosque, I felt a strange peace. This mosque has three domes, but the space inside the mosque is very limited.
A mosque where a maximum of thirty people can pray together. The mosque premises also have old red mosaics. To enter the mosque, you have to cross the mosque premises, and although you can enter the mosque through three paths, there is no door to the mosque.That is, the path to the Creator is always open.
There is also a grave next to the mosque premises where the grave of the mason who started the work of the mosque is located. There is a large field around the mosque, and on the other side of it, there is a small garden and a sitting area. I heard from the people of the area that this sitting area used to be different, but it could not be preserved, so this place has been somewhat modernized, but the chair is from the old days.
I, a travel enthusiast, really liked this place and as a Muslim, I liked finding a small Muslim residence in the middle of a completely Hindu area. But I'm not just talking about being a Muslim.Seeing this old mosque gives us a glimpse into the refined tastes of the people of the past.
Such an ancient monument is not just a place of religious worship, but also reflects the culture, taste, design, and beliefs of a time. Therefore, Nayabad Mosque is not just an architecture for us, but an invaluable bridge connecting the past with the present.