Jama Masjid, Mumbai

The Jama Masjid is a mosque in the Kalbadevi neighborhood, near Crawford Market in the South Mumbai region of Mumbai, India.

The original Jama Masjid of Mumbai was situated near Dongri. It was later removed and erected at Esplanade. In 1770, this mosque too was demolished by an order of Governor William Hornby which forbade the existence of any building within 600 yards of the walls of the Fort. The construction of the present Jama Masjid started in 1775 but work on it could not be completed till 1802. The Masjid is a quadrangular pile of brick and stone encircled by a ring of terraced roofed and double storied buildings. The main eastern gate leads to an ancient tank filled with about 10 feet of water. From the depths of the tank rise 16 black stone arches which support the whole of the mosque.

The Jama Masjid is administered by Kokni Muslims of Mumbai under the aegis of the Jama Masjid of Bombay Trust, a public Trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1956. The affairs of the Masjid and its allied properties are governed by eleven elected members of the Kokni community who are known as Mushavirs. The elections to the Trust are held every three years. Any member of the Kokni Jamaat (community) who is eligible as per the provisions of the Scheme of the Trust can contest elections.