- Panbari Mosque
Infobox religious building
building_name=Panbari mosque
caption=
location=Flagicon|India Dhubri district,India
religious_affiliation=Islam
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state=Assam
district=Dhubri
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status=Mosque
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architecture_type=Mosque
architecture_style=Islamic,
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materials=The historic Panbari Masjid or Rangamati Masjid is an excellent example of great architectural achievement of the
Mughal Empire in the 15th/16th century. The masjid situated on theNational Highway 31, about 25 km east fromDhubri town, near Panbari and Rangamati, is considered to be the oldestmosque in the Indian state ofAssam . It was built by an able administrator Hussain Shah in between1493 and1519 AD who was then the Governor ofBengal . This mosque was used as a prayer hall by the Mughal Mohmmedan Soldiers. There is also an "Idgah" and a deep well which were also probably constructed during that period.Panbari "Pahar", thus is known as the holy seat of the
Muslims inAssam . The scenic beauty of the hills with its richflora , its unique location together with the archeological importance, holds promise of becoming an important tourist spot inIndia . It is said that about 200 years ago, the local people of this place found this mosque in Panbari "Pahar" under the thick foliage. They cleaned this place and started to offerNamaz there.During ‘
Idd ’ this mosque wears a special look. Thousands of people from different parts of the country visit this mosque. Not only the people from India but also fromEngland andJapan visit this place. But the masjid is fast losing its glory due to lack of proper maintenance. During the reign of theKoch rulers Rangamati area was a very prosperous place. It was the frontier post of the Koch rulers. Invading army of Mughals also used Rangamati fort.Of late, a
township consisting of brick-plinths,terracotta antiquities as alsohorde of coins have been discovered near this mosque, which have been tentatively attributed to the Mughal regime. The area is also believed by some to be the headquarters of Hussain Shah. TheArchaeological Survey of India , Ministry of Culture has taken steps to conserve these monuments.References and External Link
* [http://dhubri.gov.in/people&culture_dhubri.htm/ Dhubri District Profile]
* http://www.indiainfoweb.com/assam/panbari/
* [http://www.islamicvoice.com/july.2000/community.htm/ ISLAMIC VOICE, JULY 2000.]
* [http://assamgovt.nic.in/districts/district.asp?disp=tour&distId=4/ Government of Assam, Official website]
* [http://www.unesco.org/archi2000/pdf/choudhury.pdf/ Choudhury, R. D.; HERITAGE OF ARCHITECTURE OF ASSAM – NEED FOR CONSERVATION, National Museum, New Delhi.]
* [http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_assam.asp/ The Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture.]
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