Cuttack has been one of the major seats of the
political authority of the Muslims who ruled it once. And for that
reason many Muslim monuments have been constructed in the city of
Cuttack during their rulings. Qadam-E-Rasool is one of those beautiful
monuments of the state which as per the historical evidences was built
by Shujaddin Khan.
Qadam-E-Rasool
is one of the famous Mosques of Cuttack which is spread on an area of
over 57 acres. The mosque is of great importance for the Muslim
community of Cuttack as it has its roots in the 18th century A.D and has
witnessed the steps of Prophet Mohammad in the mosque which has been
preserved till date in the mosque’s central hall. It is a prime example
of the magnificent Indo-Islamic architecture and is said to be one of
the most famous Muslim graveyard which has graves of several Nazis.
There is a common belief among people that the holy shrine of
Qadam-E-Rasool has been made by a Hindu King and is visited by both
Hindu and Muslims.
Attractions of Qadam-e-Rasool
The
Qadam-e-Rasool shrine is stretched over half a square mile and consists
of three mosques and a music gallery named as Nawabat Khana. On each of
the corners of the boundary walls of the Qadam-e-Rasool there are the
small minarets being formed. At all the four corners of the compound
wall of the mosque tiny but very strong towers are being constructed
which are carved out of the chiseled stone. Overall the entire mosque
has nine minarets and a big one right at the center which holds the
crescent and the star. There are several examples of fine architectural
works on the entire mosque which can be seen increasing its beauty. In
the state of Odisha there are several shrines and among all the holy
Qadam-e-Rasool has the huge building which stands on an octagonal
plinth.
The Interior
The interior roof of the mosque has been painted with
designs of beautiful flowers and plants of various varieties. The mosque
has complete marble flooring with black and white squares. Just at the
centre of the entire monument the footprints of holy Prophet which is
the Qadam-e-Rasool are being placed in a metal basin. The peak of the
dome is structured just like the Sikhara temple architecture of Odisha
with all the elements of amalaka and the kalasa. The dome outside is
ornamented with a golden top.
