Moorish Mosque, Kapurthala

The Moorish Mosque, Kapurthala situated in Kapurthala in the Indian State of Punjab is patterned on the lines of the Grand Mosque of Marrakesh, Morocco. It was commissioned by Maharajah Jagatjit Singh, the last ruler of Kapurthala. Kapurthala city, was then the capital city of the Kapurthala State, known as 'Mini Paris of Punjab' and the mosque was stated to be one of the best in South-east Asia. The mosque is a national monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.LocationThe mosque is situated in Kapurthala about from Jalandhar. kapurthala is also the nearest rail head to the mosque.HistoryThe mosque was built by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, the last ruler of Kapurthala. He was ruler with extravagant tastes but known for the developmental activities implemented in the then Kapurthala State. He was renowned for his secular credentials. The Maharaja, a Sikh, who built it, believed in catering to the aspirations of his largely Muslim subjects (about 60%). The mosque was his ambitious effort to promote social integration among his people, and this is proved by the fact that when the then Viceroy of India sent him a letter questioning him on the large costs involved in building it, the Maharaja replied: "Your Excellency may be unaware that 60 per cent of my population my loyal Muslim subjects. It is only in the fitness of things that the best place of worship in my state be constructed for them".