• Jan 25 2016
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Lat Masjid

The Lat masjid is a historic mosque at southeastern edge of the old town of Dhar. It is attributed to Dilawar Khan (c. 1405 CE) when he created Malwa Sultanate by declaring independence from Delhi Sultanate. This was the new mosque in Dhar at the time, the oldest being the Kamal Maula mosque (Bhojashala). The Lat masjid too was built largely from pillars and parts of Hindu and Jain temples in a period when Dhar served as the capital of the new Malwa Sultanate.

The Lat mosque's name is after a colossal "lath" (pillar, stambha) lying outside. Originally, it was about 44.5 feet (13.6 m) and topped with a trishul (trident) capital – a Shaiva icon, leading to the inference that this pillar stood before some Shiva monument in Dhar. It is made of iron, and has remained corrosion-free despite nearly 1000 years of being in open.

 

A portion of the original "lat" Hindu pillar monument was moved in early 15th-century to Mandu, and is found in the Dilawar Khan mosque of Mandu. In 1531, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat Sultanate tried to move this Lat pillar to Gujarat. However, his effort broke it into pieces. The Sultan left the broken pillar in Dhar in its ruined, broken sloping position at this site (as seen in old archival photos). In 1980, ASI collected the three surviving "lat" pieces and placed them in a horizontal position on a small platform outside the mosque. One of the pieces has a dated inscription recording a visit by the Mughal Emperor Akbar on his way to attack the Deccan region.The Lat masjid – along with the Kamal Maula mosque – has been controversial and an inspiration for religious disputes. Muslims consider these mosques as a part of their heritage, while Hindus consider the pillars, defaced artwork, stone slabs with Sanskrit inscriptions and other temple parts inside as their heritage.