Nakhoda Mosque, Calcutta
Nakhoda Mosque (Bari Masjid) - an architectural gem tucked away in Calcutta's principal commercial zone has underwent multiple facelifts over centuries. It was being built and maintained exclusively by Kutchi Memons. The first account points towards early nineteenth century when a wealthy Muhammadan lady, Shamsunnisa Begum, built two small mosques at the same site of the current Mosque. In 1857, Haji Noor Mohammad Zakaria (after whom Zakaria Street is named) built a larger version of the mosque after donating and acquiring some adjacent land. In 1926, another merchant, Haji Abdul Rahim Osman, pulled down portions of the larger mosque to build the current structure.
Haji Noor Mohammad Zakaria was a Nakhoda merchant of Calcutta. The term Nakhoda originates from Persia and means 'captain' of a vessel - it primarly points to the surname and profession of Kutchi Memons of 19th and early 20th century. In this context, it may be highlighted that Memons are an ethnic group tracing their roots largely to Sindh, Kutch and Kathiawar.
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Historically Memons are a mercantile community and are generally referred to as a business community. Traditionally, the name Memon is an adaptation of Momin meaning faithful. This was used when this community converted to Islam. Kutchi Memon is one such group among the Memons which spoke Kutchi dialect. Memons generally tie to their respective local societies called “Jamat”, literally means congregation, which are generally established for the betterment and social welfare of its members which may include issuance of marriage license, matrimonial dispute resolution, adaptation and enforcement of the rules and guidelines against certain undesirable customs, establish healthcare and education centres, provide various facilities for the community need and also financial support and housing for the poor and needy members and sometime non-member.
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Currently there are around 25 families of Kutchi Memon Jamat in Calcutta. The community, however, has a strong presence of 650 families in Kochi (Cochin). The Saits of Kochi are one of the big names from this community. Though Memons embraced Islam in AD 1421, many of their celebrations like marriages still draw similarities with the Hindu culture.
The call of the Nakhoda Masjid regarding the sighting of a moon is regarded as the final one in Bengal. Ramazan starts and Id is celebrated after a month of fasting based on the announcement made from this very mosque on Zakaria Street.
References:
1. Calcutta and its Environs by Hassan Suhrawardy
2. Sects in Islam
3. The Telegraph
4. The Hindu
Images have been clicked by myself, Souvik Bhattacharya.
