The Malabar coast had ancient trade ties with Arabia, and religious leaders sailed to Malabar to spread the message of Islam. The early mosques of Kerala have been built in the local temple architecture, thus having Hindu influences.
My project looks at the early mosques of Malabar built from the 6th to 15th century by local artisans of Kerala and the style of architecture adopted for their construction.
According to a common legend, the first account of Islam in Malabar is traced to the King Cheraman Perumal. He travelled to Makkah, accepted Islam and on his return, passed away in Arabia. Some of his companions led by Malik Ibn Dinar returned to Kerala and built the first mosques across the state beginning with the Cheraman Jumma Masjid at Kodungallur. They reached the coast of Kodungallur after several days of voyage. They handed the letter to the then ruler of their place, who gave them lands and estates for their use.
Following this, they settled down and built a mosque there. Some of them moved to Kollam, Ezhimala , Barkur, Mangalore, Kasargode, Sreekandapuram, Dharmadam, Pantalayani, and Chaliyam and built mosques.
The ascendancy of Zamorins took place after the disintegration of the Chera Empire. They were originally the Eradis of Nediyirippu, who were the governors of the Ernad district of the Chera Empire.In Zamorin’s capital city Calicut, the Muccunti Mosque has a bilingual inscription of the 13th century partly in Vattezhuttu and partly in Arabic, referring to the grant of Puntarakkon (Zamorin) of one Nali rice as the daily allowance to the Muccunti Mosque. This inscription registers a permanent grant by a Hindu monarch to a Muslim place of worship in his capital.
The project looks at four different mosques of Malabar. The story begins with the Cheraman Jumma Masjid in Kodungallur and shifts to the three Mosques of Kuttichira (Calicut) namely- Muchunti Mosque, Kuttichira Jumma Masjid and Mishkal Mosque. As a designer, I want to bring out the architectural features of these mosques that show the amalgamation of two different cultures. I have showcased the structure of each Mosque along with important features such as the roof detailing, the intricate wood work, motifs from carvings, the inscriptions found in the Mosques or legends.
Final Illustrations for the frames
The final display of the frames at the Grad exhibition held at Chitrakala Parishath Bangalore
