Historic Atia Mosque risks being lost for lack of care
It is in the distant past that the landlord of Atia, Said Khan Panee, set his mind to the task of building a mosque on the bank of the Louhajang River in Tangail's Delduar upazila. According to Department of Archaeology and local historians he engaged the best masons and artisans for the task, with construction beginning in 1609.
Perhaps he wanted to demonstrate his loyalty to God. Perhaps he wanted fine surroundings in which the residents of his Atia Pargana estate, granted as a gift by the Mughal emperor Jahangir at the start of the seventeenth century, could pray.
Whatever his precise thinking was, following generations were left with an architectural heritage that has the ability to join somehow those long ago days to the modern era. It's an archaeological site of national significance.
The site is adjacent to the shrine of Hazrat Shahan Shah who came from Kashmir to Atia in about 1508 along with 49 followers to preach Islam in the region, perhaps why Panee determined to locate the mosque where it is. That the graves of Shah and his followers are nearby only adds to Atia Mosque's historical importance.
Moreover, the terracotta plaques adorning the mosque's nine-foot walls bear witness in their intricate patterns to the quality of craftsmanship available in an earlier Bengal.
But the 406 year old mosque is suffering from lack of maintenance, and the plaques these days are discoloured and fading; and some are damaged.
“Many plaques are worn,” says the current Imam of the mosque, Farid Ahmed. “Parts of its unique decoration are falling off and water is leaking on the top of the structure.”
With all the care Panee ensured was taken to bring to the mosque longevity and splendour, it's in the current era that the fruits of his efforts may be sadly lost.
It's a sorry fate to befall a mosque which has been cared for through several centuries. In 1800 the building was badly damaged by a large earthquake, but in 1837 it was restored thanks to Rowshan Khatoon Chowdhurani, a femal merchant from Delhi. The landlord of Delduar, Abu Ahmed Guznavi Khan, with the cooperation of Wajed Ali Khan Panni and other landlords of Atia repaired it again in 1909.
In 1978 the historic mosque came under the archaeology department's responsibility. They installed a signboard that says it is government property and that legal actions will be taken against anyone harming the mosque. The greatest harm however is that no initiative to restore or protect the building has been forthcoming.
“It's our heritage,” says Mohammad Babuluzzaman, current chairman of Atia union parishad. “Local people, together with the local administration, have taken steps on several occasions to protect the site. But the Department of Archaeology always discourages us.”
Although the mosque was partially repaired twice, in 2000 and 2009, more significant repair work is urgently required, says the mosque's caretaker Monirul Haque.
“After sending reports, senior Department of Archaeology officials visited the mosque about six months ago to examine the structure,” Haque says, “And they assured us repair work would begin by this year.” Yet there is no sign of activity.
Indeed the surrounding land that has traditionally constituted the mosque grounds is also at risk. Originally 115 decimals of land were donated to be held in perpetual trust for mosque use, says Mashud-ur-Rahman, secretary of the Atia Mosque Committee. This land includes 15 decimals for the mosque, 80 decimals for the pond in front of the mosque and a further 20 decimals of adjacent land.
However, apart from the 15 decimals of the mosque building, the remaining 100 decimals were incorrectly recorded as government land during the last survey. This change brings to a significant portion of the mosque grounds the risk of being leased for other purpose.
“We hope the authorities concerned will take the initiative to record the land in the name of the mosque,” says Mashud-ur-Rahman, “such that it cannot be leased out.”
In Atia Mosque, Said Khan Panee bequeathed to the world architectural treasure which, once destroyed, can never be truly replicated. It is to be hoped that the current administration will properly care for his gift to the people of Atia and Bangladesh, just as over the centuries, previous generations have.
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