Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/53

Rh clear width internally of 27 feet 2 inches. This central hall is covered by a semicircular dome on a low neck, surmounted externally by a small top-knot, like the Kila Kona Masjid in Delhi Purana Kila. The dome is supported underneath by arches, which mark out the central hall. The pillars are 3 feet 8 inches square; there are four on each side, so that the hall has 12 arched openings springing from the 12 pillars; the corner pillars are in no way larger or stronger than the intermediate ones; the dome rests on arched pendentives.

The galleries on the four sides of this hall are roofed by vaulted arches resting on arches. At the four corners, however, the vaults are replaced by four small domes, similar to the large central dome, and similarly surmounted by small top-knots; the principal mehrâb is in the centre of the west wall of the west gallery. Two other mehrâbs, however, occupy the west-end walls of the two north and south galleries. The principal entrance to the masjid is under a great archway, and through a smaller archway; all the entrance archways are equal, but the central one has a projecting great arch for its façade. The smaller archways, both of the principal entrances and of the mehrâbs, are fretted, but the great arch is quite plain, and so are the side arches; the top of the central projecting portion of the front wall, which is pierced by the great arch, is curved. The four faces of the masjid are precisely similar to each other externally and internally, with this exception, that in the west face there are no entrances, but merely false arches panelled into the façade.

The exterior is ornamented by several small niches. The general appearance of the masjid is plain, and its style is not such as to make it imposing, despite its excessive plainness. The masjid is built entirely of brick faced with plaster, and devoutly whitewashed every year. I have thus described it in detail, as it is traditionally and probably actually the oldest masjid in Patna.

Besides this masjid there are two others of interest, of which the one at Chamni Ghat is remarkably fine. It consists of five openings (of which the central one is slightly larger than the side ones), giving entrance into a long hall divided off into five compartments by great archways across from wall to wall resting on square projecting pilasters. The central entrance is relieved by a bold projection pierced by a large archway, and this projecting portion of the front wall is a little higher than the rest of the façade; it is not curved on the top as in Shir Shah's masjid, but is perfectly straight