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Charminar (Four Minarets) is a monument and mosque in the old city of Hyderabad, India. It is a building with four minarets. This place has become a global icon of Hyderabad in the list of most recognized structures in India. It is one of the oldest historical buildings in Hyderabad. Charminar has been a historical site for over 444 (as of 2022) years with a mosque on the top floor. It is one of the tourist attractions in Hyderabad. Many festivals like Eid-ul-Az and Eid-ul-Fitr are celebrated here.
Due to the fame of this historical building, the area around it is known as the Charminar area. To the northeast of it is the Lad Bazaar and to the west is the Makkah Masjid, well built of granite. In 1592, the next year after the completion of Charminar, arches were built on four sides of Charminar. Named Charminar Kaman, Kali Kaman, Machili Kaman, and Sher e Batul, these arches are built in Ido-Persian style with a height of 60 feet and a width of 30 feet.
It is included as an archaeological and architectural treasure in the official "List of Buildings" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India. The English name is a translation, combining the Urdu words chair, minar or minar, to translate "four pillars".
History
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty moved his capital from Golconda to the newly formed city of Hyderabad and later built the Charminar in 1591. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the current capital of the structure, mentions in its records that there are various theories regarding the purpose of the construction of Charminar. However, the centre of the city is the Charminar, which is said to have been built to commemorate the eradication of cholera. Cholera, a deadly disease, was widespread at that time.
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah prayed for an end to the plague in his city and decided to build a mosque on the spot where he had prayed. According to the 17th-century French traveller Jean de Thévet, the Charminar, built from the available Persian texts, dates to 1591 CE, the beginning of the second Islamic millennium (1000 AH). This event was celebrated far and wide in the Islamic world, thus Qutb Shah founded the city of Hyderabad in honour of this event.
Construction
The Charminar Masjid is a square structure with a length of 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) on each side. Each face opens onto one of the four streets with four divine arches. At each corner is a magnificently shaped 56-meter (approx. 184 ft) high two-storied minaret.
The base of each minar has designs like vada purekula. Unlike the Taj Mahal minarets, the Charminar is built with four structures joined to the main structure. There are 149 steps to reach the top floor[7]. The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar, and pulverized marble. It weighs approximately 14000 tons.
There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golconda fort to Charminar, although the location of the tunnel is unknown, it is said to have been used as an escape route by the Qutb Shahi rulers in the event of a siege.
On its roof, there is a mosque on the western side. The rest of the roof was the royal court during the Qutb Shahis period. The roof of the actual mosque occupies the entire four-storied structure.
Four-way clocks were added in 1889. There is a pool of water in the middle. Charminar Mosque has a small fountain for Islamic ablution before offering prayers.
In the Surrounding Area
The area around Charminar is also known by the same name. It is located in Charminar Constituency.
Makkah Masjid
The letter Kamesha is seen from the top of Charminar.
Charminar is surrounded by a bazaar. A girl knows that bazaar means jewellery, especially glasses and pearls. There were about 14,000 shops in Charminar Market. Sarojini Naidu describes the bazaars around Charminar in her poem "In the Bazaars of Hyderabad".
Char Kaman, Gulzar House
The four arches on the north side of Charminar are called "Char Kaman". These were built in the 16th century along with the Charminar. These are Kali Kanan, Machli Kaman, Seher-e-Batil Ki Kaman, Charminar Kaman. The fountain in the space between these arches is called Gulzar House. Char Common needs restoration, protection from encroachments
Influences in the Cultural World
In 2007, Hyderabadi Muslims living in Pakistan built a small Charminar at a major crossing around Bahadurabad, Karachi. Liberty Chocolate Audebert Boucher designed a 50 kg chocolate Charminar model. The model, which required three days of work, was unveiled at the Westin, Hyderabad, India on 25 September 26, 2010.
Charminar Express train was introduced between Hyderabad and Chennai. Charminar appears on Hyderabadi rupee coins and banknotes. The structure appears on the Telangana state emblem as a symbol of the city of Hyderabad, along with the Kala Thora of the Kakatiyas.
Conclusion
444 years celebration
It is said that the foundation of Charminar was laid on the first day of Moharram in the year 01.01.1000 according to the Hijri calendar. As per the Hijri calendar on 1st August 2022, the historical Charminar has become the first multi-storied in Bhagyanagar to mark 444 years. On the occasion of the 444th anniversary of the construction of Charminar, Deccan Archives organized a week-long (August 1 to 8) photography exhibition of Charminar Charminar along with many photos, maps and paintings.
Written by Kundena Nikhil
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