Among other archaeological sites and historic places in Thakurgaon, Balia mosque is the most familiar. According to historians, Meher Bakhs Chowdhury, husband of a landlord's daughter Gulmoti, made this mosque in 1910 (1317 in Bengali). Renovation of the mosque began in 2005, and it was opened...
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Although built close to the end of the British era, this design echoes other wonderful recent examples of Mughal era Mosque architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries in Bangladesh. I hope they restore this with nice landscaping all around. Allah-ka-ghar deserves all care applied to it.
You can see how the design elements have evolved and have been refined compared to mosques like the Chhoto Shona Mosque designed around AD 1500 - which has very blocky column Hindu Temple architecture elements like the Puthia temple.
Here is the story of restoration for Balia Mosque
Balia Mosque is one of the various historical sites and archeological monuments in Thakurgaon district.
Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila 15 km. To the northeast is an impeccably beautiful historical mosque in Balia Union. But this mosque has been hidden from public view for centuries. We have to go back to the 18th century to know its relationship. At that time there was a famous tenant zamindar in Balia area, named Meher Boks Sarkar. Many stories about him are still popular in Balia area. Gulmati Nesha, wife of Meher Box Sarkar, got the title of Chowdhurani in recognition of her zamindari tax / tax delivery to the British. Meher Box Sarkar is also known as Chowdhury. . Meher Baksh Chowdhury planned to build a mosque in Baliya in the late 18th century. Mistry was brought from Delhi for this purpose. The construction of this mosque was a matter of time. Brick making, The work of Chun Surki is a difficult task. At that time there were not so many brick kilns. So making bricks on private initiative was also a complicated process. Still the work was in full swing. The roof of the mosque was built, but the dome was not built. At this time the head mason died suddenly, and the construction of the mosque stopped. Later Meher Boks Chowdhury started the work by the local masons but they failed to build the dome. Meher Baksh Chowdhury also died in 1905. After his death, his family members also tried to complete the construction of the mosque. But they also failed. Eventually the construction of the mosque ceased for a hundred years. And the installation area became forested and became a habitat for snakes and insects. But the dome was not built. At this time the head mason died suddenly, and the construction of the mosque stopped, later Meher Boks Chowdhury started the work by the local masons but they failed to build the dome. The construction of the mosque was stopped for more than a hundred years. Meher Baksh Chowdhury also died in 1905. After his death, his family members also tried to complete the construction of the mosque. But they also failed. Eventually the construction of the mosque ceased for a hundred years. And the installation area became forested and became a habitat for snakes and insects. But the dome was not built. At this time the head mason died suddenly, and the construction of the mosque stopped, later Meher Boks Chowdhury started the work by the local masons but they failed to build the dome. The construction of the mosque was stopped for more than a hundred years. Meher Baksh Chowdhury also died in 1905. After his death, his family members also tried to complete the construction of the mosque. But they also failed. Eventually the construction of the mosque ceased for a hundred years. And the installation area became forested and became a habitat for snakes and insects. Later, Meher Box Chowdhury was started by local masons but they failed to build the dome. The mosque was closed for more than a century. Meher Baksh Chowdhury also died in 1905. After his death, his family members also tried to complete the construction of the mosque. But they also failed. Eventually the construction of the mosque ceased for a hundred years. And the installation area became forested and became a habitat for snakes and insects. Later, Meher Box Chowdhury was started by local masons but they failed to build the dome. The mosque was closed for more than a century. Meher Baksh Chowdhury also died in 1905. After his death, his family members also tried to complete the construction of the mosque. But they also failed. Eventually the construction of the mosque ceased for a hundred years. And the installation area became forested and became a habitat for snakes and insects.
Then in the 80's. Rezwanul Haque Idu Chowdhury, the then grandson of Meher Box Chowdhury, was then the Minister of Social Welfare in the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and a Member of Parliament for Thakurgaon-01 constituency. He brought an engineer from Dhaka and expressed his desire to renovate the mosque.
Then, in the 21st century, when there was a need for a mosque in the small Balia area, a new mosque was planned. After much debate, it was finally decided to renovate the abandoned mosque. The next generation of the Balia Chowdhury dynasty took the initiative to reform the mosque. One of the first initiators of the mosque renovation this time was the children of the Balia Chowdhury family such as artist Kamruzzaman Swadhin, Shahid Zakirul Haque Chowdhury, the late Alhaj Saiful Alam Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, Ansarul Haque Chowdhury and a couple of people adjoining the mosque. The first three have played the most important role in the renovation of the mosque, A third of them served as the secretary of the mosque from the beginning of the Reformation until his death. He used to take the news of the mosque even while lying in the hospital bed on his death bed. His thoughts were mosque-centric. He has mobilized all the funds for the renovation of the mosque with the first two on his own initiative. At his request, Syed Abu Sufian, a teacher architect at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the son of the daughter of the Balia Chowdhury family, designed the Kushal Dome, designed the mosque to look like after renovation, and designed the hospital (which has not yet been built).
Tasrifa Khatun, the worthy great-granddaughter of Meher Box Chowdhury, played the role of the main patron in this great work. Tasrifa Khatun Northern is the chairman of Tasrifa Group as well as the chairman of Safiuddin Ahmed Foundation and Eye Hospital. A group of students from the Department of Archeology at Jahangirnagar University visited the mosque and showed a positive attitude towards renovation. Those students themselves and some workers cleared the jungle of the mosque.
Then the reconstruction work started keeping the tradition intact. There is a lot of controversy in our country about the methods that are followed for the preservation of traditional buildings. There are also allegations of distortion in the name of conservation somewhere. The process of preserving the Panam City in Sonargaon, the Satgumbuj Mosque in Bagerhat and Sompur Bihar in Paharpur was no less controversial. And the renovation work of Eibalia Mosque is a unique example from these aspects. However, the Department of Archeology did not show much interest in supervising this work at first. Eventually a lot of wood was burned and people from the archeology department were brought in to oversee the reconstruction of the mosque. After so many days, some parts of the walls were removed for preservation. As you can see, A wall of the same design within 11 inches of the present wall. This inner wall differs from the later built brick and mortar with brick and mortar. The combined age of the mosque is estimated to be more than 120 years. It is to be noted that no scientific test of carbon-14 or thermaluminescence has been done to determine the age as it is expensive.
The area of the mosque is 72 feet 6 inches in the east-west and 69 feet 2 inches in the north-south. The rectangular complex can be divided into three sections, 'entrance with stairs', 'open courtyard' and 'main building or prayer hall'. The main building is 25 feet 11 inches wide on the east-west side. The entrance, the open courtyard and the main building are located on the same platform. The mosque is located on a platform 5 feet 3 inches high on a foundation 3 to 4 and a half feet deep depending on the place. The roof height from the platform is 18 feet. The whole mosque with the foundation is made of lime-mortar mortar and mortar No scientific tests of carbon-14 or thermaluminescence have been performed to determine age as it is expensive. The area of the mosque is 72 feet 6 inches in the east-west and 69 feet 2 inches in the north-south. The rectangular complex can be divided into three sections, 'entrance with stairs', 'open courtyard' and 'main building or prayer hall'. The main building is 25 feet 11 inches wide on the east-west side. The entrance, the open courtyard and the main building are located on the same platform. The mosque is located on a platform 5 feet 3 inches high on a foundation 3 to 4 and a half feet deep depending on the place. The roof height from the platform is 18 feet. The whole mosque with the foundation is lime-mortar mortar and hand No scientific tests of carbon-14 or thermaluminescence have been performed to determine age as it is expensive. The area of the mosque is 72 feet 6 inches in the east-west and 69 feet 2 inches in the north-south. The rectangular complex can be divided into three sections, 'entrance with stairs', 'open courtyard' and 'main building or prayer hall'. The main building is 25 feet 11 inches wide on the east-west side. The entrance, the open courtyard and the main building are located on the same platform. The mosque is located on a platform 5 feet 3 inches high on a foundation 3 to 4 and a half feet deep depending on the place. The roof height from the platform is 18 feet. The whole mosque with the foundation is made of lime-mortar mortar and mortar The 'open courtyard' and the 'main building or prayer hall' can be divided into three parts. The main building is 25 feet 11 inches wide on the east-west side. The entrance, the open courtyard and the main building are located on the same platform. The mosque is located on a platform 5 feet 3 inches high on a foundation 3 to 4 and a half feet deep depending on the place. The roof height from the platform is 18 feet. The whole mosque with the foundation is made of lime-mortar mortar and mortar The 'open courtyard' and the 'main building or prayer hall' can be divided into three parts. The main building is 25 feet 11 inches wide on the east-west side. The entrance, the open courtyard and the main building are located on the same platform. The mosque is situated on a platform 5 feet 3 inches high on a foundation 3 to 4 and a half feet deep depending on the place. The roof height from the platform is 18 feet. The whole mosque with the foundation is lime-mortar mortar and hand
Built of burnt bricks. The installation has been 'documented' at the beginning of the conservation process. That is, each part was photographed and two-dimensional and three-dimensional. The construction materials and style of small parts have been identified. At the same time, it has been checked how much damage has been done to any part of the installation. And what may be the appropriate method to cure it. For proper documentation of various parts of the building covered with trees, algae, fungi, dust, partial 'dry cleaning' has to be done. Most importantly, the method must be such that if a modern method of conservation is discovered in the future, or if the future conservator thinks so, the previous conservator did not use the correct method, In the second phase of conservation, fluorosilicate-type inorganic salts are used to fill the cracks in the building. This strengthens the building from the inside. Note that before applying this method, sulfuric acid is injected to remove the roots that have penetrated the walls and foundation. In addition, ordinary water, boiling water, hydrochloric acid and penta chlorophenol are used to remove dust, algae, fungi and salts from the walls of the building. That is, the walls that have been torn down are being rebuilt. The shape of the brick used during the first manufacture, Exactly the same new bricks have been used. However, the previous style could not be used in the construction of the dome of the mosque. Because the dome of the mosque was never built. As a result, it is not possible to say what the domes could have looked like. But since there are no supporting pillars or beams in the building, the weight walls of the dome can no longer last long. That's why researchers plan to build the mosque's three domes using modern technology. At present, there is some work left to be done to build the minaret. It will be completed very soon. Finally, after a long pursuit, the "Small Balia Mosque" was inaugurated in 2010. At this time, a reunion ceremony was organized with all the members of the Balia Chowdhury family. It is not possible to say that now. In view of the situation, it seems that the plan was to build the domes using the False Arch method. But since there are no supporting pillars or beams in the building, the weight walls of the dome can no longer last long. That's why researchers plan to build the mosque's three domes using modern technology. At present, there is some work left to be done to build the minaret. It will be completed very soon. Finally, after a long pursuit, the "Small Balia Mosque" was inaugurated in 2010. At this time, a reunion ceremony was organized with all the members of the Balia Chowdhury family. It is not possible to say that now. In view of the situation, it seems that the plan was to build the domes using the False Arch method. But since there are no supporting pillars or beams in the building, the weight walls of the dome can no longer last long. That's why researchers plan to build the mosque's three domes using modern technology. At present, there is some work left to be done to build the minaret. It will be completed very soon. Finally, after a long pursuit, the "Small Balia Mosque" was inaugurated in 2010. At this time, a reunion ceremony was organized with all the members of the Balia Chowdhury family. That's why researchers plan to build the mosque's three domes using modern technology. And to that end, modern model domes of the mosque have been built, putting an end to all speculations. At present, there is some work left to be done to build the minaret. It will be completed very soon. Finally, after a long pursuit, the "Small Balia Mosque" was inaugurated in 2010. At this time, a reunion ceremony was organized with all the members of the Balia Chowdhury family. That's why researchers plan to build the mosque's three domes using modern technology. And to that end, modern model domes of the mosque have been built, putting an end to all speculations. At present, there is some work left to be done to build the minaret. It will be completed very soon. Finally, after a long pursuit, the "Small Balia Mosque" was inaugurated in 2010. At this time, a reunion ceremony was organized with all the members of the Balia Chowdhury family.
Nowadays, the worldwide integrated part is made in contemporary technology to differentiate the traditional installation style with the modern installation style. It will not work only with the building. Researchers also want to decorate the mosque premises scientifically. Eucalyptus planted in the courtyard, It is very harmful for the building because this tree absorbs a lot of water. Such trees absorb moisture from the foundation and walls and destroy the strength of the building. So the process of cutting eucalyptus around the building and planting sandalwood and shawl trees is underway. This is the current situation of the small Baliya Mosque. With the cooperation of the locals including the members of Balia Chowdhury family, this mosque has now taken its place as a unique installation of Thakurgaon. Every day many people from far and wide come to enjoy the beauty of this mosque in addition to praying.
Renovation work of Balia Mosque started in 2001. Later, in 2010, the mosque was opened for the worshipers.
