Kali Masjid Jalna

Old and ancient mosques have something about them that attracts every history lover. Kali Masjid is another mosque in this list, located in Jalna, Maharashtra. Built by Jamshed Khan, holy saint, more than 400 years ago this mosque was built of black stone, making it a rare one. Also known as Jumma Masjid, it was built in AD 1557 and is rectangular in shape.

The Kali Masjid closed on three sides and there’s an arcade in the front. There is also a verandah that has a sloping with three arches as support. The corners have been beautified with small fluted domes and the masjid contains extensive perforated stone work that you would fall in love with.

The principal dome, at the centre is ornamented at the top and base with lotus leaves and looks elegant, more so, due to the presence of the Mughal architecture-inspired spire. The paved courtyard inside houses a cistern or the Sarai! The surrounding walls all around the cistern have platforms with pointed recesses.

It also has the Hammam, which was used in the past for taking baths.

History

A history that is more than 400 years old, Kali Masjid is not visited by numerous tourists, meaning if you’re someone who prefers exploring in solitude and hate the maddening crowd, this is the place to be. The carvings on the walls and the beautiful stone work offers a perfect blend of Persian and Indian architecture.

Things to Do in and around

Anandi Swami Temple is a popular place of visit amongst Hindu travellers and is situated close to the mosque. The atmosphere is calm and quiet and you would love spending few hours in peace in this temple. Moti Bagh, a beautiful garden is another place that you should visit during your stopover in Jalna. It has toy train that you can hop on to take a ride through the garden. Moti Talab is another tourist attraction of this place, which is a big tank located west of the city. It has a complex underground water system that supplied water to the tank in the past. You can also consider visiting Jalna Fort that now houses municipal offices of the district.

How to Reach

By Air: The nearest airport is Aurangabad. The Aurangabad airport is well-connected to other domestic airports of the country. Once you are in Aurangabad, you can always drive to Jalna or hire a taxi.