Kusumba Mosque

The Kusumba mosque was built in 1558, in the last years of the independent sultanate under the Suri dynasty, and it is unusual for Bengal in being faced entirely in carved stone over its brick core: a rectangular hall with six domes, corner towers, and mihrabs carved with vines, lotus and hanging chains in shallow relief, with a raised stone platform in one corner that probably served a governor or the women of a household. The curved Bengali cornice is kept despite the stone facing. It stands beside a large tank in open country and has become familiar nationally from the five taka note. It survived the 1897 earthquake with damage that is still visible in places.

History

An inscription on the mosque records that it was begun in 1558 and finished in 1559, under Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah, one of the last Suri rulers, with the official Sulaiman overseeing the work. Built in the local Bengali style rather than the Suri manner of northern India, it went on to inspire other mosques in Bangladesh and Myanmar (Wikipedia, Kusumba Mosque).

What to look for

• Stone facing over brick - rare in Bengal, carved throughout.
• Vine and lotus mihrabs - the shallow relief of the west wall.
• The raised stone platform - the elevated bay inside the hall.
• The tank beside it - the water the mosque stands over.

When to go

November to March. One hour. Morning light suits the carving. It is a working mosque; visit outside prayer times. It is remote and quiet.

Before you go

It is small and the visit is short for the distance travelled. Access depends on prayer times. There are no facilities at the village. Roads in Naogaon district are slow.

Nearby

Naogaon is north-east; Mahasthangarh lies east.

Key facts