Khuthbapalli Explained

Khuthbapalli
Native Name:Tamil: குத்பாபள்ளி
Native Name Lang:ta
Coordinates:11.93°N 79.13°W
Map Type:India
Location:Pondicherry, India
Religious Affiliation:Islam
Sect:Sunni Islam
State:Puducherry
Status:Mosque
Architecture Type:Mosque
Architecture Style:Indo-Islamic architecture
Established:Present location built in the 18th century; reconstructed in the 20th century. Old demolished location in White Town long before the 17th century

Khuthbapalli (Tamil: குத்பாபள்ளி; French: Couttoubapalli or French: Cottoubapalli) is a mosque in Pondicherry. Khutbah literally means the Friday sermon given in a mosque. Khuthbapalli holds Friday prayers are also held in addition to the regular prayers.

History

Khuthbapalli is claimed to be the first mosque in Pondicherry, first sited in White Town. According to the Dutch map of Pondicherry Fort in 1693, two mosques were located there. One is believed to be Khuthbapalli and the other to be Meerapalli.[1] Meerapalli was relocated during the first half of the 18th century to its present location,[2] whereas Khuthbapalli remained in the Western part of White Town until the destruction of the White Town by the English in 1761.[3] The ultimate mosque was built in the 18th century.

French soldiers of Dupleix came to destroy this ancient mosque in 1948, but were stopped in the process by local Muslims and especially by the timely intervention of Abdul Rahman.[4] The French renamed the rue De la monnaie to rue Victor Simonel. Rue De la monnaie was known as rue De la mosquee during the governorship of Joseph François Dupleix. Rue De la mosquee means "Mosque Street" in English.

Markaz

Khuthbapalli functions as the Markaz (Headquarters) of Tablighi Jamaat's Pondicherry Chapter.

Notes and References

  1. Kaart van het beleg van de Stad en het fort Podechery, http://www.gahetna.nl/en/collectie/afbeeldingen/kaartencollectie/zoeken/weergave/detail/start/1/tstart/0/q/zoekterm/Pondicherry/q/commentaar/1, Retrieved 3 April 2018
  2. Plan des ville et fort Louis de Pondichéry par M. Denyon, http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b55005623v/f1.item.r=pondicherry, Retrieved 3 April 2018
  3. Yvonne Robert Gaebelé, CREOLE ET GRANDE DAME - Johanna Bégum, Marquise Dupleix 1706-1756, Pages 198-199, Pondicherry, Imprimerie Moderne, http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k58429015/f239.item.r=mosqu%C3%A9e
  4. J. Frederic Price and K. Rangachari, The Private Diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai - Dubash to Joseph François Dupleix - Governor of Pondicherry, Vol:5, Pages 308, http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00litlinks/pillai/vol05/05_298.pdf