Masjid-i Jehan Numa (Persian: مسجد جهاں نما; literally meaning the ‘World-reflecting Mosque’ or ‘Mosque of the Celestial Sphere’), commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi is the largest mosque in India, about 25,000 people can pray in the courtyard at a time .
The name ‘Jama’ originates from ‘Juma’. In Islam, Juma (Arabic: جُمُعَة; literally meaning ‘Friday’) is the holiest day of the week on which special congregational prayers are offered.
The mosque was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656 and was constructed by more than 5000 workers.
The mosque was planned to be a larger planned city named Shahjahanabad and it is considered as the best among all mosques built during the Mughal Empire as it has the best mixture of marble and limestone.
Shah Jahan (Persian: شاه جهان, literally meaning ‘King of the World’) was the fifth Mughal emperor, and reigned from 1628 to 1658. Under his reign, the Mughal Empire reached the peak of its cultural glory.
The cost of the construction at the time was one million Rupees. Shah Jahan also built the Taj Mahal, at Agra and the Red Fort in Old Delhi, which stands opposite the Jama Masjid.
