Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-16
midas BIGGEST MOSQUE THE COURT COVERS FOUR ACRES
Phoographed The News by Frank carnenter.
them at any time ~ the British should
leave,
INDIA'S BIGGEST MOSQUE.

them at any time ~ the British should
leave,
INDIA's BIGGEST MOSQUE.
have often been asked by Chris
tiaus at home whether the Mohan-
medans we're hypocrites or really be-
lieyed in their religion l can assure
you there Is no doubt of their belief
They have as strong a faith as we
have and are much less backward in
showing IL. When We pray we sneak
back Of the barn, behind the woudplle
or az least kneel in our closets, II
there are others In the same room We
may pray In bed The MOhamm
when the hour OF prayer comes bobs
down upon his knees in the open and
goes through his long deyotious wher-
ever he may be. You may often see him
reading his Bible-the Koran-While In
his shop and you will find him pray
ing everywhere. II he is at all deyoUt
he goes 20 the mosque every day and
prays there IN public. He always
washes before he prays. and he takes
on his shoes before he steps upon the
holy floor Of his church. He makes the
stranger do likewise or requires him
TO put on slippers over his shoes, that
the sacred pavements may not he de-
filed. This Is what | had to do when
went with high priest through the
Jamma Musjid today, although his
holiness told me / might keep my
hat on.
And this brings me to midas great
est mosque. II Is called the Jamma
Musjid and II Is situated here on the
banks Of the Jumna on a plateau OF
rock between Delhi fort and tho city
u Is something like 500 years old hav-
ing been built by Shah Jehan. the same
man who erected the Tai Mahal at
Agra, considered the most beautiful
building Of the whole world Tho jam
ma MusJid Is OF red sandstone inlaid
with white marble. II has three great
domcs and mighty minarets from the
tops OF which the Imans call the hours
OF prayer five times day. II is the
biggest mosque in the world. surpass-
ing anything I'm Cairo or Constantine
Pile and larger than the famed Moham-
medan churches Of Kairouan. The Jam
ma Musiid has a paved court Of more
than four acres In front of It, and this
Is walled By cloisters which run around
It's three sides.
The floor Of the mosque is divided
into kneeling places OF white marble
bordered with black Each IL large
enough to accommodate one man upon
his knees with Sufficient space In front
for him 10 bow his head to the stone.
All point toward Mecca, and as l
walked through the building / saw
many praying In the alcoves worship
crs were reading their korans, and OFF at
one side a crowd OF women shrouded
In white wells was sitting As We
walked through the high priest pointed
out the beauties OF the mosque trans
latng the texts Of the Koran inlaid
here and there. He took me TO the pull
pit which Is cut out Of single block
Of solid marble and as a special favor
showed me the greatest treasure pos
sessed by the church. This is kept in
a vault OF stone with numerous doors,
which are guarded by two gray-beard-
ed followers of tho prophet. At the
direction Of the high priest these doors
were opened My curiosity rose as key
after key was used, and when at last
was shown a casket covered with
glass / expected a great diamond or
some collection OF rubies and pearls. i
looked In and saw nothing until his
holiness pointed 10 a single rough, red.
wiry hair in the center The hair was
about two inches long and so fastened
by glue to the casket that II stood
straight up. ] was told that Il was
real hair from the mustaChe of Mo-