https://youtube.com/shorts/u4UJG9uHo_Q?si=CzKjlrBlha5F0Nv7
“Few people know this: Allama Iqbal once prayed in a small mosque in Bangalore!”
In the heart of Bangalore stands a mosque that holds a remarkable moment in history, a place where Allama Iqbal, the legendary Urdu poet, once prayed and delivered a sermon.
Long before Independence, this great thinker visited Bangalore.
On December 31, 1928, Allama Iqbal set sail from Bombay to Madras aboard a steamer. In those days, such a sea journey usually took three to four days, depending on the weather and the ship. Travelling with him were Chaudhry Mohammad Husain and Abdullah Chughtai, both from Lahore.
From Madras, Allama Iqbal finally reached Bangalore on January 9, 1929. That day, members of the Muslim Library, a century-old institution of the city, organized a special reception in his honour. During the event, the Muslim Library presented Allama Iqbal with a letter of appreciation.
A grand meeting was held at the Globe Theatre in Opera Bazaar, presided over by Amin-ul-Malik Sir Mirza Ismail, the Diwan of Mysore State.
However, one of the most memorable moments of that visit occurred in the Modi Masjid of Tasker Town. On January 9, 1929, Allama Iqbal prayed at this mosque and delivered a sermon to the worshippers.
His lecture centered around a significant theme: the revitalization of religious thought in Islam.
The mosque itself had been built earlier, in 1910, by Modi Abdul Gafoor, a wealthy merchant of pre-Independent India who had residences in both Bangalore and Chennai. He stayed on Netaji Road in Bengaluru.
During that time, notable figures in the city, such as Haji Sir Ismail Sait, Sir Ismail, and Modi Abdul Gafoor, were close associates.
Allama Iqbal, poet, philosopher, lawyer, and scholar, is also remembered for writing the patriotic song “Sare Jahan Se Achha.”
After his stay in Bangalore, he continued his journey.
On January 10, he arrived in Mysore, where at Mysore University he delivered a lecture titled “Knowledge and Religious Experience.”
And the very next day, January 11, he attended a reception at Mysore Town Hall, organized by the Muslim community of Mysore City and the Yateem Khana-i-Islamia.
A short visit, but a moment of history that still echoes in the lanes of Tasker Town, Bangalore. Have you ever visited this mosque? Please comment.
#AllamaIqbal, #IslamicHistory, #BangaloreHistory, #TaskerTown, #ModiMasjid, #SareJahanSeAchha, #BangaloreFacts,
