This 800-year-old monument, a Waqf property, stands out as one of the most overlooked I have encountered. The lack of attention it receives reflects a troubling combination of ignorance, indifference, and negligence from both the Archaeological department and the local community. Much like a dog is tossed a scrap of meat, this significant heritage site, ‘Dhai Din Ka Jhopra,’ has been carelessly subjected to the whims of fate. Unwelcome intrusions, justified by the presence of a mosque, are tarnishing the monument’s historical grandeur and beauty. I saw beggars sleeping inside the monument.
Though it took seven years to build in 1192 AD, it popularly started being called “Dhai din ka jhopra”. The reason could be that this name is given by locals as in olden times, 2.5 days of Jain religious activity took place here or there was a 2.5-day fair during Islamic prayers, or that ONE of the structures took 2.5 days to build.
Location
This monument is located in Ajmer, an ancient city in the state of Rajasthan in India. In summer the temperature may go as high as 44°C, and winter may be very harsh. It is well connected by road and trains to entire India. Kishangarh airport is 25 KM from here. Jaipur is 135 KM from Ajmer.
Where to stay
We stayed in Hotel Khadim of Rajasthan State Tourism (RTDC). It is an average hotel with a big compound, peacocks, and an average but spacious restaurant. It is in the heart of the city. I recommend staying here.
Hotel booking – Hotel Khadim
Our itinerary in Ajmer
Dhai Din ka Jhopra is just about less than a KM from Ajmer Sharif Dargah. We just walked, as streets were very narrow and autos usually avoided going.
Present state of monument
It pains me to see this awe-inspiring monument – so many sky-high screen walls and amazing carvings—and in front, moaning beggars lying in tattered old clothes and rags inside and outside for shelter and no security around. Is the monument abandoned as an orphan? This heritage is more threatened as people assume that there is a mosque here, which avows anyone to enter here. The walls and its inside are smeared and scratched by the public.
This 1000-year-old structure is just in the vicinity of 1 KM from Ajmer Dargah Sharif. I pass through the traditional shops in narrow and dirty streets with the smell of mounds of biryani, traditional food items, and butchers shops. On reaching here and climbing about 20 steps, I see a marble inscription kept at the foot of the main entrance gate. People have showered the spit of a beetle on this inscription. On the pretext of 5 times Namaz, there is entry to ‘unwanted’ locals here who have made it their shelter. Austere steps are required to save this monument now. It is still not too late.
I was dismayed to see that though it is called Jhopra, it is a massive group of huge screen walls, gates, and prayer places. I wonder why the local public and leaders do not act to save this place.
About this monument
This was commissioned by Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak in 1192 AD (it took 7 years to build) and is a typical architectural mix of Hindu, Jain, and Islam. The original Hindu-Jain building was partially destroyed and converted into a mosque by Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak of Delhi in the late 12th century. It is probably the oldest mosque in India.
Aibek ordered the mosque to be built within 60 hours (that is, 2+1⁄2 days). It was built by Hindu masons under the supervision of an Afghan architect team. The artisans could not build a complete mosque in 60 hours time but constructed a brick screen wall where Aibek could offer prayers. By the end of the century, a complete mosque was enhanced to completion by Iltutmish in 1199.
So in brief we can say this monument was founded by Aibak and completed by Iltutmish. Since this monument is in the vicinity of Ajmer Sharif Dargah, it is worth mentioning that Moinuddin Chishti had come to India during the Iltutmish period and earned a reputation during the end of his life. So Dhai din ka jhopra and Dargah have no connection.
Till 1947 it was used as a full-fledged mosque, but after that it came under ASI.
The historians are not unanimous about the origin of this structure. Some say it was constructed from the bricks of the demolished Hindu temple, or it was a Hindu-Jain temple and a Sanskrit school.
The mosque is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture. It was designed by Abu Bakr of Herat, an architect who accompanied Muhammad Ghori. Out of 344 pillars, now only 70 pillars are remaining. We can imagine the damage done to this building in the past.
Some excavations were done on this site by British teams, and some copper and stone inscriptions (now kept in Akbar Fort Museum in Ajmer) were found.
We can see how neglected are the vast premises, which could actually be converted into a garden and fountain and secured with a boundary.
“But in the gorgeous prodigality of ornament, in the beautiful richness of tracery, and an endless variety of detail, in the delicate sharpness of finish, and the laborious accuracy of workmanship, all of which are due to the Hindu masons, I think that these two grand Indian mosques may justly vie with the noblest buildings that the world has yet produced.” – Alexander Cunningham in praise of this monument
Historically, according to Jain tradition, there was a Jain shrine built by Seth Viram Dev Kala in 660 AD, and it also had a Jain Sanskrit school, which was started by Vigraharaja IV, the Shakambari Rajput king. Some copper inscription tablets were found here, which are extracts of the Sanskrit drama Lalita-Vigraharaja Nataka and a few more about the Chauhan ruler Vigraharaja IV, stating that they were descendants of the sun. All these inscriptions are now kept in Akbar Fort museum, Ajmer.
Epilogue
I loved, really loved, to see this monument, and it was my wish to see this monument. I did not know that Ajmer has so many beautiful and historical attractions like Akbar Fort, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Anna Sagar Lake, two famous Jain temples, and Pushkar, but in ancient times, Dhai Din ka Jhopra stood unique and gigantic.
The ASI department must immediately act austerely to save this monument and draw a boundary wall, and till the entry fee is not charged, people will not recognize and respect the importance of this great monument.
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