Noakhali, Chattogram
A three-domed mosque from the Mughal period, set beside a large pond at Bajra — one of the finest old buildings in Noakhali.
The Bajra Shahi Mosque dates from the eighteenth century, the late Mughal period, when local landholders across Bengal built mosques in the imperial style. Local accounts credit it to a landholder named Aman Ullah, in the reign of the emperor Muhammad Shah.
It follows the classic Mughal plan seen across Bengal: a rectangular prayer hall crowned by three domes, with corner towers and arched entrances, standing on a raised platform in front of a large dighi (pond) dug for the community.
The mosque is still in daily use and is protected as an archaeological site. With the pond, the trees and the quiet village around it, it is a good short stop on the way to the Gandhi Ashram.
From Maijdee, take a bus or CNG through Chowmuhani to Bajra.
See the three domes and the façade from across the pond, then visit the mosque between prayer times.
Continue north to the Gandhi Ashram, or return to Chowmuhani for lunch.
October to March, in the morning or late afternoon; avoid prayer times, especially Friday midday
Bajra lies on the road between Chowmuhani and Sonaimuri. From Maijdee, take a bus or CNG through Chowmuhani and get off at Bajra, about 45 minutes to an hour; the mosque is a short walk or rickshaw ride from the road.
