UpdateBot at 18:11, 12 June 2022

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{{Short description|Historical Site in Hooghly}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Hooghly Imambara
| image = Courtyard - Imambara - Chinsurah - Hooghly - 2013-05-19 7838.JPG
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption = Main [[façade]] and [[clocktower]] of Hooghly Imambara
| map_type =India West Bengal#India
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_relief =
| map_caption =
| coordinates ={{coord|22|54|30.4|N|88|23|59.58|E|display=title,inline}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| religious_affiliation = [[Shia Islam]]
| locale =
| location = Hooghly
| deity =
| rite =
| sect = [[Twelver]]
| tradition =
| festival = 
| cercle =
| sector =
| municipality = [[Hugli-Chuchura]]
| district = [[Hooghly district]]
| territory =
| prefecture =
| state = [[West Bengal]]
| province =
| region =
| country = [[India]]
| administration =
| consecration_year =
| organisational_status = 
| functional_status = [[Mosque]] and [[Imambara]]
| heritage_designation =
| ownership =
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| leadership =
| bhattaraka =
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| religious_features_label =
| religious_features =
| architect =
| architecture_type =
| architecture_style = [[Islamic architecture]]
| founded_by = [[Muhammad Mohsin]]
| creator =
| funded_by =
| general_contractor =
| established = 1841
| groundbreaking =
| year_completed = 1861
| construction_cost =
| date_demolished = 
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| website = {{URL|https://hooghlyimambargah.com |Hooghly Imambargah}}
}}
'''Hooghly Imambara''' is a [[Shia Islam|Shia Muslim]] congregation hall and mosque in [[Hugli-Chinsura|Hooghly]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]].<ref name=chitrolekha>{{cite journal|last=Mukherjee|first=Sreecheta|title=Hazi Muhammad Mohsin’s Hooghly Imambara: a Tale of Diminishing Glory|journal=Chitrolekha International Magazine on Art and Design|year=2011|volume=1|issue=3|url=http://www.chitrolekha.com/V1/n3/04_Mohsin_Hooghly_Imambara.pdf|access-date=17 February 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://www.hooghlyimambargah.com/ Hooghly Imambargah]</ref><ref>[http://imambarahhooghlycommitteeofmanagement.com/ Haji Mohammed Mohsin Waqf Estate]</ref> The construction of the building was started by [[Muhammad Mohsin]] in 1841 and completed in 1861.<ref>{{cite news|title=Next weekend you can be at ... Hooghly|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060226/asp/calcutta/story_5896005.asp|access-date=17 February 2013|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=26 February 2006}}</ref> The building is a two storied structure, with a tall clock tower over the entrance gate.<ref name=chitrolekha /> The mosque has intricate designs and texts from [[Quran]] engraved on the wall. The interior of the mosque is decorated with marbles, candles and hanging lanterns.

== Clock ==
[[File:Hooghly Imambara, in and outside views 20.jpg|thumb|140px|Vaunted clock of the Imambara tower]]
Hooghly Imambara is famous for its vaunted [[clock]].<ref name="chitrolekha"/> It is at the middle of the twin towers constructed on the doorway of the main entrance. Each tower, having a height of approximately 150 ft., takes 152 steps to reach its top. The clock has two dials with three bells having weight 80 mds, 40 mds and 30 mds. Smaller bells ring at an interval of 15 minutes and bigger bell rings to signify one hour. The clock requires two people to wind it for half an hour of each week, with a key weighing 20 kg. It was bought for Rs. 11,721 (in 1852) by Syed Keramat Ali from the manufacturer: M/s Black & Hurray Co., Big Ben, [[London]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Pinakpani|title=English: Hooghly Imambara, congregation hall and mosque in Hooghly, West Bengal|date=2021-11-28|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hooghly_Imambara,_in_and_outside_views_01.jpg|access-date=2021-11-28}}</ref>

==Location==

It is in Hooghly District. People coming from Kolkata have to take a train (Local or Express) to Naihati Junction. From Naihati, they have to catch the Bandel Local train and they get off at Hooghly Ghat Station. From there, Imambara is in a walking distance. There are rickshaws and autos to ferry visitors to the Imambara from the station.
Or, the best way to come possibly is to go to Howrah Station and avail the straight trains (local EMUs) to Bandel, which are more frequent and less crowded. One needs to get down at Hooghly Station, and take autos/totos/rickshaws to the Imambara.
Visitors should carry their own lunch/snacks, since there are no eateries around the Imambara.

==Gallery==
<gallery>

File:Calcutta, Past and Present p221a.png|Photograph of the Hughly Imambara from ''Calcutta, Past & Present'' by Kathleen Blechynden
File:Imambara Hooghly02.jpg|The rear portion of Imambara of Hooghly
File:Imambara Hooghly04.jpg|The sun dial of Hooghly's Imambara
Imambara hooghly.jpg|Imambara courtyard
File:B&W Hooghly Imambara Corridor.jpg|B&W Version
File:Hooghly Imambara, in and outside views 10.jpg|Inside the prayer hall of Imambara
File:Hooghly Imambara Clock tower.jpg|Clock tower
File:Clocktower view of Hooghly river from Hooghly Imambara.jpg|Hooghly River view from clock tower of Imambara
File:An inside view of the Hooghly Imambara.jpg|An inside view
File:Hooghly Imambara, in and outside views 02.jpg|Courtyard
The wall inscription of Hooghly Imambara.jpg|The wall inscription of Hooghly Imambara in West Bengal, writing about activities of its founder and philanthropist Muhammad Mohsin.
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Architecture of Bengal]]
* [[Shia Islam in India]]

==References==
{{commons category}}
{{reflist}}

{{Mosques in West Bengal}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Hooghly district]]
[[Category:Mosques in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1861]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Hooghly district]]

{{India-mosque-stub}}

Hooghly Imambara - Revision history

UpdateBot at 18:11, 12 June 2022