“RE-VISITING THE DISCOVERY-SITE OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI” AND QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE BY PRABUDDHA BISWAS

(C) Copyright of Prabuddha Biswas

A VISIT TO HOLY SHRINE

QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE at Didarganj in Patna City is famous for Prophet Muhammad’s foot imprint, which is enshrined in an alcove (Taq) on the western wall of the mosque. This mosque has three domes and doors, with the central dome somewhat larger in size. The domes are flattish and not very high.

SEEING THE HOLY IMPRINT – DARSHAN – DIDAR..... ‘DIDARGANJ’

A DIDAR (Sanskrit synonym being ‘DARSHAN’) of the holy imprint of QADAM-I-RASUL is allowed only on certain dates. This is how DIDARGANJ Mahalla got its name, according to archivist-historian Masoom Raza Kazimi. Here ‘QADAM’ means footprint of the Prophet or ‘RASUL’.

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

The Mahalla of Didarganj is the ‘eastern most’ locality of the present day Patna city, along the River Ganges. Though the QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE stands on a high plain ground on the bank of the River Ganges, this mosque has never been inundated by flood fury even in the rainy season.

DECIPHERING THE PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE MOSQUE

When Pathan marauders from Darbhanga cut to pieces Nawab ‘Zainuddin Ahmad Khan (also known as Haibut Jung)’, the Deputy Governor of Bihar (1740-48), on January 13, 1748, in the 40-pillared hall of ‘Chehel Satun’; Shah Bandigi, the caretaker of the mosque, was also among those killed, according to the book Siyar-ul-Mutakherin.

History books say that it was Shah Bandigi’s grandfather Syed Shah Muhammad Noor Naqsh, who brought the holy imprint from Mecca.

DISCOVERY OF THE ROCK-CUT FEMALE STATUE OF ‘DIDARGANJ YAKSHI’ FROM THE CAMPUS OF QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE

Didarganj came into prominence in 1917 when a life-size sculpture of a beautiful woman was discovered, northeast of the QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE, on the bank of River Ganges.

Dr. D.R. Patil in his celebrated book, “Antiquarian Remains of Bihar (1963)”, records the following, “Here on the bank of the Ganges, on 18^th October, 1917, was discovered, by accident, a fairly life-sized image of a female standing on pedestal, which is now in Patna Museum.” The book further added, “It bears the usual Mauryan polish and has been assigned to the Mauryan period. In her right hand the female figure holds a CHOWRIE and hence the image is generally known as that of a CHOWRIE BEARER.” Later, the sculpture became popular as ‘DIDARGANJ YAKSHI’ of the Mauryan period (300 BC). Later the figurine of ‘DIDARGANJ YAKSHI’ of the Mauryan period has been adjudged as one of the finest specimen of human sculpture in the world.

Patil lamented, “Unfortunately, no detailed information is available regarding the find-spot of the image and it is not known whether any other ruins were observed at the spot, or nearby to indicate the extension or otherwise of the old city upto it, though this would otherwise appear to be quite probable.”

VISITING THE FIND-SPOT OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI IN 2003

It was in 2003; I had visited the QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE for the first time, during my contribution in a ‘mahalla and monument series’ for a national daily. I could trace the FIND-SPOT OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI with the help of local people. To my astonishment, I had found that local people of that hamlet had been updated about the find-spot of the great discovery of DIDARGANJ YAKSHI by the village-seniors as a part of the ORAL TRADITION. Interestingly, the FIND-SPOT OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI is exactly north-east of the QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE as described in old documents.

RE-VISITING THE SITE ON THE 100TH YEAR OF THE DISCOVERY OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI, i.e. ON NOVEMBER 8, 2016

When Dr. Arvind Mahajan of the Directorate of Museums (Government of Bihar), requested me to accompany him in tracing the FIND-SPOT OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI; I happily agreed and told him that the location is already known to me and I want to re-visit the site with all humility.

Accordingly, we visited the QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE. The present care taker of the mosque, Md. Zahid happily took us inside the mosque and we could visit the ‘Alcove (Taq) and the foot imprint of the Prophet Muhammad’ for the first time. Previously, I had first read about the foot imprint of Holi Prophet in the celebrated book of Manoranjan Ghosh (and Babu Ram Lal Sinha), ‘Pataliputra (1919)’ written during the second decade of twentieth century.

After visiting the mosque, we went to see the find-spot of DIDARGANJ YAKSHI. This time also, local people came forward and specified the spot, where DIDARGANJ YAKSHI was found. The spot has been marked with a “DEAD PALM TREE”.

REFERENCES, INPUTS & PHOTOGRAPHS

1.   Dr. Masoom Raza Kazimi

2.   Dr. Arvind Mahajan

3.   Hussain Ghulam, Siyar-ul- Mutakherin, translation – Haji Mustafa Calcutta edition

4.   Manoranjan Ghosh (Babu Ram Lal Sinha), The Pataliputra (1919)

5.   Dr. D. R. Patil, Antiquarian Remains of Bihar (1963)

6.   Hindustan Times, Patna (June 2, 2003)

7.   Patna.....A Monumental History (Department of Art, Culture & Youth, 2008)

PICTURES AND MAPS

1.   QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE

2.   GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE

3.   IMAGE OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI

4.   INFRONT OF THE MAIN-DOORWAY OF QADAM-I-RASUL MOSQUE

5.   ALCOVE, WHERE THE FOOT PRINT OF THE PROPHET IS KEPT

6.  FIND-SPOT (DEAD PALM TREE), WHERE DIDARGANJ YAKSHI WAS DISCOVERED ....WRITER IS SEEN STANDING BESIDE THE “DEAD PALM TREE”

7. DISCOVERY-SITE OF DIDARGANJ YAKSHI

(C) Copyright of Prabuddha Biswas