MANDA, NOAGAON, Sept 4: The 460-year-old Kusumba Mosque, one of the brightest symbols of Muslim tradition, is a witness to glorious past in Manda Upazila of the district. Hundreds of people come daily to visit the mosque.
The picture of the mosque is printed on the five-taka note of Bangladesh.
The mosque has six domes. It is located 400 metres north of Naogaon-Rajshahi Highway.
The mosque is a bit curved on north and south. There is a 77.25-bigha pond adjacent to the mosque. The pond is about 1,200-foot long and about 900-foot wide. The pond was dug to meet the needs of villagers and devotes for drinking water, bathing and ablution.
The mosque was severely damaged during an earthquake in 1897. The Archaeology Department currently takes care of the mosque. It is 58-foot long and 42-foot wide. The surrounding walls are six-foot thick. There are three doors on the front part of the mosque. The mosque has four tall minarets. There are four domes on the roof. Inside the mosque, there are two pillars. A two-storied room was built for women's prayer.
The mosque has an open courtyard which is also used for prayers. Behind this, there is a stair which goes down to the pond. There are separate ghats for men and women. Colourful lights have been arranged to enhance the beauty. On the north side of the mosque, there is a huge tamarind tree. Besides, a box-shaped black stone can be seen just a short distance from the mosque's entrance. Many consider it as a grave.
It was known that a farmer found the stone in his land during cultivation. Perhaps, through his efforts, the stone was later lifted from the ground and placed on the north side of the road. An Arabic inscription of the stone indicates that it is related to the memory of Sultan Hussein Shah.
As far as it is known, a Muslim man Sabar Khan or Solaiman built the mosque. An inscription on the mosque's entrance proves that the mosque was built in 966 Hijri or 1558 AD.
A visitor Mahbubuzzaman Setu said, "After seeing a picture on five-taka note, I wished for many days to come here. Despite having huge potential, the historic Kusumba Mosque in Naogaon is not developing as an attractive spot due to lack of necessary steps."
Manda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (Acting) SM Habibul Hasan said the Kusamba Mosque is one of the historical sites of Naogaon. Hundreds of visitors come here every day to visit the mosque. For the convenience of the visitors, ablution and bathing facilities, cooking and restrooms have been arranged. Besides, there is adequate security for the visitors. Already various steps have been taken to increase visitors' facilities. Also, development work is underway to enhance the beauty around the mosque.
