Moth Ki Masjid, New Delhi, Delhi India

Moth Ki Masjid is a mosque located in Delhi, and was built in 1505 by Wazir Miya Bhoiya, Prime Minister during the reign of Sultan Sikander Lodi. The name of the mosque literally translated into English language means ‘Lentil Mosque’ and this name tag ‘Lentil’ has an interesting legend. This mosque was considered a beautiful Dome (Gumbad) structure of the period.

The Moti Mosque, in the Red Fort at Shahjahanabad, Delhi was initiated by the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707) during the first few years of his reign, and completed in 1663. He spent the first twenty-three years of his reign as emperor in Delhi, during which time the Moti Mosque served as his private mosque. In 1681 he moved to the Deccan on campaign against the Hindu and Shi'i kingdoms, and never returned to Delhi.

The Red Fort complex (1638-1648) was built by Shahjahan on the west bank of the Yamuna in the form of an irregular rectangle with entrance gateways on the north, west and south walls. The eastern edge of the fort overlooking the river was occupied by the palace of the emperor; the northern quadrant was used for business, and the southern for the jenana palaces. To the west of the palace complex was the public audience hall and the market leading the west gate. During the British capture of the Red Fort after the revolt in 1857, a large part of the complex was destroyed. Further demolition of the complex was carried out to accommodate British offices and barracks within the fort. During this period, the Moti Mosque was also heavily damaged; few other buildings from the main palace complex remain, but most of those which were still standing were (like the Moti) subsequently restored by the British.

Today, the mosque stands alone, enclosed in a rectangular perimeter wall just west of the palace buildings lining the eastern edge of the fort. To its immediate east is the hammam, also enclosed within a high compound wall. To its north lies the Hayat-Baksh garden and to its south and west is a vast open courtyard that would have been part of the palace complex. Scholars suggest that Aurangzeb's bed-chamber was situated close to the mosque, so that he could visit it without the accompaniment of a retinue.

The Moti Mosque is contained within a rectangular walled enclosure measuring approximately 22 meters by 15 meters (72 feet by 49 feet) with its longitudinal axis running along the east-west direction. The compound wall rises to a height of 6.1 m (20 feet) and except for its three bulbous, white marble domes and numerous (ca 20) slender minarets terminating in a lotus finial, most of the mosque remains hidden from view. The rubble masonry compound wall was originally faced with red sandstone having square and rectangular recessed panels. Today, the wall stands plastered and whitewashed with a combination of rectangular and arched recessed panels. This rectangular compound wall aligns itself with the rest of the palace complex while the interior space of the mosque re-orients itself slightly to face precisely west (qibla). With the exterior and interior geometries askew, the angular adjustment causes the compound wall to be tapered and of varying thickness throughout. This compound wall forms an elevated walkway at the top lined by foliate merlons on all four sides.

The mosque is now completely enclosed within the modern locality of South Extension Part II, Uday Park and Masjid Moth comprising residential and commercial establishments in the urban setting of South Delhi.

Raised on a high plinth, the mosque has a square layout. It is approached from the eastern side street of village Moti Masjid, through an exquisitely designed gate made of red, blue, black and white coloured sandstones arranged in a neat design (see picture). In particular, the arch of the gateway has a Hindu arch within a Muslim arch.