KOCHI: Chembittapally Juma Masjid, a historical mosque in Chullikkal, Mattancherry, is a fine example of Kochi’s multiculturalism. Known for its chembu or copper roof, the 700-year-old masjid is famed for its traditional temple-styled structure. Notably, the masjid stands on land donated by the then maharaja of Cochin. And the wood used generously in the structure was given by a Jew.
The roof has two tiers of wood, and fortified wooden columns to support the timber superstructure of the mosque. The three doors to the prayer hall contain bilingual inscriptions – in Arabic and a script believed to be in classical ‘Sentamizh’.
“None of the available documents indicate the exact origin of the masjid. All that we have is a palm-leaf manuscript, which we haven’t been able to decipher,” says N A Zainudheen, one of the two kaikaarans or ‘chiefs’ of the mosque.
“The masjid is managed by a 24-member committee, with 12 members each from Naina and Malabaries factions. The chief of each faction is called kaikaaran. I am the Kaikaaran of the Malabaries.” There are claims and arguments over the masjid. One widely accepted claim is that the Naina brothers had built the masjid during the 15th century. A book on freedom fighter Mohammad Abdur Rahiman, published by the Kerala government, backs this version to some extent.
“It mentions the history of the Naina family, which came to Kochi and built the masjid,” says Mansoor Naina, a descendant of the family. However, Thoufeek Zakriya, a calligrapher, Hebrew linguist and history enthusiast, says there are “factual inconsistencies in the Nainas’ story”.
“The Makhdooms and the Marakkars were the predominant Muslims in and around Kochi back then,” he notes. “So they must be the ones who built the Masjid.”Thoufeek refers to the book Muslim Architecture of South India, by Iranian scholar Mehrdad Shokoohy. “It mentions the reconstruction of the masjid in about 1520,” he says. “So, the masjid could be older than current estimates.”
One aspect that sees consensus is that Islamic scholar Maulal Bukhari -- who had moved to Kochi in the 18th century -- built a lion’s share of the present structure of the masjid.“Many factors, including the presence of the Makhdoom scholars, indicate the masjid’s cultural and educational heritage. No one has explored its true history, more research needs to be done,’’ adds Thoufeek.
Currently, the Kochi
Heritage Conservation Society has taken up the restoration of the mosque. It recently added a hall and an ablution pool to the complex, without altering the original structure.