The Mosque in Mussoorie with Afghan connection

The deep voice of ‘azaan’ crackles from loudspeakers from a quiet, but rusty-looking building with a grand minar that still stands tall in the back alley of the Library Bazar bearing testimony to the deep-rooted connection with the Afghan history.

The three-storeyed building called Amaania Jama Masjid, presently is being used by the Muslim population for daily prayers. The worshippers gather for their five-time prayers daily at this mosque without any inkling of its historical antecedents.

The Amaanai Masjid at the Library Bazar was constructed in 1920, with financial assistance of the Afghan ruler in the time Amir Amanullah. This is authenticated by a rare document that is in the possession of Javed Khan, secretary, Amaania Jama Masjid. Javed displays the rare document, torn from a few places, that clearly states that Mahmud Begh Tarzi, Foreign Minister, on behalf of Amir of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan, had donated Rs 7,000 for the construction of the mosque. Thus, it clearly authenticates that the Afghans had a soft corner for Indians, despite all hostilities with the British.