Imambada Budgam, A Rare example of Architecture in Kashmir
Ansar Hussain|Budgam|
Imambada Budgam is one of the oldest Imambada's from Kashmir valley, located at main town in Central Kashmir's Budgam District of J&K UT.
The Imambada was built in 1857 under the supervision of Ayatollah Aga Syed Yousuf(r.a) and was further expanded in 1925 by Aga Syed Mustafa Mosvi.
The Imambada Budgam is much larger than the other Imambada in the valley in terms of capacity.
The model building consists of five entrances. Each door is about twelve feet long.
One of the entrances is reserved for women. The Imambada is of great importance in terms of architecture.
The building uses traditional panning instead of glass.
The windowpanes on the second floor are designed in such a way that women have equal access to the men's hall or the Imam and Khatib, while men cannot look beyond the panning to see women.
In the middle of the Imam Bargah,
there is a large dome on which poems in Persian have been inscribed and decorated with beautiful Paper Ma`shie.
There are eight supporting pillars in the imambada and every pillar has been carved out of a single stone without joints, signifying a unique style of architecture of its time.
Be it the holy days of Ramadan or the mourning ceremonies of Muharram, people belonging to the Shia school of thought turn to Imambada Budgam from distant places because of it being at the Central Point and it's distinct identity from other Imambada's in the valley.
On every auspicious occasion hundreds and thousands of People from the Shia School of Thought throng to the place ensuring their presence on auspicious occasions and the multiple annual mourning processions.
Currently, The Imambada is under the supervision of Aga Syed Hassan Mosvi Alsafvi.
