Architecture of India  
Integration and Absorption – 2
Regional Variations of Islamic Architecture

Thus while the mosques retain all the design elements of a Islamic prayer hall, in detail they resemble, and are indeed part of, the ethos of Gujarat architecture in the same tradition of the carved temples at Mount Abu.

At a later date, the successors of Ahmed Shah were noted for a number of mortuary complexes or rauzas, consisting chiefly of a tomb and mosque face to face. A notable example. A notable example is the rauza of Rani Separi. Here the mosque face is without a screen, and entrance definition is achieved by means of two stubby minarets at each end of the mosque. Carved balconies, the function of which is not clear, project from the south side. Both the mosque and tomb are finely detailed with the by-now familiar carving.

And so, to conclude, we can say that Muslim architecture in Gujarat is characterized mainly by its carving, so unlike classical Islam, and in the manner in which the carving is depicted. Carving here takes on a sinuous, almost sensuous quality, a dream-world of fragrance, gardens and sweet herbs, relaxing the strict dogmas of Islam against decoration and depiction of living form.

Thus Islam in India generated not only an imperial style, but many regional variations, among which that of Gujarat is one of the richest.    

– Ashish Nangia
July 1, 2002

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