Mosques of India - A tourist's guide

Islam is India's second-largest religion after Hinduism, with around 200 million Muslims in 2024 estimates — about 14% of the population, and one of the largest Muslim communities in any country in the world. Islamic architecture has shaped the Indian skyline for over 800 years, from the early Sultanate-period mosques of Delhi through the Mughal masterpieces of Delhi, Agra, Lahore and Bhopal to the regional traditions of Kerala, Gujarat and the Deccan.

This page picks out the mosques and Sufi shrines most worth seeing as a tourist, grouped by region, with some practical notes on visiting at the end.

Delhi

Jama Masjid (Masjid-i Jahān-Numā), Old Delhi

Built by Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656 — the same emperor who built the Taj Mahal — this is the largest Mughal-era mosque in India and one of the largest in South Asia. About 25,000 worshippers can pray in the courtyard at one time. The red sandstone and white marble mosque sits opposite the Red Fort, with three monumental gateways and two 40-metre minarets.

The southern minaret can be climbed for panoramic views over Old Delhi (small fee, women may need to be accompanied by a male relative — local rules vary).
Open all day except during the five daily prayer times, when non-Muslim visitors are asked to step outside.
Modest dress is required; robes are provided at the entrance for visitors in shorts or sleeveless tops.
A small camera fee applies.

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Qutub complex

Begun in 1193 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, this is generally considered the first mosque built in India by a Muslim ruler. It stands at the foot of the Qutub Minar and reused stone columns from earlier Hindu and Jain temples on the site — visible carvings of figures partly defaced sit alongside the new Islamic geometric and calligraphic decoration. The famous Iron Pillar of Delhi stands in its courtyard. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah

The shrine of Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya, the 14th-century Sufi saint of the Chishti order, in central Delhi. The dargah complex includes the tombs of the saint, the poet Amir Khusrau (one of the founders of Hindustani classical music), and the Mughal princess Jahanara. Qawwali (devotional Sufi music) is performed every Thursday evening after sunset prayers — one of the great free cultural experiences in Delhi, attracting both Muslim devotees and visitors of all faiths.

Best visited Thursday evening for the qawwali, or any morning for a quieter visit.
The lanes around the dargah are narrow and crowded; leave bags and footwear at the gates.
Photography around the inner shrine is restricted.

Other Delhi mosques worth seeing

Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) inside the Red Fort — small marble mosque built by Aurangzeb.
Fatehpuri Masjid at the western end of Chandni Chowk — built 1650.
Sunehri Masjid near the Red Fort — golden-domed 18th-century mosque.

Agra and Fatehpur Sikri

Jama Masjid, Agra — opposite Agra Fort, built 1648 by Shah Jahan in honour of his daughter Jahanara.
Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri — part of Akbar's UNESCO-listed capital, with the Buland Darwaza as the largest gateway in India and the marble tomb of Salim Chishti, a major Sufi pilgrimage site.

The great mosques of central and northern India

Taj-ul-Masajid, Bhopal

"Crown of Mosques", begun by Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal in 1877 and finally completed in 1985, with three white domes, two 18-storey minarets, and a courtyard that holds tens of thousands. Often cited as the largest mosque in India by area, though that claim is contested with Taj-ul-Masajid in Lucknow and Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad.

Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad

Begun by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1614 and completed by Aurangzeb in 1694. The name comes from bricks brought from Mecca and incorporated above the central arch. Capacity around 10,000 worshippers. Beside Charminar, it is the centrepiece of the old city.

Charminar Mosque, Hyderabad

The upper floor of the famous Charminar monument (1591) houses a small mosque — the oldest in Hyderabad and possibly the southernmost edge of Persian-Iranian mosque architecture in the country.

Jama Masjid, Lucknow

A very large yellow-sandstone mosque begun by Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah in 1839 in the Indo-Saracenic / Awadhi style. The neighbouring Bara Imambara complex includes the famous Asfi Mosque and the Bhulbhulaiya — a maze-like upper chamber that is one of the architectural curiosities of north India.

Gujarat — Sultanate masterpieces

Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, Ahmedabad

Built in 1573, the last year of the Gujarat Sultanate. Famous for its stone jali screens carved with the "Tree of Life" pattern that has become an unofficial symbol of Ahmedabad. The screens are open to the public outside prayer times; entry is free.

Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad

Built in 1424 by Sultan Ahmed Shah I, founder of the city. 260 columns support the prayer hall — one of the most beautiful early mosques in India. Part of the UNESCO-listed historic city of Ahmedabad.

Champaner-Pavagadh

The Sultanate city of Champaner, abandoned in the 16th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a remarkable cluster of well-preserved 15th-century mosques (Jami Masjid, Kevda Masjid, Nagina Masjid) about 50 km from Vadodara.

Kashmir and the north

Hazratbal Shrine, Srinagar

The most revered Muslim shrine in Kashmir, on the western shore of Dal Lake. Houses a relic believed to be a hair of the Prophet Muhammad (Moi-e-Muqaddas), put on public display only on a few days of the Islamic calendar each year. The white-marble dome is visible from across the lake.

Jamia Masjid, Srinagar

A 14th-century Friday mosque in the old city of Srinagar with a unique architectural feature — 378 wooden pillars, each carved from a single deodar trunk, supporting the roof in a quintessentially Kashmiri timber-built design rather than the masonry style typical of mosques elsewhere. Burned down and rebuilt several times; the current structure dates mainly from the 17th and 19th centuries.

Ajmer and the Sufi heartland

Ajmer Sharif Dargah

The shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (1141–1236), the founder of the Chishti Sufi order in India, in the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan. One of the most-visited pilgrimage sites in South Asia, with millions of pilgrims attending the Urs festival in the seventh Islamic month of Rajab. Devotees of all faiths come here; the saint is venerated by Hindus and Sikhs as well as Muslims. Heads of state visiting from Pakistan and other countries have historically made a point of visiting.

Heads must be covered (head-cloths sold at the entrance).
Carry only what you need; leave large bags at your hotel.
The bazaar around the dargah is famous for rose petals, perfume, and Mughal-era dishes.

Other Sufi shrines

Dargah Sharif, Fatehpur Sikri — the tomb of Salim Chishti (covered above).
Bahauddin Naqshband shrine traditions in Kashmir (Charar-e-Sharief).
Dargah Khwaja Banda Nawaz, Gulbarga (Karnataka) — major Deccani Sufi shrine.

Mumbai

Haji Ali Dargah

The white-domed shrine of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari sits on a small islet in Mumbai's Worli Bay, reached by a long causeway that is submerged at high tide — visitors can only walk across at low tide. Built around 1431, the current structure is largely 19th-century. One of the most photographed Mumbai landmarks.

Jama Masjid, Mumbai

The oldest mosque in Mumbai, begun in 1775 in the Bhuleshwar bazaar district. Built on top of a freshwater tank that is older than the mosque itself; the tank still exists in the basement and can be glimpsed through grilles in the prayer hall floor.

Kerala and the Konkan coast

Cheraman Juma Masjid, Methala

According to local tradition, the oldest mosque in India — built in 629 CE during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, by Malik Ibn Dinar, a follower of the Prophet, on land donated by the Chera king Cheraman Perumal. Historians debate the exact date, but the early connections between the Chera kingdom and Arab traders are well attested. The current structure is mostly modern after a major reconstruction in 1974, with traces of the earlier wood-and-laterite Kerala-style mosque preserved as a heritage area on the same site.

Sha're Mubarak Masjid (Jamiul Futuh), Markaz Knowledge City, Kozhikode

Modern mosque in Kozhikode, completed in the 21st century, with a courtyard capacity often quoted at around 30,000 worshippers — frequently named alongside Taj-ul-Masajid Bhopal and Mecca Masjid Hyderabad in discussions of "the largest mosque in India".

Practical tips for visiting mosques and dargahs in India

Dress modestly. Cover shoulders and knees; long skirts or trousers and a loose top are appropriate. Most major mosques and dargahs provide loaner robes if you arrive in shorts.
Cover your head if you are a woman, regardless of your own religion. Carry a light scarf in your day-bag. At dargahs, head-cloths are usually sold at the entrance for a small fee.
Remove shoes before entering the prayer hall (often before entering the courtyard at smaller mosques). Shoe-keepers at the gate hold them for a small fee.
Avoid the five daily prayer times. Most mosques expect non-Muslim tourists to step out during prayers; Friday afternoon prayers (Jumma) are particularly busy and many mosques close to tourists at that time.
Photography rules vary. Generally allowed in courtyards, often restricted near tombs and inside main prayer halls. Look for posted signs; if in doubt, ask the caretaker.
Sufi dargahs are usually more open and welcoming to non-Muslim visitors than orthodox mosques. Qawwali at Nizamuddin (Thursday) and at major Urs festivals is one of the great cultural experiences in India.
Ramadan changes everything — daytime visits are quiet but post-sunset (iftar) the dargah-side bazaars come alive. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are major events at the larger mosques; expect huge congregations.
Donations at dargahs are voluntary; a small offering at the donation box is normal practice. Be aware of intermediaries who may approach you with elaborate offers — at Ajmer in particular, polite firmness is the right response.