Soto Shona Mosque

The Chhoto Sona Mosque

The Choto Sona Mosque stands as a testament to the architectural grandeur of the Sultanate period, constructed during the reign of Alauddin Husayn Shah (1494-1519) in Gauda-Lakhnauti, now part of the Chapainawabganj District in Bangladesh. This mosque is renowned for its domes adorned with golden gilding, which likely inspired its name.

The mosque’s dimensions are 25.1 meters in the north-south direction and 15.9 meters in the east-west direction. Its construction combines cut stones for the outer and inner areas with bricks used for the domes and roof curves. Originally, the mosque had outer walls measuring 42 meters in the east-west direction and 43 meters in the north-south direction, featuring a central gate along the eastern wall. Today, only the gate remains, and the outer walls have disappeared. The mosque boasts five arched entrances on the eastern front, with three more on each of the northern and southern walls. Opposite the entrances in the eastern wall, there were once five semi-circular mihrabs on the western wall.

Regrettably, the western wall no longer retains its mihrabs, as they have been removed. Some of the elements found in the remnants of the western wall are believed to belong to the Gunmanta mosque. Inside, the prayer hall consists of three aisles and five bays. The central veranda features a chau-chala vault, while the lateral wings have small domes, reminiscent of nearby Darasbari mosque and Shatgumbad mosque in Bagerhat. An entrance to the gallery can be found in the northwest corner, accessible via a platform with stairs.

The Choto Sona Mosque showcases a blend of brick and stone in its construction. Decorative elements include engraved stones, brick patterns, terracotta plaques, gold gilding, and shimmering tiles. Leaf designs adorn the panel edges, and interior motifs feature hanging chains and bell motifs. The upper part of the arches is decorated with bamboo frames, commonly used in local huts. Noteworthy features also include engraved stones in the corner cupolas and stone cornices and ornamentation lines on the doors and frames, although only a few scattered rose designs remain today.

This mosque is a distinctive architectural masterpiece of medieval Bengal, unparalleled in style compared to its contemporary structures. An inscription on the mosque attributes its construction to a man named Monsur Wali Mohammad. Unfortunately, in 1897, an earthquake damaged three of its domes and the three four-story domes in the central aisle. The mosque’s rectangular layout includes a raised platform in the northwest corner, created by adding a mezzanine layer supported by stone frames, beams, and two additional pillars. The prayer chamber is divided into 12 square and 3 rectangular bases by two rows of four pillars each in the north-south direction. Each square bay measures 3.50 meters square and is capped by a hemispherical dome, while the three rectangular bays in the middle, running east-west, measure 3.50 meters by 4.49 meters and feature Chauchala vaults. The eastern side has five entrances, with three on the south and four on the north.

In 1932, the Choto Sona Mosque and seven other structures in Gaur were declared protected antiquities. However, restoration efforts were minimal until the Government of Bangladesh’s Department of Archaeology initiated a development project called ‘Renovation and Preservation of the Choto Sona Mosque at Gaur and the Adjoining Ancient Monuments’ from 2003 to 2005. During excavations in 2001, led by Dr. Shafiqul Alam, Regional Director of the Rajshahi Division, and supervised by Assistant Director Mr. Md. Abdul Khaleq, an exquisite tiled floor was uncovered in the open courtyard in front of the mosque. This glazed tile floor covered an area measuring 36 meters north-south and 16 meters east-west. Sadly, many of the tiles were stolen. Among the tiles discovered, around 25 different types of blue and white tiles were identified. Further tiles were found in a room within the guesthouse of the present Choto Sona Mosque.

.This VR model beautifully recreates the mosque’s architectural structures, allowing you to explore its intricate details, including the stunning tiled floor and the adjacent water body. One of the northern entrances provides access to the raised platform in the northwest, positioned directly above a brick-made entrance at the ground floor level. The Choto Sona Mosque stands as a unique and precious historical treasure of medieval Bengal, showcasing its rich architectural heritage.