https://youtube.com/shorts/u4UJG9uHo_Q?si=CzKjlrBlha5F0Nv7 <br />“Few people know this: Allama Iqbal once prayed in a small mosque in Bangalore!” <br />In the heart of Bangalore stands a mosque that holds a remarkable moment in history, a place where Allama Iqbal, the legendary Urdu poet, once prayed and delivered a sermon. <br /><br />Long before Independence, this great thinker visited Bangalore. <br />On December 31, 1928, Allama Iqbal set sail from Bombay to Madras aboard a steamer. In those days, such a sea journey usually took three to four days, depending on the weather and the ship. Travelling with him were Chaudhry Mohammad Husain and Abdullah Chughtai, both from Lahore. <br /><br />From Madras, Allama Iqbal finally reached Bangalore on January 9, 1929. That day, members of the Muslim Library, a century-old institution of the city, organized a special reception in his honour. During the event, the Muslim Library presented Allama Iqbal with a letter of appreciation. <br /><br />A grand meeting was held at the Globe Theatre in Opera Bazaar, presided over by Amin-ul-Malik Sir Mirza Ismail, the Diwan of Mysore State. <br /><br />However, one of the most memorable moments of that visit occurred in the Modi Masjid of Tasker Town. On January 9, 1929, Allama Iqbal prayed at this mosque and delivered a sermon to the worshippers. <br />His lecture centered around a significant theme: the revitalization of religious thought in Islam. <br /><br />The mosque itself had been built earlier, in 1910, by Modi Abdul Gafoor, a wealthy merchant of pre-Independent India who had residences in both Bangalore and Chennai. He stayed on Netaji Road in Bengaluru. <br /><br />During that time, notable figures in the city, such as Haji Sir Ismail Sait, Sir Ismail, and Modi Abdul Gafoor, were close associates. <br /><br />Allama Iqbal, poet, philosopher, lawyer, and scholar, is also remembered for writing the patriotic song “Sare Jahan Se Achha.” <br /><br />After his stay in Bangalore, he continued his journey. <br />On January 10, he arrived in Mysore, where at Mysore University he delivered a lecture titled “Knowledge and Religious Experience.” <br />And the very next day, January 11, he attended a reception at Mysore Town Hall, organized by the Muslim community of Mysore City and the Yateem Khana-i-Islamia. <br /><br />A short visit, but a moment of history that still echoes in the lanes of Tasker Town, Bangalore. Have you ever visited this mosque? Please comment. <br /><br />#AllamaIqbal, #IslamicHistory, #BangaloreHistory, #TaskerTown, #ModiMasjid, #SareJahanSeAchha, #BangaloreFacts, <br />
