Masjid India began as a simple wood and thatched roof hut in the mid-19th century; a nearby river provided the water for ablution. After World War II, it was rebuilt to accommodate a larger congregation—about 1,000 worshippers— of Malaysia’s increasing Indian Muslim community. When statehood arrived in the 1960s, the site was reserved for a new mosque that could hold 3,500 worshippers. Although both the Federal and Selangor state governments provided money to build the mosque, the Indian community donated the lion’s share of funds. The new mosque was built in the Southern Indian style with onion domes, arch windows with Islamic motifs and a single minaret. As a private institution, a board of trustees, appointed by an Indian Muslim mosque committee, oversees its operation and maintenance, supported by member contributions and public donations. Services are held in Arabic and Tamil.

A MODERN ERA FOR A NEW NATION

With predominantly Moorish influence on Malaysian mosques, Art Deco designs made little headway during the 1930s. Only a few colonial mosques featured the geometric shapes of this western architecture. But the real boom in modern day mosques, incorporating various Islamic architectural styles, came after independence in 1957 when a proud new nation set forth to prove its prowess. As the population in urban areas increased, it became apparent that traditional structures could not accommodate congregational gatherings. Advances in technology coincided with the desire to build large-scale structures, now possible with better construction methods and materials— concrete, steel and marble. Pride in Islamic architecture became the catalyst for contemporary designs to mimic, in part, mosques found throughout the Muslim world.

For example, the Sultan Abdul Aziz Mosque in Shah Alam, Selangor had the tallest minaret and biggest dome in the world when it was completed in 1988. As the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, the dome balloons to 350 feet above ground and 170 feet in diameter. Four minarets placed in each corner rise to a staggering 460 feet to accentuate the majestic size of the dome. Its immense size holds up to 24,000 people with an enormous prayer hall carpeted with fine worsted wool. Its design and color mirror the Ottoman mosque in Istanbul and the calligraphy work was done by a famous Egyptian artisan.

In contrast, the whitewashed Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque, built in 1994 and set amid an estuary on the Terengganu coastline, floats in ethereal splendor and reflects the designs of less opulent North African mosques. Though distinctive, its placement near the open sea along the flat horizon seems to swallow any ostentatious attempt to dominant the scene. Its plain and unadorned style combines the elements of Moorish architecture in a modern design to produce a natural, bold, yet humble statement.