Adina Mosque

Adina Mosque is a large ruined mosque located at Adina near Pandua in Malda district, West Bengal. Built between 1373 and 1375 by Sultan Sikandar Shah, the second ruler of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty, it was the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent at the time of construction. The monument exhibits Indo-Islamic and Bengali architectural styles with vast courtyards, arches and stonework. Now a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India, it is a major historical and architectural attraction.

Visitors can expect a vast ruined complex with an open central courtyard surrounded by cloisters and a large vaulted prayer hall on the western side. The site features massive brick and stone walls, arched entrances, domes, and carved stonework reflecting Bengal Sultanate architecture. The surroundings are open and semi-rural with lawns and pathways. Visitors can walk through the courtyard, view the mihrab wall, photograph the arches and explore the remains of the structure maintained as an archaeological park.

Commissioned by Sultan Sikandar Shah (reigned 1358-1390) of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty and completed in 1375, Adina Mosque was conceived as the imperial congregational mosque of Pandua, the capital of Bengal at that time. It was the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent upon completion and symbolized the power of the Bengal Sultanate. The mosque was built using materials from earlier structures and later suffered damage from earthquakes and neglect, now preserved as a ruin.

The mosque is a significant example of early Islamic architecture in Bengal, blending Persian, Arab and Bengali elements. It served as the principal congregational mosque of the medieval capital Pandua and remains an important heritage and pilgrimage site illustrating the region's Sultanate-era cultural and architectural heritage.