Chika Mosque

Chika Mosque, also known as Chamkati Masjid, is a historic mosque located in the ancient city of Gour in Malda district, West Bengal. Built in 1475 during the reign of Sultan Yusuf Shah of the Bengal Sultanate, it is noted for its small single-domed structure, stone carvings and terracotta ornamentation. Now a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India, it stands in ruins without a roof and is visited for its early Bengal Sultanate architecture.

Visitors can expect a small, roofless single-domed mosque set within the archaeological zone of Gour amid open fields and mango groves. The structure features stone walls with carved ornamentation and traces of terracotta decoration. The interior is open to the sky and visitors can walk around the prayer hall and observe the mihrab niches and architectural details. The site is quiet and uncrowded, typically explored as part of a heritage walk of Gour's monuments.

Chika Mosque was built in 1475 CE during the reign of Sultan Yusuf Shah (r. 1474-1481) of the Bengal Sultanate. It is one of the earliest surviving mosques in Gour, the medieval capital of Bengal. The mosque was originally known as Chamkati Masjid and later called Chika Mosque because the structure was long inhabited by bats (chika). It exemplifies the early phase of the distinctive Gour style of Sultanate architecture.

The mosque represents the Islamic architectural heritage of the Bengal Sultanate and is valued for its stone carvings and decorative elements. As part of the Gour archaeological complex, it reflects the cultural and religious history of the region and is visited for its architectural and heritage significance.