Jama Masjid: Call of the Soul

NL Batra has been closely associated with historical monuments in India for well over four decades. A civil engineer with an A.M.I.E. degree, NL Batra is a faculty member with a number of institutions connected with monuments, their conservation and preservation. Retired as Superintending Engineer with the Archaeological Survey of India, NL Batra?s deep and penetrative research has been of immense value in understanding the architecture and construction of heritage monuments, particularly those of the Mughal period. He has studied these jewels of Indian architecture from close quarters. Delhi?s Jama Masjid has for long been his favourite. He finds it unique and the one that could easily be compared to the Taj Mahal in Agra for its sheer architectural marvel. However, what amazes him is that not many writers or critics have documented the mosque?s magnificence and unique splendour. A prolific writer, who has regularly contributed to periodicals in India and abroad, NL Batra took up the challenge to highlight facts and attributes of the Jama Masjid, which had so far remained unknown. Call of the Soul is a realisation of his dream.