Parulia Shahi Mosque

Parulia Shahi Mosque
Religion
Ownership	Government
Location
Location	Narsingdi District, Bangladesh
Administration	Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh

The Parulia Shahi Mosque, also known as Parulia Dewan Sharif Mosque, is situated in the village of Parulia under Palash Upazila in the western part of Narsingdi Sadar. Featuring three domes, this mosque is considered one of the oldest surviving architectural monuments in the district.

History

Above the entrance of the mosque, a Persian inscription in poetic form briefly recounts its history. Adjacent to the mosque stands a twin-mausoleum containing the graves of Dewan Sharif Khan—fifth-generation descendant of Isa Khan—and his wife Zaynab Bibi. The mosque was constructed in 1719 CE by Zaynab Bibi.

According to historical accounts, Narsingdi was known as Maheshwardi during the reign of Emperor Akbar. In 1717, when Murshid Quli Khan was appointed as the Subahdar of Bengal, he arranged the marriage of his daughter Zaynab Bibi to Sharif Khan, the fifth son of Manowar Khan. As a dowry, Sharif Khan received the Dewani (land revenue control) of the Maheshwardi Pargana. He later became widely known as Dewan Sharif Khan, and the area was named Sharifpur after him.

In 1719, Zaynab Bibi commissioned the mosque's construction in Sharifpur. During the earthquake of 1897, the mosque’s roof was severely damaged, and several nearby structures, including the Dewan’s office and the Naib’s residence, were destroyed. The mosque has undergone several renovations since then. Over time, the name Sharifpur faded, giving way to the present name Parulia, yet the 300-year-old Mughal-era mosque remains a testament to the region’s rich heritage and is now popularly known as the Parulia Dewan Sharif Mosque.

At one time, large sailboats used to travel along the nearby Brahmaputra River, and locals would gather to watch them. This tradition is said to have contributed to the name change from Sharifpur to Parulia.

Architecture

The mosque complex includes a mausoleum, a hujurkhana (residence for religious figures), four ponds, and approximately 20 bighas of surrounding land. On the western side of the mosque and the eastern bank of one of the ponds stands a single-domed mausoleum, which houses the adjacent graves of Zaynab Bibi and Dewan Sharif Khan. Dewan Sharif Khan died in 1128 AH (1716–1717 CE), and according to her will, Zaynab Bibi was buried beside him after her death the following year. The mausoleum is now widely recognized as the shrine of Zaynab Bibi.