The general vicinity of Pettah is always crowded with vendors and shoppers. It is in a sense a melting pot which unknowingly unites all of us in this beautiful city as well as thousands who come to the Fort Railway Station. Along Main Street there are many shops that specialize in textiles, shoes and fancy goods. As you walk along Second Cross Street or enter the area via Main Street your eyes connect to the beautiful dome of the Red Mosque, quietly heralding its presence.
This mosque is an architectural gem and a cultural icon for Muslim devotees and all Sri Lankans. Its contrasting red and white design has been a stimulating sight that makes us pause and admire its architecture. The mosque is testament to the dedicated work of its pioneer builders who infused this edifice with so much beauty.
I have passed this way countless times, when returning from Lake House, which is a stunning building in its own right and the remarkable birthplace of print media in Ceylon. Local traders commonly refer to this mosque in Sinhalese as Rathu Palliya. It is also called Samankottai palli in Tamil. The Red Mosque is not to be confused with the Colombo Grand Mosque. During the mandatory Friday prayers hundreds of men congregate inside the mosque at Main Street. At the entrance, we encounter a few talkative men selling prayer caps and tiny glass bottles of perfumes from across the Middle East.
It is a timely reminder of the lasting ties our island has enjoyed with Arab traders from centuries ago. It was these pioneer Arab traders who settled in coastal towns embracing our culture and gently influencing our own culture in turn. After removing my shoes, I entered the mosque, where prayers had already begun. According to some seniors who took time to talk with me, they reckoned since the seventh century the Island of Serandib (meaning the ‘land of rubies’) had attracted Arab traders who sailed to our island and originally settled in Beruwela. They began to trade in gems and spices. Some opine that these traders built the first mosque in Beruwela in 920 CE. As the years went by, these traders moved to Colombo with their families.
It was much later that Muslims of South Indian origin set up their trading shops in the Pettah and Fort areas. Subsequently, the ruling British recognized the economic output of these Muslim traders. As the requirement for common worship arose, the businessmen decided to build a small mosque close to their shops. They purchased land at a cost of Rs. 500 and donated the property, duly setting up a Trust.
Islam teaches that prayer is a pillar of the religion. Prayer builds a personal and spiritual bond between the Muslim and his Creator. Prayer when performed correctly fills the heart of the worshipper with contentment and peace. It is an act of submission to Allah. Quran 29.45 says “Verily, prayer prevents one from shameful and evil deeds.” The task of building the mosque was assigned to H.L. Saibo Lebbe, an accomplished builder of that era. He was not a qualified architect. Saibo Lebbe began work in 1908 and built a two-storey mosque with a clock tower and dome (kubba in Arabic language) reflecting Indo-Saracen architecture. The clock was brought down from Ukraine. The large teak support columns were procured from trees in the Puttalam area. The builder chose to have the dome in the shape of a pomegranate fruit. When you cut a pomegranate, you see the red and white colours. This was the builder’s inspiration for the unusual colour scheme, as the traditional colours of the Muslim community are green and white.
Many believe this is the only mosque in the world to have a dome in the shape of a pomegranate with a half crescent at the top. Another feature in the mosque design is the minaret – an idea from the ancient Arab King Abdul Malik. The Red Mosque has 49 such minarets, further accentuating its glorious design. Once the mosque was completed the Trustees named it Al Masjid-al Jamiul Alfar. The word ‘Masjid’ means ‘mosque’, ‘Jamiul’ denotes a mosque which is dedicated to congregational prayers on Friday and the word ‘Alfar’ means ‘success’. The erection of this mosque in 1909 was a manifestation of the unity and devotion of the Muslims in Colombo. Every beautiful story has a stroke of tragedy and some believe that the prudent builder Saibo Lebbe was killed when a horse cart accidentally reversed into the spot where he was standing outside the mosque, knocking him down.
I was fascinated by the amazing designs and intricate brick work of hundreds of men who had patiently worked here. The Red Mosque has an open courtyard to take in sunlight and fresh air. I noticed the large marble pond of ablution – where men stop and washed their face, hands and feet, an outward sign of purification before engaging in prayer.
The steps of white marble lead to the first floor. A large chandelier was suspended from the roof, dominating the aura within. I am showed the mimbar (pulpit) where the chief Moulavi would deliver his sermon. The red carpets embossed in ancient designs of Iran are a work of art. Beautiful carpets are indeed synonymous with the ancient city of Iran. The red and white bricks enrich the visual majesty of this grand edifice. Every single brick was lovingly painted by hand. The red bricks are built in four designs – jagged, spiral, striped and chequered. On the edge of the outside border is calligraphy painted by hand.
In 2007, the Trustees realized the need to expand this mosque and began building. They built around the original mosque of Saibo Lebbe and today, this edifice has six floors with a capacity for 10,000 men to unite in prayer. At present, the masjid has seven domes. On special days, the mosque sees a multitude of almost 15,000 worshipers with people gathering from outside Colombo. The mosque feeds 2,000 people daily during this period of annual fasting, when the fast is broken. During this period, shops sell tasty samosas that goes down well with a chilled glass of faluda. From the sixth floor of the masjid the view of the busy bazaar below is a reminder of our multi-ethnic city and the strength of our diversity as Sri Lankans.
