Mubarak Begum Mosque
Indian mosque
The Mubarak Begum Mosque, also known as Randi ki Masjid (lit. 'Prostitute's Mosque'), is a 19th-century red sandstone mosque, located in Hauz Qazi, Old Delhi, Delhi, India. The Mughal-style mosque is also referred to as courtesan's (tawaif's) mosque, and is located near the Chawri Bazaar metro station.
On 19 July 2020, at approximately 6:45 am, part of the mosque's central dome collapsed due to heavy rainfall. The mosque is under the custody of Delhi Wakf Board. Closed for a period of time, as of 2024, the mosque was open for worship.
History
The mosque was built in the early decades of the 19th century in 1823 by a nautch dancer called Mubarak Begum who also served as a tawaif in the Mughal court. The mosque was built during the Mughal era.
Mubarak Begum was born into a poor Muslim family initially pursued her career as a dancing girl in Pune.
When East India Company was established in India, Britishers made it compulsory for army men to either come along with their wives, or marry native women temporarily. "No Indian families would've agreed, so these ladies were their only recourse." Delhi's first British resident, Sir David Ochterlony, a two-time British resident to Mughal emperor's court in Delhi in 1802 and in 1822, married Mubarak Begum.
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