Last month when I visited the largest mosque in India the Jama Masjid in Delhi, I had to ignore this board inviting me in as many as seven languages to climb the minarets or one of its towers due to time constraints.
*Caption: Collage of the Jama Masjid Minarets in Delhi Made by Local Guide @TusharSuradkar *
Last week I was again at the mosque and bought the ticket that was only INR 50. The ticket clerk told that there are only 120 steps to climb.
But the steps turned out to be too steep though they had hand railings. There was also the provision of a battery-operated electric vehicle for the differently-abled and senior citizens who could not walk around the premises of the mosque.
*Caption: Collage of the Jama Masjid Minarets in Delhi Made by Local Guide @TusharSuradkar *
When walking across the first-floor corridor, on the right side was a close-up view of the majestic domes of this largest mosque in India, and on the left side was the busy market outside where the auto-rickshaws added to the chaos. The green color of the autos means they run on CNG and not petrol as they do out here in Gurugram.
*Caption: Collage of the Jama Masjid Minarets in Delhi Made by Local Guide @TusharSuradkar *
This leads to the entrance to the minaret that is facilitated by an iron stair.
Immediately upon entering there are spiral stairs that barely allowed one person to pass so it becomes a tight situation when coming across people who are climbing down and are fat-bellied.
Also, there are plenty of jharokas or narrow openings for both illumination and ventilation. These can also be seen from the outside of the minaret as pointed by the yellow arrows in the collage below.
*Caption: Collage of the Jama Masjid Minarets in Delhi Made by Local Guide @TusharSuradkar *
On reaching the top, on one side is the view of almost the entire Red Fort in the distant far along with its walls and the nearer view shows the market outside the Jama Masjid.
The top of the minaret is a circular chamber that shows a 360° view of Old Delhi and below is the view of the majestic domes of the mosque and the other side of old Delhi.
*Caption: Collage of the Jama Masjid Minarets in Delhi Made by Local Guide @TusharSuradkar *
There are also several interesting things to observe on the way back like this board displaying the prayer timings of which I could only understand the Seheri meaning early morning besides this mean cat
who refused to translate the rest of the Arabic words to me.
*Caption: Collage of the Jama Masjid Minarets in Delhi Made by Local Guide @TusharSuradkar *
Overall it was an experience of a lifetime viewing the panoramic scapes of old Delhi from atop the tall minarets.
Monument Tips
• Visit the mosque in the morning since the sunlight falls facing the mosque only up to 12 noon and after that, you may have to click photos with the shade of the mosque and also the grand entrance upon themself and these two are the most photogenic structures.
• There are no entry fees for the Mosque.
• There is no need to remove shoes outside the mosque but only outside the main prayer hall.
Have you been to a tall structure or tower and enjoyed the panoramic views of the surrounding area? I’d be interested in knowing your experiences.
Until then… Happy guiding ![]()
Accessibility Features
Being a medieval-era place of worship, there are no accessibility-related features for the differently-abled, except the parking and the toilet outside the main gate.
Ramp Access.
A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
A wheelchair-accessible Parking.
A wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.
What Else To Do In Delhi
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