Wood carvings of Hindu artist adorn interiors of Pakshikere mosque

The wood carvings by a Hindu carpenter and his team adorn the interiors of Badriya Jumma Masjid in Pakshikere, located around 22 km from Mangaluru, in Kemral Gram Panchayat limits.

When the masjid committee decided to renovate the 40-year-old Badriya Jumma Masjid, they invited Harish Acharya, who had first introduced the Indo-Islamic style of wooden carvings at the Badriya Jumma Masjid in Majoor Mallar in Kaup in Udupi district. A team of eight Hindu carpenters and assistants completed the project within 14 months.

“We used teak wood for the work. The wooden carvings at Badriya Masjid at Majoor were my first work in Indo-Islamic style. Over 1,000 cubic feet of teak wood was used for the interiors. This is my second project on interiors of a mosque,” Harish Acharya told DH.

“All these days I used to work on wooden carvings at daivasthanas and temples. The mosque in Majoor had elaborate wooden carvings and though the work was challenging, the masjid committee members were supportive throughout,” he said and added that he had worked on renovating 25 daivasthanas as well.

Acharya, who has a workshop in Kaup, said, “Kaup mosque authorities noticed my work when I was working at the Uliyar Durgaparameshwari Temple and asked me to work on the wooden carvings in the mosque.”

Badriya Jumma Masjid President K U Mohammed said, “We were impressed by the wooden carvings at the mosque in Kaup and wanted to renovate our mosque on similar lines. We engaged the services of Harish Acharya. No sooner the work was completed, religious leaders have been praising the work and people have been visiting the mosque to have a glimpse of work.”

“The people in Pakshikere live in harmony. When we were working on wooden carvings, many irrespective of religion and caste would look at our work and engage us in conversation,” he said.

Harish said, “Art is above caste and religion. Wooden carving is part of my bread and butter. Muslim religious head A P Aboobakkar Musliyar too has invited me to Kerala, to discuss wooden carvings to be taken up in mosques in Kerala. Even Madaneeyam Kanthapuram too has invited me to Kerala. I am planning to visit and discuss the projects after Eid-Ul-Fitr.”

The prominent wooden works undertaken at the mosque in Pakshikere are a pulpit where the imam delivers sermons and a 1,000 square feet hall with a wooden ceiling with intricate work.

At a time when misunderstandings among religions remain high, Badriya Jumma Masjid in Pakshikere stands as a testimony of communal harmony.