The architectural landscape of Old Delhi holds two distinct monuments sharing the same name: the Sunehri Masjid (Golden Mosque). Though separated by just a short distance and built within a few decades of each other during the twilight of the Mughal Empire, each mosque tells a fundamentally different story of power, blood, devotion, and survival.

1850 painting by Gulam Ali Khan Sunehri Masjid
of Chandni Chowk  Delhi zikredilli.com

1. Sunehri Masjid of Chandni Chowk: A Witness to Bloodshed Located in the heart of Old Delhi’s bustling commercial district, the first Sunehri Masjid stands near the Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib on what was once the grand royal thoroughfare of Chandni Chowk.

image more than 100  years old Sunehri Masjid Delhi
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History and the Dawn of Terror

Built in 1721 by Roshan-ud-Daula Zafar Khan—a powerful noble during the reign of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah—this mosque is elevated on a high plinth, placing its three beautiful gilt domes well above the street level.Its most definitive and dark historical moment occurred on March 11, 1739. Contrary to the myth that the Persian invader Nadir Shah found nothing here, the mosque served as his command center during the infamous sack of Delhi. Nadir Shah stood on the roof of this very mosque, unsheathed his sword, and ordered the brutal, day-long massacre of Delhi's citizens. Over 30,000 lives were lost in the surrounding streets before the Mughal Emperor pleaded for mercy.Modern Challenges

Today, this historic mosque faces deep contemporary issues. Hemmed in by dense commercial markets, the structure is under constant threat from urban encroachment and traffic pollution, testing the limits of local heritage conservation.

2. Sunehri Masjid near the Red Fort: 

A Queen’s Legacy The second Sunehri Masjid sits quietly just outside the southwest corner of the Red Fort, opposite Netaji Subhash Park. It stands out as a rare, major Islamic monument commissioned entirely by a female ruler.

2022  image  Sunehri mosque  Delhi en.wikipedia.org

2009  Sunehri Masjid Chandni Chowk Delhi 
en.wikipedia.org

Sunehri Masjid Delhi isnstagram.com

Royal Favor and Construction 

Built between 1747 and 1751, this mosque was commissioned by Nawab Qudsia Begum, the wife of Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur and a deeply religious woman who also built the famous Qudsia Bagh outside Kashmere Gate. She constructed the mosque for Nawab Bahadur Javed Khan, a powerful eunuch noble who supervised the royal harem. Javed Khan held massive political sway during this period, though he was later assassinated due to court intrigues and rivalries.

Unique Architecture and Material 

The mosque possesses a striking aesthetic identity because it is constructed using bassee jung, a unique light, salmon-colored sandstone. This specific material was rarely used for religious architecture, giving the building an unusual, soft, warm hue. The mosque features three large domes and two slender minarets. Originally, these domes were heavily plated in brilliant copper. However, by 1852, the plates had fallen into disrepair, and Emperor Bahadur Shah II replaced the copper cladding with sandstone facing.

Miracles, Repairs, and Survival

Over the centuries, the mosque has been central to dramatic local folklore:The Mad Elephant Incident: Nawab Ahmad Bakhsh Khan (father of the Nawab of Firozpur) funded extensive repairs to strengthen the structure. Shortly after, an elephant ran amok in the area, crushing the Nawab’s carriage and killing his horse. The Nawab and his young son narrowly escaped death by rushing inside the mosque's sanctuary for protection.

The Siege of 1857: The mosque stood directly in the line of fire during the fierce battles of the 1857 Uprising against British rule. While much of the surrounding area near Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid, and the Red Fort suffered heavy bombardment, this mosque miraculously survived the siege with minimal structural damage.Comparing the Two Golden Mosques  Feature Chandni Chowk Mosque Red Fort  Mosque Year Built17211751Built ByRoshan-ud-Daula Zafar Khan Nawab Qudsia Begum 

Key Material Standard masonry with heavily gilded gold domes Salmon-colored bassee jung sandstone Historical Association Nadir Shah ordering the 1739 Delhi Massacre Survival of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny / Elephant refuge Current Setting Crowded market district near Gurudwara Sis Ganj Open parklands near the Red Fort southwest wall  Both mosques stand today as crucial anchors of Delhi's layered history, reminding visitors of an era when the Mughal Empire was fracturing, yet its architectural and cultural expressions remained profoundly resilient.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunehri_Masjid_(Chandni_Chowk)

http://www.delhihelp.com/sunehri-masjid-masjid-in-delhi-article-82.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Mosque_(Red_Fort)

K. N. Jayaraman (Author: navrangindia.blogspot.com )