Throwing light on Mud Mosque and fete in Puducherry

The grand structure, 60 metres in length and around 15 metres at its highest point, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the old towns of Djenné.

A talk by Peeyush Sekhsaria on the Mud Mosque of Djenne at INTACH, in Puducherry. Photo: T. Singaravelou

For a brief time, audience listening to architect Peeyush Sekhsaria at INTACH were transported to Djenné in Mali, West Africa, where just like Puducherry, the French had left behind their influence.

Mr. Sekhsaria was sharing his experience of having witnessed the annual re-plastering festival of the Great Mosque of Djenné, also referred to as the Mud Mosque. Every year, the town’s entire community comes together to re-plaster the mosque, which is built entirely of raw earth. The grand structure, 60 metres in length and around 15 metres at its highest point, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the old towns of Djenné.

The mosque was rebuilt by the French in 1907, based on the plans of an ancient mosque of the 13th century. The people of Djenné are proud of the mosque, said Mr. Sekhsaria, and it is considered as a national monument.

In the illustrated talk, Mr. Sekhsaria showed photographs of boys rushing to the site carrying the mud plaster. It might look chaotic, but it is carefully construed, he said, adding the mud plaster is prepared in a special way, where the mud is cured in pits.

The work is divided meticulously among them, with a master mason heading work with teams working alongside.

Speaking about the role of women, he said they organised water for the preparation of the plaster, cooking for the villagers and providing the necessary support for the event. It is important to understand who plays what role in the making of a building, he said.

Mr. Sekhsaria used his talk to make the audience question their misconceptions, especially those on Africa. “We can miss what role a building plays in a society if we don’t question our misconceptions,” he said.