Saukar Masjid

Saukar Masjid is a mosque in Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. The Masjid is one of the historically important structures in Alappuzha. The old mosque building was renovated in 2022 under Alappuzha Heritage Project of Kerala government.

History
Alappuzha was an important commercial and industrial center in medieval Kerala. It was Raja Kesava Das, the then Dewan of Travancore who was known as the 'creator of modern Alappuzha', who made Alappuzha a major port city of Travancore. He built many roads and canals and built warehouses to improve the spice trade. After this, traders and business men from many parts of India including Kachi memans, Gujarati Muslims and Pathans came Alappuzha in search of employment and market. Many Gujarati Muslim families were invited from Bombay and settled at the initiative of the Diwan. The Diwan had also allotted places to build places of worship for those who came in this way. The Saukar Masjid, one of the mosques built in this way, was built on a land granted by Raja Kesava Das in 1850 to the Halai Memon community who came from Porbandar in Gujarat.

Location
Saukar Masjid is located in Alappuzha municipality, about 1.7 km away from Alappuzha Bus Stand and about 3.1 km away from Alappuzha railway station.

Importance
The Saukar Masjid is one of the historically important structures in Alappuzha. The Masjid is built in Turkish and Eastern European architectural styles prevailed at the time of its construction. Considering its age and architectural features, restoration work has been carried out as part of the Alappuzha Heritage Project and the mosque has now been converted into a protected place of worship by the government.

Renovation
The old mosque building was renovated and opened to the public in 2022 under Alappuzha Heritage Project of Kerala government.