Panbari Masjid or Rangamati Mosque is a famous historical mosque in northeast India. This mosque is considered as the oldest mosque in Assam. The mosque is situated on the National Highway 31, near Panbari and Rangamati, about 25 km east from Dhubri town. This is a three-domed mosque also presents an excellent example of great architectural achievements of the Sultanate of Bengal that was flourished 15th - 16th century.
During the reign of the Koch rulers, Rangamati area was a very prosperous place. It was the frontier post of the Koch rulers. Invading army of Bengal Sultans and Mughals also used Rangamati fort. There built the Muslim Soldiers built this mosque. This Rangamati Mosque or the Panbari Mosque was believed to be built by the then glorious Sultan of Bengal, Alauddin Husain Shah in between 1493 and 1519. After capturing the kingdom of Kamatapur, the Sultan declared to commission a mosque in Panbari to celebrate the victory and to offer prayers to Islam prophet. There is an another story behind the mosque. This mosque was built in the year 1622, when Mir Jumla, a powerful Subedar of Bengal, under the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, invaded Assam. Adjacent to the mosque there is also an "Idgah" and a deep well, which were also probably constructed during the same period. The mosque has a vast paved courtyard and one minaret, which were constructed later.
After a long time, the local Muslims found Panbari "Pahar" under the thick foliage that was built 200 years ago. They started to offer the "Namaz" there. Now this mosque is known as the holy seat for the people of western Assam. The scenic beauty of the hills with its rich flora, its unique location together with the archaeological importance, holds promise of becoming an important tourist spot in India. Of late, a township consisting of brick-plinths, terracotta antiquities as also a hoard of medieval coins have been discovered near the mosque, which have been tentatively attributed to the Mughal regime.
This Panbari mosque management committee, who appoints the imam and other employees. The imam performs various religious services like imamat and leading namaz. The expenses of the mosque are covered from different kind of donations obtained by the mosque. As the mosque enjoy a special place in the society of western Assam, people donate generously irrespective of religion, caste or creed.
During the annual Islamic festivals like Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, this mosque wears a special look. Thousands of people from different parts of the country visit the mosque. Not only have the people from India but also from England and Japan visited this place. Normally hundreds of people gather here for the weekly Friday noon Jumu`ah prayers, besides other regular prayers.
As the mosque is standing on the national highway 31, regular bus services are available from Guwahati, Dhubri District and Cooch Behar District to reach the mosque. The nearest railway station is Fakiragram, which is 30 kilometers from the Panbari Mosque. The very nearest airport to the Panbari Mosque is the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, which is 200 kilometres from the Panbari Mosque. The Panbari Mosque is also not far away from the mighty Brahmaputra River.
