Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra

Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra is a remarkable structure of Indo-Islamic architecture said to have been built in two and a half days flat. This mosque was a Sanskrit college in the 12th century but in 1193 AD Mohammad Ghori destroyed the college and built a mosque in its place. It is built on pillars and surprisingly no two pillars are alike.
The distinct pillars-and arched "Screen" with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural masterpiece. The monument has seven arched walls with Islamic calligraphy, though most of it now remains in ruins.

"Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra" literally means "shed of two-and-a-half days". As mentioned earlier, a legend states that a part of the mosque was built in two-and-a-half days. Some Sufis claim that the name signifies a human's temporary life on the earth. According to the ASI, the name probably comes from a two-and-a-half-day-long fair that used to be held at the site.
Har Bilas Sarda points out that the name "Adhai-Din-ka-Jhonpra" is not mentioned in any historical source. Before the 18th century, the mosque was simply known as a "Masjid" ("mosque"), since it had been the only mosque in Ajmer for centuries.

Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra is an early example of the Indo-Islamic architecture and was designed by Abu Bakr of Herat. Built from masonry taken from broken down Hindu and Jain temples, the mosque has been surrounded by a seven arched wall that is inscribed with verses from the Quran. The mosque is entered through a simple gateway in the north, and on its right stands a ruined minaret. The gate leads to a stairway leading up to a small tower from where the muezzin (mosque official) called the faithful to prayer. The front facade consists of a number of small arches built of yellow limestone. The main arch is flanked by six smaller arches of Arab origin wherein tiny rectangular panels allowed for a lighting system, a feature found in ancient Arabian mosques.

The mosque has 10 domes supported by 124 pillars. The walls of the main hall are chiseled into small screens to allow sunlight to enter. The interior of the mosque is more like a Hindu temple with a main hall supported by numerous columns. Three pillars are placed over each other while the roof is supported on square bays. The columns are of an uncommon design, heavily decorated and quite similar to Hindu and Jain rock temples. Their bases are large and bulbous, tapering as they gain height. There is a tiny Sanskrit inscription on top of the main gate that reminds the actual origin of this historic monument.