Another Kerala Story: Hindu Architect Who Built Over Hundred Mosques Dies (Image: PB Biju)
Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam: Prominent architect G Gopalakrishnan, fondly known across as the “Mosque Man” for his extraordinary six-decade career designing over a hundred Islamic places of worship, has died at the age of 90. He breath his last at his residence in Palayam on Wednesday following age-related ailments. His funeral took place at Thycaud Saanthi Kavadam on Thursday afternoon, drawing tributes from across religious and civic lines.
In a region where religious identities often define cultural heritage, Gopalakrishnan represented a striking alternative. Over his lifetime, the self-taught master craftsman designed more than 110 mosques, four churches, and a temple. Yet, it was his foundational work on Islamic architecture that cemented his legacy as an enduring symbol of communal harmony in Kerala.
Born into a humble family, Gopalakrishnan was unable to pursue a formal degree in architecture due to financial constraints. Instead, he learned the craft as an apprentice to his father, Govindan, a local building contractor, while studying the basic mechanics of drafting under LA Saldana, a respected Anglo-Indian draughtsman.
His journey into sacral architecture began in 1961 when he assisted his father in rebuilding the iconic Palayam Juma Masjid in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the Southern Indian state. The project, inaugurated in 1964 by India’s former President Dr Zakir Hussain, proved transformative. Gopalakrishnan later recalled that working alongside a Christian mentor to rebuild a Muslim house of worship juxtaposed between a temple and a church made him realise that architecture was his true calling—and that divine space belonged to all humanity.
Over the subsequent decades, Gopalakrishnan developed a signature aesthetic that redefined the architectural landscape of southern India. Heavily influenced by the Indo-Saracenic tradition and the historical works of scholar Percy Brown, he introduced fresh pastel palettes of pistachio green and soft pink, breaking away from traditional monochromatic or mere snow white structures.
His notable works include the Beemapally Juma Masjid, which took 18 years to complete; the Taj Mahal-inspired Sheikh Masjid in Karunagappally; the Chandanapally St George Orthodox Church, modelled on St Peter’s Basilica; and the Erumeli Vavar Mosque, that accommodates both Muslim worshippers and Hindu Ayyappa devotees during the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage.
Gopalakrishnan’s approach was not without controversy. When he carved lotus motifs—a symbol associated with both traditional Indian heritage and contemporary politics—into the facade of the Beemapally mosque, critics voiced objections. Unfazed, he maintained that the house of God should remain free of human prejudices, as per a report published on Al Jazeera. In another innovative step, he routinely inscribed Malayalam translations alongside Arabic Quranic verses on mosques walls to ensure accessibility for all locals – a practice that was alien to Keralam’s Muslim structures.
Those who worked with him remembered his uncompromising devotion to precision. Even in his eighties, despite trembling hands, he would sketch construction measurements directly onto site walls for labourers and order structural revisions if windows differed by mere fractions of an inch.
Beyond his drafting board, Gopalakrishnan spent his later years fostering interfaith understanding. He founded Maanavamaitri, a charitable organisation promoting religious tolerance, and observed fasts for Ramadan, Easter, and Sabarimala alike within his multi-faith household. He also authored a monumental 1,200-page treatise titled Njan Kanda Quran(The Quran I Saw), examining the shared moral values between the Quran, the Bible, and the Bhagavad Gita.
Gopalakrishnan is survived by his wife of six decades, Jaya, his three children, and extended family.
