Balia Jame Mosque is situated inside Chhoto Balia, 3.7 km east of Bhulli Thana in Thakurgaon district. It is one of the various historical structures and archaeological monuments of this district. Balia Mosque, which is also recognized as Jinn Mosque to locals, was constructed by fairies according to local believes.

According to them, on a new moon night some jinns (fairies) decided to build a mosque here while flying over the area and they continued building the mosque throughout the night. At the end of the night, when dawn came, the building of the dome of the mosque remained. Then the jinn left the mosque unfinished. For the next hundred years, this Balia mosque was abandoned without a dome. In 2005, the renovation work of Balia Masjid started. Later in 2010, the mosque was opened for worshipers. Balia Masjid is popularly known as Masjid of Jinn for this popular event.

On the other hand, historical evidences proves this mosque to be built by the Balia Zamindar’s son-in-law, Meher Baksh Chowdhury. According to the inscription on the mosque, it was built in the Bengali year 1317 (English 1910). Due to to the death of Meher Baksh the construction work remained unfinished and so there was no dome.

Finally, under the patronage of Tasrifa Khatun, the great-granddaughter of Meher Baks Chowdhury, and with the technical assistance of the Institute of Archeology, the renovation work of the Balia Mosque began in 2010. Taking the initiative to renovate this mosque, artists Kamruzzaman Swadhin and Zakirul Haque Chowdhury supervised the renovation work from start to finish. At the same time, the dome was constructed in a new way in the design of architect Syed Abu Sufian Kushal.

Features

The buildings are similar to Mughal style buildings of Dhaka. The mosque complex constitutes three parts: main gate, a rectangular complex and a main building.

The rectangular complex, again, divided into three parts: the entrance with stairs, the open courtyard and the main building or prayer room.

The mosque features an impressive architectural design, with three grand domes and eight minarets of uniform height adorning its roof. Among these, four larger minarets are positioned at each of the four corners, while the remaining four are smaller in size. The structure of the mosque, including its foundation, is constructed using lime-sulfur mortar and hand-fired bricks.

Though the bricks themselves remain unembellished, intricate designs have been skillfully carved into them across various sections of the mosque's walls. These designs include motifs such as pitchers, bells, dishes, bowls, amla fruits, and lotuses, adding a unique touch of artistry to the building's overall appearance.

How to Go:

Bhullibazar is located 10 km northwards along the Panchagarh highway from Thakurgaon district headquarters. The distance between Bhullibazar and Balia village is 3 kilometers. Buses and autorickshaws to Bhullibazar are available from Thakurgaon old bus stand. You can go to Balia Masjid by van from Bhullibazar.

Dhaka to Thakurgaon:

Thakurgaon can be reached by road and rail from Dhaka. There are several bus services plying from Dhaka to Thakurgaon by road. Apart from this, Ekta Express, Hirtyan Express and Panchagarh Express leave for Thakurgaon from Dhaka's Kamalapur or airport.