# Mosque, Imambara and 16 wells: an 850-year-old cluster of heritage hides in Sultanpur's Kasba locality

> The 850-year-old Jinnati Masjid in Sultanpur's Kasba locality still bears a wall mark residents link to a British-era cannonball, and sits beside a crumbling Imambara, more than 16 old wells and a Sai Kuti.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Culture · **Published:** 2026-09-08 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/culture/masjida-imamabara-aura-16-kuen-sultanpur-ke-kasba-ilake-men-chhipi-hai-sarhe-atha-sau-sala-purani-virasata-29487 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Jinnati Masjid, Sultanpur, Badshahi Masjid, Kasba Imambara, British-era heritage, Sai Kuti, Uttar Pradesh heritage

Sultanpur's Kasba locality holds several layers of history within a few hundred metres of each other, an 850-year-old mosque, a crumbling Imambara right beside it, more than a dozen old wells and a Sai Kuti. Of all these, it is the Jinnati Masjid that draws the most attention, because its outer wall still carries a deep mark that residents connect to a British-era cannonball. That mark is not just a scar on an old building, it has become a living reminder of a painful chapter in the area's past.

## An 850-year-old mosque still standing in Kasba
Locally, this mosque is also referred to as the Badshahi Masjid. It sits in the Kasba locality of Sultanpur and residents count it among the town's oldest landmarks. Zubair Ahmed, who has served as the former pradhan of Kasba village, says the mosque is roughly 850 years old. According to him, the mosque went through oppression and hardship during the British era, and faced damage more than once over the decades, yet neither people's faith in it nor its historical standing ever diminished. In recent years the mosque has been renovated so that the structure survives for future generations. Elderly residents have passed this history down through the generations, which is why even younger residents today are aware of the building's significance.

## The wall mark residents call a cannonball scar
A deep mark is still clearly visible on the Jinnati Masjid's outer wall. Local residents claim it was left by a cannonball fired at the mosque during British rule. Even after all these years the mark has not faded, and anyone who looks closely is reminded of the events of that period. That is why this wall has come to be seen as more than part of a building, it stands as a living marker of oppression under British rule. Several older residents point to the mark while telling children and young people the stories tied to it, keeping the memory alive across generations.

## The Imambara next door, now largely in ruins
An old Imambara stands right next to the Jinnati Masjid. Local belief holds that the ruler of that period once lived in this Imambara. But with no upkeep and hundreds of years having passed, the structure is now in a badly dilapidated state. Most of it today looks like a ruin, with walls broken in several places. Even so, whatever remains still offers a glimpse of the area's royal past. Residents worry that without timely attention, the building could disappear completely in the coming years.

## More than 16 old wells and a Sai Kuti in the same area
The Kasba locality, on the southern edge of K.N.I.T., is not limited to just the mosque and the Imambara. More than 16 old wells exist nearby, which residents treat as proof of how old the area really is. Such a large number of wells by itself suggests the area was once densely settled, since in earlier times a settlement's water needs were largely met by wells. It is believed that this stretch once formed the centre of the main Sultanpur town. The same area is also home to a Sai Kuti, said to be around 850 years old as well. Having a mosque, an Imambara, wells and a Sai Kuti all within one locality makes Kasba significant from both a religious and a historical standpoint, giving visitors a chance to see different layers of history side by side.

## A heritage that keeps deteriorating with time
The Jinnati Masjid, the Imambara, the old wells and the Sai Kuti together form important links in Sultanpur's history. But several of these structures have grown dilapidated over the years, and some have all but turned into ruins. That makes the need to preserve them more urgent by the day. Renovating the Jinnati Masjid has been one necessary step in that direction, but the worsening condition of structures like the Imambara shows that far more work remains if the rest of this heritage is to be saved. Residents say that if both the administration and the community pay attention, this entire cluster of heritage in Kasba can still be preserved for future generations.

## What this means for you
The story matters most for Sultanpur's Kasba locality and for anyone interested in local heritage.

- **Across India:** Small, scattered heritage sites like this one often deteriorate simply because no one steps in to preserve them. It's a reminder that historically significant structures aren't confined to big cities, they can sit quietly in an ordinary small-town neighbourhood.
- **In Sultanpur:** Residents and local authorities now face a clear choice on the Imambara, which is already badly dilapidated. Without timely attention it could disappear completely in the coming years, while the Jinnati Masjid's completed renovation shows that saving these structures is achievable.

## Why this happened
Both the wall mark on the mosque and the Imambara's present state trace back to events from the past and years of neglect.

- **The cannonball claim:** Residents say the wall mark was left by a cannonball fired at the mosque during British rule, though no formal verification is mentioned, it rests on local belief and memory passed down over generations.
- **Oppression under British rule:** According to the former pradhan of Kasba village, the mosque endured hardship and damage during the British era, and traces of that period remain on the wall today.
- **The Imambara's decline:** A lack of upkeep combined with hundreds of years passing has turned the Imambara into a near-ruin, while the mosque survived because it was renovated.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. How old is the Jinnati Masjid?
According to local residents, its history goes back roughly 850 years.

### 2. Where is the Jinnati Masjid located?
It stands in the Kasba locality of Sultanpur, on the southern edge of K.N.I.T.

### 3. What is the mark on the mosque's wall said to be linked to?
Local residents connect it to a cannonball fired at the mosque during British rule.

### 4. What other name is the Jinnati Masjid known by?
It is also locally called the Badshahi Masjid.

### 5. What structure stands beside the mosque, and what condition is it in?
An old Imambara stands next to it, now badly dilapidated and largely in ruins due to lack of upkeep.

### 6. How many old wells are there in the area?
Residents say there are more than 16 old wells nearby.

### 7. How old is the Sai Kuti near the mosque?
It is also said to be around 850 years old and sits close to the Jinnati Masjid.

### 8. Has the Jinnati Masjid been renovated?
Yes, it has been renovated in recent years to help preserve the structure.

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