Surrounded by a large number of handloom-making units, narrow alleys and bustling houses, the 500-year-old Mughal-era Kabuli Bagh Masjid still stands tall in Panipat. Hazi Kalimudin, an 82-year-old from Bihar’s Araria was visiting the mosque on Monday with his nephew Afzan Khan, who works at a local factory. (HT Photo) Built in 1526 AD, the mosque was built by Mughal ruler Babur to commemorate his victory over Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi of the Lodhi dynasty in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. “Though the prayers at the monument remain shut for decades, the mosque is still preserving the memory of the battle which changed the course of India for years to come,” Ram Mohan Rai, an advocate and public historian, said. It is said that Babur named the mosque after his wife Mussamat Kabuli Begum. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the central prayer hall has its cells on either side of the mehrab, which is engraved with verses from the holy Quran. Faizan Khan, an 18-year-old boy who just finished his schooling, …