Dargah
posted in Dargah, hajiali |The Dargah has a narrow concrete pathway leading to the shrine. A short flight of marble steps leads into the Dargah where the body of the saint is enclosed in a semi-circular tomb, covered with a zari cloth. Flowers and other offerings by devotees lie scattered around the tomb. The devotees pay their respects by praying and touching their foreheads and lips to the cloth. Ladies, as is the case in all mosques, have a separate room for their prayers. All visitors need to remove their shoes before entering the shrine. As long as this stipulation is respected, everyone, regardless of religious affiliations, is permitted into the Dargah.
The Dargah can only be reached at low tide, when the causeway that leads to the shrine is above water. During high tide, the connecting causeway is submerged in water giving the impression that the mosque and tomb are floating on sea in splendid isolation.
Building And Area :
The white dome and the solitary minaret of the mosque behind the Dargah stands out on the west shoreline of Mumbai. Behind the huge marble doorway lies the tomb enclosed in a white structure lying in an exquisite silver frame supported by marble pillars. The inside of the dome is covered in colourful glass arranged in a kaleidoscopic pattern, which spells the names of Allah in 99 different forms.
Faithful Followers :
Every day, thousands of pilgrims from Mumbai and beyond walk from the shore to the Dargah on the concrete walkway to say their prayers and ask for wishes, which the devout claim, do come true. The walkway some years back had just beggars lined up, but today, it has shops on its left up to the entrance of the Dargah — on the right, beggars have the full advantage of the space – they eat, sleep and make themselves at home here.