Haji Ali Dargah , Mosque in Mumbai

Four years after plans were first made to demolish and reconstruct Haji Ali dargah, one of most prominent shrines and landmarks of Mumbai, the project has got the final set of permissions from the government.

With the commencement certificate to start work in hand, the first step will be to demolish the dilapidated structure. Though the shrine of Pir Haji Ali Shah Baba dates back to the 14th century, the present structure nestled like a pearl in the sea, was constructed a little over a hundred years ago. But with constant erosion the building has become dilapidated, leading to concerns over safety.

Haji Ali Dargah is one of the most popular religious places in Mumbai, visited by Hindus and Muslims alike. It is basically the tomb of Haji Ali, a wealthy merchant who renounced all the worldly possessions and became a saint, after he returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca. Along with the tomb, there is also a mosque at Haji Ali. There are two different accounts of how the tomb of Haji Ali came into being. As per one version, the saint drowned in the sea and his devotees built a tomb at the spot where he died.

Another version goes that Haji Ali died on his pilgrimage to Mecca and his body was put in a casket. The casket is said to have floated back to Bombay, stopping near the rock bed on the sea here. The place where his casket was found later served as the venue of his dargah (tomb), built by his devotees. Haji Ali Dargah is situated on an islet, in the middle of Worli Bay, located off the coast of Worli. It is visited by a large number of devotes every day. The rush particularly swells on Thursdays and Fridays.

The 500-yard causeway that leads to the Haji Ali Mosque is not surrounded by railings. Since it is lashed by sea waves, one can visit the dargah only when the tide is low. The location of the mosque serves as one of the major attractions luring tourists here. With the sea forming as the backdrop, Haji Ali becomes a sight to behold. The entire structure is spread over an area of around 4,500 m and stands adorned with an 85 foot high tower. Inside the mosque complex, one finds the tomb supported by a magnificent silver frame.

A pathway connects the shore to the Haji Ali mosque. The mosque was built amidst the sea with a narrow path to give it a celestial look. The path is used for reaching the shrine and can only be used during low tides. The mosque has a sprawling courtyard which represents a bright and cheerful ambience. Men and women can offer prayers in separate rooms. The gallant white structure resembles traits of Mughal art and architecture. The tomb is covered in exquisite red and green chaddar. The tomb is wrapped in a silver frame held by huge pillars and is adorned in ravishing mirror work. 99 names of the Allah are inscribed on the pillars. The white dome and minarets looks spectacular against the setting sun. The saline winds from the sea are eroding the shrine of its entire splendor.

Built in 1431, this monument has been sentinel to the shores of Bombay since a long time. 500 yards into the sea from the shore, Haji Ali is said to be the tomb of an ancient merchant saint, who died on his way to Mecca. His casket was brought to Bombay, where the dargah was built by Haji Usman Rangikar, the man who owned the ship that took pilgrims to Mecca.
The structure is white with domes and minarets like the Mughal architecture. The dargah is a renowned pilgrimage site among the Muslims. Non-Muslims are also allowed to visit the dargah. Inside the dargah the tomb is covered with a red and green brocade chaddar(sheet) and an exquisite silver frame supports it. The tomb has a courtyard that normally has a festive atmosphere. The main hall has pillars on which the ninety-nine names of Allah are written. The whitewashed structure attracts visitors in large numbers on Thursdays and Fridays. This shrine is thronged by Hindu and Muslim devotees alike.

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.

Miracles of the Saint : There are many miracles that have happened during the life of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari {R.A} and after his death. It is a belief of the Muslims as mentioned in the Quran Sheriff that the Holy Saints who sacrifice and devoted their lives in the way of Allah never die and one should not call them dead. They are alive in the graves and get their food and necessities from Allah.

It is learnt from reliable sources that Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari {R.A} was Qutub-E-Akbar. Whatever is known about miracles is learnt from the caretakers and trustees from generation as the Saint had never married and had no descendents. Some people tried to display themselves as his descendants or heirs and have destroyed the exact history of the saint, his tomb and Dargah.

Oil and the Lady : It is learnt from rivayat {being told by the people} that Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari {R.A} was sitting at some lone place and was busy in his prayers when one lady passed from there crying and screaming. When the Saint enquired about her crying she told the Saint by pointing to an empty vessel and said that she had dropped some oil from the vessel and that if she goes home without the oil her cruel husband would treat her badly and that’s why she was crying in need of help. The Saint asked her to be calm and went with her to the place where the oil had been dropped and then he took the vessel from her and pushed the earth with his thumb and the oil came out like a fountain and the vessel was full. The Saint gave her the vessel with oil and she went away happily. But at the same time the earth told the Saint that he had pushed it and had given it trouble and some day when he would be buried it might take revenge of this. The Saint then realized that he had committed a mistake and from that day he became very serious and was not keeping well.

The Pathway : Before his death he advised his followers that they should not burry Him at any proper place or graveyard and should drop his coffin that it should be buried by the people where and when it is found so that is why his tomb is in the middle of the sea where some stones over a small mountain were lying above the sea. The present chairman informs it and managing trustee, Mr. A. S. Merchant that earlier there was no pathway in the sea and people collected stones and made a temporary path during low tide. During high tide however the path was destroyed. In 1944 his father Mohammad Haji Aboobakar who was appointed trustee by The Attorney General, Goverment of Bombay had decided to build a permanent pathway but he was hesitant as he was not sure if the path would withstand the sea fury during the monsoon season almost all the roads of Mumbai become rough and have potholes but till today the pathway of the Dargah has never been damaged or unsafe for the people to reach the Dargah Sheriff. This is one of the biggest miracles of the saint hundreds of years after his death.

Miracles of the Dargah : In 1949 there was a big storm in Mumbai, which had not left a single building without the slightest damage, but there was no damage to the Dargah, sanatorium or the pathway. There were waves of the size of mountain and most people were scared that they would drown. They then bowed down at the wall of the Dargah, said their prayer and there was lightening on the waves and the people returned home without any harm to themselves or to their property.

It is learned from the thousands of visitors and devotees who have visited the tomb of the Saint that with proper faith and belief they have achieved whatever they have had asked for from the Saint blessings.

During the heavy rains on 26th July 2005 there was a huge destruction over most of the part of Mumbai but the Haji Ali Dargah was not affected  by this incident.

Haji Ali Mosque, Maharashtra Travel VacationsThis early 18th century shrine contains the tomb of HAZRATH HAJI ALI, a Muslim Sufi saint. There are two local legends which claim to trace the hazrath’s antecedents. One story has it that Haji Ali was a rich , local businessman who gave up materialism after a visit to Mecca and then took up meditation.

Another legend says that he was an Afghan mystic who lived and meditated here. He specifically ordered that after his death , his casket should be cast off into the sea off the shore of what is today Pakistan. However , the casket surfaced intact at the spot where the shrine is today.

The Haji Ali shrine is located on a small island on the Arabian Sea. There is a walkway which connects the shore to the shrine. This walkway is the only way to enter the shrine and it can be used only during low tides. High tides and monsoon rains completely cover the walkway. Inside the shrine there is a courtyard which normally sports a festive, talkative atmosphere.

The structure has typical white, Mughal domes and minarets. Although it is a famous Muslim pilgrimage site, non-Muslim visitors are welcomed. The shrine looks its best when seen from the shore silhouetted against the setting sun.

Air : Bombay’s International Terminal is at Sahar, 30 kms  and Domestic Terminal at Santacruz, 26 km respectively from downtown Mumbai. Most of the International Airlines, Indian Airlines Vayudoot & many other private airlines touch Bombay and connect it with the major cities of India and the world. There are domestic flights to all the major cities of the country.

Rail: Mumbai has trains connecting it to all the major cities of the country. Bombay is the headquarters for both western & Central Railways. Central Railways handles services to the east and south, plus a few trains to the north. Western Railways has services to the north from Churchgate and Central stations. Central Railways operates from the VT Railway Station (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal) located in the Fort area . Other railway stations are Dadar, Churchgate and Kurla. Regular train services connect Bombay with all major towns and cities in India. Intra city trains in Mumbai are very good, and are the fastest and cheapest way to move around in Mumbai.

Road: Mumbai is connected by good motorable road to Pune 163 km, Nasik 185 km, Mahabaleshwar 239 km, Shirdi 307 km, Aurangabad 392 km, Vadodara 432 km, Ahmedabad 545 kms, Panaji 597 kms, Hyderabad 711 kms, Bangalore 998 kms. Intra city bus services are also very good. The Maharashtra State Transport Bus Terminal,  J B Behran Marg, is directly opposite the Central Train Station.

Local Transport: Metered black & yellow top taxies, Auto rickshaws, B.E.S.T. city buses, Electric trains are available.

The Haji Ali Dargah in the Mahim Bay can be reached from Mahalaxmi by a narrow causeway, and that only at high tide, when it is above the sea. A handsome example of Indian Islamic architecture, associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the tomb of Saint Haji Ali. It sits 500 yards off the coast in the waters of Mahim Bay, near the neighborhood of Worli. It is connected with the Mahalaxmi Temple via a small path that goes into the sea, only accessible during low tide.

Introduction

India’s economic capital and the abode of the candyfloss silver screen, the spark called Mumbai attracts thousands of moths towards itself round the year. Though it is the lure of the Bollywood glamour and the promise of a livelihood that make people run to Mumbai; the Arabian sea and the Western Ghats topped up with the lip smacking Paw Bhaji and Vada Paw along with important historical monuments like Gateway of India, Elephanta caves, Haji Ali mosque, along with the Bombay Stock Exchange, the water parks and shopping malls, this truly cosmopolitan city offers a heady cocktail of history and the contemporary. Mumbai is therefore a haven for business, movie and tour buffs alike.

Location

The Haji Ali Dargah is located off the coast of Worli, Mumbai on a tiny islet. It stands about 500 yards into the waters of the Arabian Sea.

Entrance

Haji Ali is open to everyone. It cannot be entered at high tide since the causeway leading to it gets submerged in water. The mosque looks particularly beautiful at sunset with its reflection on the crimson waters.

The look of the Mosque

This beautiful whitewashed mosque is connected to mainland by a narrow causeway that gets submerged at high tide. The white mosque reflected on the blue waters then looks serenely picturesque. The mosque is built around a plot of 2500 m with an 85 ft minaret at its centre. Beyond the gate is a marble courtyard where the edifice of saint Haji Ali stands. The tomb within is covered in red and green satin cloth like in all dargahs. The marble pillars in the main hall are adorned with colored glass chips. However, much of the beauty of this dargah is now at stake due to constant exposure to saline water.

History

This mosque was built in 1431 by the Muslim saint Haji Ali who renounced his worldly possessions and devoted himself in meditation. According to the legend, Haji Ali died on his way to Mecca and the casket carrying his body floated back to these shores. His devotees cremated him at this spot, which is now an important pilgrimage for people of all religion all over the country.

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