Haji
Ali Dargah in Mumbai
The
Haji Ali Dargah is not a very popular destination amongst foreign
tourists but for Indians it certainly is one. Those visiting Mumbai
in the state of Maharashtra make it a point to the Dargah (tomb). The
tomb is of Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, a rich Muslim
businessman who gave away all his wealth away to the poor before
leaving for Mecca. About 30 to 40 thousand pilgrims visit the tomb on
Thursdays and Fridays alone, so you can see how popular this place
is. You might consider taking a trip to the Haji Ali Dargah if you
are in Mumbai. It is situated on an islet off the coast of Worli in
the South of Mumbai. Even Hindus visit this shine in large numbers.
The
Haji Ali Dargah is
a mosque
and dargah
(tomb)
located on an islet off the coast of Worli
in the Southern part of Mumbai. Near the heart of the city proper,
the dargah is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai. An
exquisite example of Indo-Islamic
Architecture,
associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the
tomb of Sayed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari.
Background
The
Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in memory of a wealthy Muslim
merchant, Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, who gave up all his
worldly possessions before making a pilgrimage to
Mecca.
Hailing from Bukhara, in the ancient Persian
Empire
(present day Uzbekistan),
Bukhari travelled around the world in the early to mid 15th century,
and then settled in present day Mumbai.
According
to legends surrounding
his life, once the Saint saw a poor woman crying on the road, holding
an empty vessel. He asked her what the problem was, she sobbed that
her husband would thrash her as she stumbled and accidentally spilled
the oil she was carrying. He asked her to take him to the spot where
she spilt the oil. There, he jabbed a finger into the soil and the
oil gushed out. The overjoyed woman filled up the vessel and went
home.
Later,
Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari had a recurring and disturbing dream that
he had injured Earth by his act. Full of remorse, he soon fell ill
and directed his followers to cast the coffin carrying his body into
the Arabian
Sea.
Haji Ali died during his journey to Mecca and miraculously the casket
carrying his body, floated back to these shores, getting stuck in the
string of rocky islets just off the shore of Worli. Thus, the Dargah
was constructed there.
On
Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is visited by at least 40,000
pilgrims. Irrespective of faith and religion, people visit the dargah
to get the blessings of the legendary saint. Sometimes, especially on
Fridays, various Sufi musicians perform a form of devotional music
called Qawwali at the dargah.
The
Structure
The
Dargah
is built on a tiny islet located 500 meters from the coast, in the
middle of Worli Bay,
in
the vicinity of Worli. The edifice is a brilliant specimen of the
Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The islet is linked to the city
precinct of Mahalakshmi by a narrow causeway, which is nearly a
kilometre (0.62 mile) long.
The
accessibility to the dargah is very much dependent on the tides. As,
the causeway is not bound by railings, when the causeway gets
submerged during high tide it becomes inaccessible citation needed.
Therefore,
the dargah
is accessible only during low tide. This walk on the causeway, with
the sea on both sides, is one of the highlights of a trip to the
shrine.
The
whitewashed structure occupies an area of a marble courtyard contains
the central shrine. The tomb within the mosque is covered by a
brocaded red and green chaddar
(tomb cover sheet). It is supported by an exquisite silver frame,
supported by marble pillars. The main hall has marble pillars
embellished with artistic mirror work: blue, green, yellow chips of
glass arranged in kaleidoscopic patterns interspersed with Arabic
patterns which spell the ninety-nine names of Allah. As per the
Muslim traditions separate praying rooms for ladies and gents are
provided here to pay their respects. During the high tide, the dargah
seems completely isolated with no access. It looks more like a little
island.
Repair
and Renovation
The
six hundred year old
Dargah
structure has corroded, due to constant erosion, saline winds and
constant flow of 80,000 people per week.
The
structural upgradation of the Dargah started in October 2008. The
Dargah will be beautified with first and second quality white marble,
which will be brought from Makrana,
Rajasthan,
the same place from where marble for the Taj
Mahal
was brought.
The
repair and structural upgradation work is envisaged to take 24 months
divided into two Phases. Phase One will involve reconstruction of
Mosque and Minarets, Phase Two will involve renovation of the
Sanitarium Building. When the reconstruction work is complete, the
holy shrine will give the feel of a Taj right in Mumbai’s brackish
sea water.
BY
Fathin
Nouri Bt Samsudin
A13A1438
( L2T2, GROUP 5)
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