HAJI ALI FACTS & FIGURES
- Location: Mumbai. Picturesque locale in the middle of the Sea.
- Best time to Visit: Can be visited only during low tide.
- Significance: Mosque and Haji Ali Mausoleum.
Haji Ali , a mosque was built in the middle of the sea with only a narrow path leading to it giving it an ethereal look. As per the Muslim traditions separate praying rooms for ladies and gents are provided here to pay their respects. It is set 500 yards into the sea and can be reached only in low tide.
The Haji Ali Dargah is a mosque and tomb in the Mahim Bay that can be reached from Mahalaxmi by a narrow causeway. A handsome example of Indian Islamic architecture, associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the tomb of Haji Ali.
The structure is a slim solitary minaret. It is linked to the mainland by a tenuous causeway, which is practically nonnegotiable during rough monsoon, tides. Behind the sculpted entrance, a marble courtyard contains the central shrine.
The Past
The dargah was built in 1431 by a wealthy Muslim merchant and saint named Haji Ali who renounced all his wordly possessions before making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Legend has it that Haji Ali died on his way to Mecca and his body, in its casket, floated back to Mumbai. However, some believe that Haji Ali drowned at the place where the dargah stands today.
The Haji Ali Dargah sits 500 yards from the coast in the water of Worli Bay, near the neighbourhood of Worli. It is connected with the Hindu Mahalaxmi Temple via a small causeway, usually only accessible during low tide.
The whitewashed structure occupies an area of 4,500 metres, and 40,000 pilgrims visit the shrine on Thursdays and Fridays. An 85 foot (26 m) tower is the architectural highlight of the edifice.
Inside, the tomb is covered by a brocaded red and green chaddar (bedsheet). It is supported by an exquisite silver frome. The main hall has marble pillars embellished with coloured mirror work in blue, green, yellow chips and inscribed with the ninety-nine names of Allah.
How to Reach Haji Ali
- Air : There is an extensive network of flights from Mumbai’s Sahar (international) and Santa Cruz (domestic) airports.
- Rail Mumbai has trains connecting it to all important cities in India.
- Road :Mumbai is well connected to all the cities in Maharashtra and nearby states.
