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 Place
: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Significance : Tomb of Muslim saint
Haji Ali
Best Season : Throughout the year
Situated at the end of a 500m causeway protruding into the Arabian
Sea is the whitewashed Haji Ali Mosque, containing the tomb of
a Muslim saint Haji Ali who is believed to have meditated on these
very shores. It is said that Haji Ali was a wealthy Muslim merchant
who renounced all his worldly belongings before embarking on a
pilgrimage to Mecca. He died in Mecca and the casket miraculously
drifted and came to the spot where the mosque and tomb were built
by his devotes in the early 19th century. The Mosque lies opposite
to the famous Mahalakshmi temple and can be approached from Lala
Rajpatrai Marg.
Haji Ali is a handsome example of Islamic architecture standing
on an island. In fact, this holy place is visited by many devotees
as well as visitors who are attracted by the beauty of the site.
The widespread belief is that whoever prays to the deity here
is never disappointed. A number of pilgrims come here for thanksgiving.
Haji Ali's sister also followed her brother's footsteps and became
his companion in ascetic suffering. There is a mausoleum built
for her a little distance away on Worli Bay.
The mosque has a narrow concrete pathway about a kilometer built
over water to reach the shrine and can only be reached at low
tide. The walkway is lined with pitiful wailing beggars. A short
flight of marble steps leads into the dargah where the body of
the saint is enclosed in a semi-circled tomb,in an exquisite silver
frame engraved with all the ninety-nine names of Allah. The top
of the tomb is covered with a zari cloth and flowers and other
offerings by devotees lie scattered around the tomb. The devotees
pray and touch their heads and lips to the cloth. Ladies, as is
the case in all mosques, have a separate room for prayers. All
visitors need to remove their shoes before entering the shrine.
During high tide the walkway to the mosque is submerged in the
sea making the impression that the mosque and the tomb are floating
in water. Check the tide times in the local paper before visiting.
The courtyard of the mosque is surrounded by refreshment stalls
and other kinds of shops which take away the solemnity of the
place. Haji Ali is dargah is an integral part of Mumbai’s
heritage and Indian culture. The rocks exposed at low tide behind
the mosque are a favourite spot if you are interested in catch
sea breezes. The best time to visit is on Friday or on Thursday
evenings.
How to get there
Air : Bombay's International Terminal
is at Sahar, 30 kms (Ph: 8366700) and Domestic Terminal at Santacruz,
26 km (Ph: 6116009) 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
(ph: 2623535). 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 (Ph: 3076622, 3074272), 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.
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