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| Haji Ali Dargah | |
|---|---|
 Theshrine ofHaji Ali Shah Bukhari, in 2016 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sufi Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque anddargah |
| Ownership | Haji Ali Dargah Trust |
| Status | Activeshrine |
| Location | |
| Location | nearWorli,Mumbai City district,Maharashtra |
| Country | India |
| Geographic coordinates | 18°59′06″N72°48′36″E / 18.985°N 72.81°E /18.985; 72.81 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture andSufi mausoleum |
| Style | Indo-Islamic |
| Completed | 1431 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Dome(s) | One |
| Minaret(s) | One |
| Shrine(s) | One |
| Website | |
| hajialidargah | |
TheHaji Ali Dargah is aSufimosque anddargah, and the monument ofPir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, that is located on anislet off the coast ofWorli in southernMumbai, in the state ofMaharashtra, India.
An exquisite example ofIndo-Islamic architecture, associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the tomb ofHaji Ali Shah Bukhari. Bukhari was aSufi saint and a wealthy merchant fromUzbekistan. Near the heart of the city proper, the dargah is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai.[1][2][3]
The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431[4] in memory of a wealthyMuslim merchant, SayyedPir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, a member of theChishti Order, who gave up all his worldly possessions before making a pilgrimage toMecca. Hailing fromBukhara, in present-dayUzbekistan, Bukhari travelled around the world in the early to mid 15th century, and eventually settled in present-dayMumbai.[5]
According to legends[6] 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.[7]
Later, Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari had a recurring and disturbing dream that he had injured Earth by his act. Full of remorse and grief from that day he started keeping unwell. Then with the permission of his mother, he traveled to India with his brother and finally reached the shore of Mumbai – near Worli or at some place opposite the present tomb. His brother went back to their native place. Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari sent a letter with him to their mother informing her that he was keeping good health and that he had decided to reside at that place permanently for the spread of Islam and that she should forgive him.[7]
Until his death he kept spreading knowledge about Islam to the people and his devotees would regularly visit him. Before his death he advised his followers that they should not bury him at any proper place or graveyard and should drop his shroud ('kafan') in the ocean such that it should be buried by the people where it is found.[7]
His wish was obeyed by his followers. That is why the Dargah Sharief is built at the very site where hisShroud came to rest in the middle of the sea where it perched on a small mound of rocks rising above the sea. The Tomb andDargah Sharief were built in the years to come.[7]
Thedargah is built on a tinyislet located 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the coast, in the Haji Ali Bay, in the vicinity ofWorli.[8] The edifice is a brilliant specimen of the Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The islet is linked to the city precinct ofMahalakshmi by a narrow causeway, which is nearly one kilometre (zero point six two miles) long.
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 greenchaddar (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 female and male worshippers are provided.
As of 2009[update], the six-hundred-year-old[9] dargah structure was subject to constant erosion, due to saline winds and the impact ofc. 80,000 visitors per week.[10] Extensive renovations were completed in 1960 and 1964,[11] and a structural upgrade of the dargah commenced in October 2008. The plans at that time were that the dargah will be beautified with first and second quality white marble, fromMakrana,Rajasthan, the same place from where marble for theTaj Mahal was brought. In 2010, it was reported that the repair and structural work was envisaged to take 24 months, over two phases.[12] "Phase One" involved reconstruction of the mosque andminarets; while "Phase Two" involved renovation of the sanitarium building. Upon completion, it was expected that the holy shrine will have the feel of ataj, in Mumbai's brackish sea water.
The dargah is accessible only duringlow tide. As the causeway is not bound by railings, when the causeway gets submerged duringhigh tide it becomes inaccessible.[citation needed] During the high tide, the dargah seems completely isolated with no access. The walk on the causeway, with the sea on both sides, is a highlight of a trip to the shrine.
On Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is a major pilgrimage site. Irrespective of faith and religion, people visit the dargah to get the blessings of the holy saint. Sometimes, especially on Fridays, various Sufi musicians perform a form of devotional music calledQawwali at the dargah.[citation needed]
The 'Haji Ali for all' is afeminist movement launched byBharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan[13] andBhumata Brigade to secure equal 'right to pray', nearsanctum sanctorum (or traditionalpatriarchal prohibited areas).[14] On 26 August 2016, theBombay High Court ruled that women could enter thesanctum sanctorum.[15] Women were allowed to enter the shrine on 29 November 2016, lifting a ban imposed in June 2012.[16]
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