Built on a small islet, 500 yards away from the shore, the durgah is like a floating tomb that looks almost ethereal to those watching it from land. It is located opposite the Mahalakshmi race course and is connected to the mainland via a narrow causeway. High tides and heavy monsoons submerge the pathway, giving the durgah a magical look in the city’s seascape. 

 

The structure was built in 1431 in the honour of a wealthy local merchant, who had renounced the world before embarking upon the arduous pilgrimage to Mecca. Some say that he died on the pilgrimage, and the casket containing his body floated back with a note that his tomb should be built at the very place where the casket is found. There are others who believe that the saint drowned at the spot, and hence a durgah and a mosque have been erected at its current location. What ever story one believes, the fact remains that the shrine is a handsome example of Islamic architecture set in a gorgeous surrounding.

 

The structure is a whitewashed building that is identified by the presence of a slim, solitary minaret. The minaret is about 85 feet tall and the building itself is built over an area of 4,500 metres. The entrance is beautifully sculptured and is followed by a marble courtyard. This courtyard contains the central shrine. The tomb is covered with a richly brocaded red and green chaddar. Believers stoop to touch the chaddar with their forehead and pay their respects to the saint. An exquisite silver frame adds grandeur to the tomb. The frame is supported by marble pillars that are decorated with artful mirror work. Ninety nine names of Allah are spelled out on these pillars and are interspersed with rich Arabic patterns and kaleidoscopic patterns made from various coloured glass chips. 

 

Though the shrine has a stream of visitors throughout the year, during monsoons the number drops abysmally primarily as the causeway gets flooded. In other seasons, on Thursdays and Fridays alone the durgah receives as many as 40,000 devotees. 

 

For centuries the structure has stood as a symbol of faith despite the test of wind and sea. However, now the irreversible corrosive effects of the saline winds have left the place beyond repair. In 1960, some repair works were undertaken but now the durgah trust feels that there is a need to bring down the walls and rebuild a sturdy building out of marble from Makrana. The Central Government has been approached for approval of the project since the durgah lies within the Coastal Regulation Zone. 

 

 

Haji Ali Durgah, Haji Ali, Worli, Mumbai – 400 026