The Haji Ali Dargah is a mosque and dargah (tomb) located on an islet off the coast of Worli in Southern part of Mumbai. Lying as it does in the heart of the city, the dargah is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Mumbai.
The structure
The dargah is built on a tiny islet located 500 yards from the coast, in the middle of Worli Bay, in the vicinity of Worli. The islet is linked to the city precinct of Mahalakshmi by a narrow causeway. This causeway is not bound by railings, and is lashed by the sea during high-tide. Therefore, the dargah is accessible only during low tide. This 500-yard-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 4,500 metres, and an 85 foot (26 m) tower is the architectural highlight of the edifice. 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. The main hall has marble pillars embellished with coloured mirror work: blue, green, yellow chips. The ninety-nine names of Allah are also written on the pillars.
Most of the structure is corroded due to saline winds blowing from the surrounding sea. It was last repaired in the 1960s, but civil engineers say the structure is beyond further repair. The Dargah Trust is awaiting permission to raze the structure and rebuild it with Makrana marble, the same marble used to build the Taj Mahal. Permission must be obtained from the Central Government as the shrine lies within the Coastal Regulation Zone. The accessibility to the dargah is very much dependent on the tides. The access path, which is nearly a kilometre (0.62mile) long is submerged under the sea when the tides are high. As the tide recedes the path becomes accessible. Thus, during the high tide, the dargah seems completely isolated with no access. It looks more like a little island.
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