Haji Ali Dargah

Haji Ali Dargah is one of Mumbai's best-known landmarks, a white shrine that seems to float in the sea. Here are the official timings and what to know about the tides.

Haji Ali Dargah holds the tomb of Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, a wealthy merchant from Bukhara in present-day Uzbekistan who gave up his possessions and settled on the Mumbai coast. Tradition holds that his shroud came to rest on a mound of rocks in the sea after his death, and the dargah was built on that spot; it is generally dated to 1431. The shrine stands on a small islet about 500 metres offshore in Haji Ali Bay, near Worli and Mahalaxmi.

A narrow causeway about a kilometre long, without railings, links it to the shore, and it is covered by the sea at high tide, so visits have to be timed with the tides. The walk along the causeway, with water on both sides, is part of the experience. The whitewashed complex is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture, with a minaret, a marble courtyard and a main hall whose marble pillars are decorated with mirror work spelling the ninety-nine names of Allah.

The tomb itself is covered with a red and green chaddar in a silver frame. People of all faiths visit, with the heaviest crowds on Thursdays and Fridays, when qawwali is sometimes performed, and on Eid. Since a 2016 Bombay High Court ruling, women may again enter the inner sanctum. Modest dress is advisable. The shrine has undergone long-running renovation, and the trust warns visitors against people falsely claiming to represent it.