Location: The Haji Ali Dargah islet, Mumbai, India (18� 59' 6? N, 72� 48' 36? E)
Date: 11 April 2007; 4.40pm
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5
The Haji Ali Dargah is a landmark in the southern part of Mumbai. It is both a mosque and a tomb located on an islet off the coast on the Arabian Sea. The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in memory of a rich Muslim merchant, Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. Bukhari was from Bukhara, in the ancient Persian Empire and now in Uzbekistan, who gave up all his worldly possessions before making a pilgrimage to Mecca. He travelled around the world in the early to mid 15th century, and then settled in Mumbai.
Haji Ali Dargah is connected to the mainland by a narrow km long causeway that is submerged during tides; it is only accessible during low tides. This does not deter the 80,000 odd pilgrims, irrespective of faith and religion, who visits the tomb every week to get the blessings of the legendary saint. It is quite festive to visit the tomb on Thursdays and Fridays when it is packed with pilgrims and visitors. Occasionally there are also sufi musicians who perform sufi devotional music at the Dargah.
