SPACE AND MATERIALITY PROJECT 2 Exploring religious places

SPACE AND MATERIALITY PROJECT 2 Exploring religious places in Mumbai

This is about a place named HAJI ALI DARGAH which is located in Worli in the southern part of Mumbai. It is associated with legends about doomed lovers, dargah contains the tomb of SAYED PEER HAJI ALI SHAH BUKHARI. The dargah is one of the most recognisable landmark of Mumbai.

The main attraction outside the dargah is the famous haji ali juice centre which serves mouthwatering drinks and we tried having one there which was pineapple kiwi juice.

As we proceed towards the dargah we see a lot of vendors persuading people to buy the offerings.

The walk towards the dargah is really soothing and scenic as we can hear the water crashing against both the sides of the pathway.

The chants of the beggars as they recite their prayers

Splashing sound that we hear from the footsteps of the people.

In this pathway we also find a lot of vendors sitting on the floor selling toys, magazines , offerings and other things that are associated with Muslim culture.

While talking to one of the vendor we came to know that these colourful stones has a lot of meaning in one’s life. It is given according to the name of the person and is considered sacred. And these golden wall hangings represent the symbol of Muslim culture which is generally bought by tourist as an artifact.

This is the main entrance of the dargah which is an exquisite example of indo-islamic style which is made of first and second quality marble.

The Haji Ali Dargah is made of 'Makrana' marble. Monument reflects the styles and patterns of Mughal and Indo. It occupies 4, 500 sq. meters Islamic architecture. space and is 85 feet tall.

A marble courtyard with the central shrine, and the main mosque brocaded with a red and green sheet are the first structures you see while entering the Dargah complex.

Artistic marble pillars, mirror work with kaleidoscopic patterns and minarets sentinel the shrine in the center, making the monument a grand sight for all.

This is the example of the mirror work with kaleidoscopic pattern interspersed with Arabic patterns which spell the ninety-nine names of Allah.

People offer chaddar and flower as offerings to god. On Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is visited by an enormous number of pilgrims. Irrespective of faith and religion, people visit the dargah to get the blessings of the legendary saint. Sometimes, especially on Fridays, various Sufi musicians perform a form of devotional music called Qawwali at the dargah.

Marble which is used to make this monument itself gives a feeling of coolness to the mind of the people visiting there and the atmosphere is very calm which inculcates some positive vibes into onself. While we were trying to feel and capture the essense of this place we experienced that in mids of hustle amongst people the santity and sprituality of this place is still maintained. Its compulsory for everyone to cover their hair and then enter the place.

Before 2016, only mens were allowed to enter the shrine but after the feminist movement launched by Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan to secure equal 'right to pray' even near sanctum sanctorum i. e. traditional patriarchal pohibited area. Women were allowed to enter the shrine on 29 November 2016, after a ban imposed on them in June 2012.

Unlike other monuments this place faces some major problem which erodes the natural material. Problems faced by this place are: o The six-hundred-year-old dargah structure constantly erodes, due to saline winds. o One of the reason of its devour is the impact of 80, 000 visitors per week. o The intense competition among the several chadar stalls is a daily nuisance for visitors as sometimes they grab devotees by the hand, hoping to make a sale.

PRESENTATION BY : PRACHI MAROTI VANI CHANDRA ARUSHI RAWLLEY VINAY NAIR