In the eye of a political storm, a spot for penance
While some local residents believe that the structure is a dargah, the rock outcrop, which is located a stone's throw away from the Mahim Dargah, is said to be the spot where Makhdoom Ali Fakih Mahimi, a well-known Sufi mystic from the 14th century, would meditate.
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Thackeray in his speech referred to the structure as a dargah, which is often synonymous with a mausoleum or a shrine.A bright green structure located on a rock outcrop on the edge of the Mahim Creek emerged as a centre of controversy after the BMC on Thursday demolished some portions abutting it, a day after MNS chief Raj Thackeray claimed that structure was an illegal dargah that was being surreptitiously built without the knowledge of the local administration.
Thackeray in his speech referred to the structure as a dargah, which is often synonymous with a mausoleum or a shrine. While some local residents believe that the structure is a dargah, the rock outcrop, which is located a stone’s throw away from the Mahim Dargah, is said to be the spot where Makhdoom Ali Fakih Mahimi, a well-known Sufi mystic from the 14th century, would meditate.
Located very close to his shrine, the structure located on the outcrop, is referred to as Makam e Hazrat Khawaja Khizar Hayat-un-Nabi.
It is popularly believed that the Sufi saint Makhdoom Ali Fakhi Mahimi, when he was young, came across Hazrat Khizar at the same rocky outcrop and was taught divine knowledge at the spot. Hazrat Khizar is a legendary Islamic figure endowed with immortal life, who became a popular saint, especially among sailors and Sufis.
The Sufi saint passed away in 1437 and a mosque and shrine were forthwith built to his memory. This structure, which is now known as the Mahim Dargah, was repaired and enlarged in 1674 and then in 1748.
Many of the pilgrims who come to the dargah also make it a point to visit the rocky outcrop believing that the area has divine powers. The outcrop is visible and accessible by foot only at low tide and many times, devotees use boats to reach the spot during high tide.
“From the position of certain old graves and other mural structures, which are only visible at low tide, it appears that the shrine was originally further distant from the sea than at present, and in all probability, at the time of the saints’ life and death, the island of Mahim included a considerable portion of land now lying below sea level. The original site of the saint’s dwelling is now indicated by a white flag, which stands upon a small islet invisible at high tide. Another islet, to the south of it, marked by a red flag, is stated to contain the grave of another saint, Syed Abdur Rahman,” Gazetteer of Bombay City and Island (1909) stated.
While Raj Thackeray in his speech at a Gudi Padwa rally said that the gatherings at the area were a recent phenomenon, local residents said they have been visiting the place for ages. In 2007, Hazrat Khawaja Khizr Hayatim Nabi Chilla Trust was registered with the Maharashtra State Waqf Board. “It is a misconception that it is a dargah. That spot is a Chilla where Makhdoom Shah Baba would undergo spiritual learning. Many of the devotees who would visit the dargah would also visit the said spot,” Suhail Khandwani, managing trustee of Mahim Dargah, said.
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