Posts Tagged ‘ photo-walk ’

Valedictory function (Valfi) at IITB

It is that time when all the 4th year students are molested in front of everyone. It starts with reading of a profile which is as more fictional than real. Most of the time it includes girlfriends and sex-life as they are the most interesting topics in an institute known for academics. After asking the very personal questions in the ‘Q&A’, the ‘senti’ comes which revolves around the memories during the 4 years in IIT .

Haji Ali Dargah

The Haji Ali Dargah (Urdu: حاجی علی درگاہ , Marathi: हाजी अली दर्गा, Hindi: हाजी अली दरगाह, Gujarati: હાજી અલી દરગાહ) is a mosque and dargah (tomb) located on an islet off the coast of Worli in the Southern part of Mumbai. Near the heart of the city proper, the dargah is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai.

As per the legends, surrounding his life, once the Saint saw a poor woman crying on the road, holding an empty vessel. He asked her what the problem was. She sobbed that her husband would thrash her since she had stumbled and accidentally spilled the oil she was carrying. He asked her to take him to the spot where she lost the oil. There, he jabbed a finger into the soil and the oil gushed out. The overjoyed woman filled up the vessel and went home.

Later, Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari (R.A.) had a recurring – and disturbing – dream that he had injured Earth by his act. Full of remorse, he soon fell ill and directed his followers to cast the coffin carrying his body into the Arabian Sea, once he died. Haji Ali left this world during his journey to Mecca and miraculously the casket carrying his body, floated back to these shores, getting stuck in the string of rocky islets just off the shore of Worli. Thus, the Dargah was constructed there.

The Dargah Sharief is built on a tiny islet located 500 meters from the coast, in the middle of Worli Bay, in the vicinity of Worli. The edifice is a brilliant specimen of the Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The islet is linked to the city precinct of Mahalakshmi by a narrow causeway, which is nearly a kilometre (0.62 mile) long.

On Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is visited by at least 40,000 pilgrims. Irrespective of faith and religion, people visit the ‘dargah’ to get the blessings of the legendary saint. Sometimes, especially on Fridays, people may find various sufi musicians performing a form of devotional music called Qawwali at the Dargah.

Along the causeway one can find small shops selling toys, bags, bangles and items which are offered at the dargah. Also one can find beggars sitting along.

Powai Lake Promenade

Yesterday I went for a photo-walk on the promenade built on the powai lake. Powai Lake (named after Framaji Kavasji Powai Estate) is an artificial lake, situated in the northern suburb of Mumbai, on Salsette Island, in the Powai valley, where a Powai village with a cluster of huts existed. The city suburb called Powai, shares its name with the lake. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay one of the premier institutions of science and technology in India is located to the east of the lake.

On the promenade is a garden named Powai Nisarg Udyan. It has a special fountain show but it was not working.

The lake has lot of crocodiles. An unfortunate incident happened last year in which a fisherman was killed by a crocodile.

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