Haji Malang Dargah is situated on a fort called Malanggad in Maharashtra. The "Malanggad fort" is popular for the trek towards the top of the mountain and the Haji Malang Dargah which is the first level of the mountain. Malanggad Fort is divided into three levels that is "Pir Machi", "Sone Machi" and "Balekilla".
"Haji Malang Dargah" is named after a Sufi saint Haji Abdur Rehman Malang Baba who visited India from the Middle East in the AD 12th Century. This Dargah is 300-year-old and the fort has a "history of the Maratha-British war" which took place in 1780. The identity of the Dargah is that is situated upon a mountain and to reach the Dargah you must do the trek which consists of 1500 plus steps from the Base Village.
The closest city to the "Haji Malang Dargah is the Kalyan City". The Malanggad fort is 17 Km away from Kalyan Railway Station and from Mumbai, it takes 2 hours to reach by Road. Once you start the trek you will see many small Hindu temples starting from the base village till you reach the Haji Malang Dargah.
Hindu temples in the base village -
Datta Temple Wadi –
Also renowned as Datta Mandir, the Datta temple is the temple of paradigmatic sannyasi (monk) and popularly known as the Lord of Yoga is worshipped as a Hindu God. In several regions of India, he is considered to be an incarnation of the divine Trinity Siva, Vishnu and Brahma and together known as Trimurti. Dattaguru or Dattatreya is viewed as Adi Guru (Ancient Teacher) who is worshipped for Intelligence, Supreme knowledge, and Divine wisdom.
Hanuman Mandir Wadi –
Lord Hanuman is one of the most worshipped gods in the Hindu religion. He is also known as the Pawan Putra as he is the son of Vayu, the god of the wind. Lord Hanuman the monkey god is known to be Immortal and invincible and is popularly to be the passionate devotee of Lord Rama. He is also regarded as the exemplar of Devotion, Strength and Perseverance and can fight evil. Lord Hanuman is worshipped to achieve blessings, Protection and strength.
Ganpati Mandir Wadi –
The list of Hindu temples is incomplete without mentioning the Ganapati Mandir. Ganapati mandir is also known as Ganesh Temple in which Lord Ganesh resides. Lord Ganesha is a god of beginnings who has an elephant head which makes him easy to identify. He is the son of Mata Parvati and Lord Shiva. According to the legends, Lord Ganesha was brought into life by Mata Parvati, she made a figure of a kid by using Haldi Shavings and gave it life. Later she instructed him to guard the door and he stops lord shiva from entering without knowing he was his son he beheads Lord Ganesha. Later he realizes and he replaces his head with the head of a young elephant and gains blessings from Lord Shiva that he will be worshipped before starting any kind of work. Lord Ganesha is worshipped that he will guide towards the right path, overcome the obstacles and gain the courage to overcome fear.
Hindu temples on the way towards Haji Malang Dargah -
Shiv Mandir –
Lord Shiva is popularly known as the destroyer within the Hindu trinity which includes Vishnu and Brahma. He is known as the supreme god who ends the time cycle and in return begins a new creation. Also, he is known to protect animals with love and compassion. Lord Shiva is worshipped by millions of people in India as he rewards the devotees with peace, happiness and prosperity in life.
Durga Devi Mandir –
Durga Devi is also one of the most widely worshipped goddesses in the Hindu religion. She is considered to be the goddess of strength, war and protection. Durga Devi is also called Shakti, meaning power/energy in the Hindi language. Durga Devi is worshipped with the greatest devotion for protection, safeguard and gain the power to deflect the negative forces of evil.
Wagheshwari Mata Mandir –
Wagheshwari Mata Mandir is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Bhagwati. Wagheshwari Mata is also believed to be the 4th incarnation of Goddess Saraswati. In Hindu mythology, Wagheshwari Mata is known as the eight-handed goddess and is one of the forms of Durga Devi. Wagheshwari Mata is worshipped for Shakti and Protection.
Sai Baba Mandir –
Sai Baba is also called Shirdi Sai Baba. Sai baba was a saint, fakir and an Indian spiritual master considered by his devotees. He was praised by both Hindu and Muslim devotees during and after his lifetime. He used to believe God is one and didn’t differentiate any specific religion. Sai Baba was believed that he was bestowed with unprecedented powers. Sai Baba is worshipped in multiple states of India to overcome the troubles.
Haji Malang Dargah is one of the few dargahs where a Hindu and a Muslim come together to fulfil the religious rituals. The "Trek towards Haji Malang Gad" is a combination of the religious and adventurous trek. This trek will give you a beautiful view from the top and the atmosphere around the mosque will make one feel safe and joyful.
