Hindu Temples near Haji Malang Dargah

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.

Different Ways to Travel to Haji Malang Dargah

Haji Malang Gad is a fort in Maharashtra, in the district of Raigad. It is also known as Shree Malang Gad or Malanggad. It is best known for trekking and viewing an astonishing and remarkable sight from the top of the fort. The fort has a history of the Maratha-British war, which took place in 1780, the control over Malanggad. 

The fort has a dargah named Haji Malang Dargah, which is a holy shrine named after the Sufi Saint Malang Baba from the Middle East. There are many Hindu temples on the way, while you keep moving up the fort. The fort is closest to Kalyan city. It is approximately 17km from Kalyan. 

Haji Malang Gad is around 1.5 to 2 hours of climbing stone steps. There are more than 1500 steps from the base village to the Haji Malang Dargah. 

 

Haji Malang Gad

How to Reach Haji Malang Dargah from Mumbai

Haji Malang Gad is 49km from Mumbai. If an individual or group of individuals are traveling from Mumbai to Haji Malang Gad, they can come in two ways, roadways and railways. If one comes from the road they have to come via the Eastern Express highway/Mumbai – Agra National Highway, which is about 1 hour 40 minutes of distance. 

If one chooses to come via Railways, they can board any local train till Kalyan. Get down at Kalyan Station and can board an S.T Bus or auto-rickshaws which are easily available once you come out from the Kalyan station. A government bus no. 45 also travels from Kalyan station to the base of Malanggad directly, which costs around Rs. 20/- per person.

How to Reach Haji Malang Dargah from Kalyan

Haji Malang Dargah is just 17km from Kalyan, which is around 15 minutes of distance to the base village. One can travel by S.T buses or auto-rickshaws. A bus number 45 is the one which directly drops you are the base village of Malanggad. This bus does not charge you more than Rs. 20/- per person. You may also choose your vehicles to reach the base village of Malanggad. There is a huge area to park your vehicles at the base village itself. 

How to Reach Haji Malang Dargah from Pune

There are 5 different ways through which you can reach Malanggad from Pune. One can come through both railways and roadways. From Railways, one can board a train from Pune till Badlapur, which takes around 1 hour 29 minutes. And then from Baldpaur, you can either take a taxi directly to Malanggad which takes another 25-30 minutes, or from Badlapur one can travel to Kalyan station via train and then take auto-rickshaw or bus as mentioned above till the base village of the fort. 

One can take government AC buses from Pune till Kalyan, and then follow the same process of bus or auto-rickshaw. Now, there are two ways while you travel by bus, one way is via Kalyan, and the other is getting down at Badlapur and taking a taxi to the base village of the fort.

The Fourth way is you can rent a taxi from Pune directly to Haji Malang gad, which is 134. 5km that takes approximately 2 hours to reach the destination. 

Fifth and the last way is your private car or any other vehicle. It takes the same time that a taxi takes to reach the base village of the fort. 

 

Top View from Haji Malang Gad

Malang Gad is the best trek destination in the Raigad district. It is an adventure and a touch of the religious side due to the Haji Malang Dargah and a few Hindu temples. It is suggested not to visit the fort during the summer season, as the stony steps make the trek more exhausting and tiring. One should not miss the experience of the Malang gad trek and the beautiful view from the top of the fort.

Significance of Pehli and Doosri Salami at Haji Malang

Located near Kalyan in Maharashtra, Haji Malang Dargah is an ancient holy shrine of Hazrat Haji Malang Baba. Situated on the hill of Shree Malang Gad, the holy dargah is the epitome of communal harmony as thousands of devotees of diverse beliefs and faiths visit it every year. 

Haji Malang Dargah of Kalyan

A lot of tourists who visit Haji Malang Dargah climb further with an onwards trek to Malanggad fort, which, unlike the steps leading to the dargah, has a more challenging rocky terrain to navigate. In addition to the magnificent view of the terrain, this place is also associated with an elaborate history which altogether makes it a popular tourist spot in Maharashtra.

Malanggad Fort

Who was Haji Malang Baba?

Baba Abdur Rehman Malang was a Sufi saint from the Middle East who came to India in the 12th century AD. Malang Baba and his followers are said to have arrived in Bramhanwadi village, which was ruled by King Naladev of the Maurya dynasty at the time. The havoc wreaked by the demons in King Naladev's state traumatized the tenants and the city. It is believed that God sent Malang Baba to this region to rescue the terrified people and ensure the welfare of society by eradicating the evil and destruction caused by them.

Haji Malang Dargah – Holy Shrine of Haji Malang Baba

"Haji Malang Dargah" is located on the lowest level plateau of the Malanggad hill near Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district. This plateau is known as "Pir Machi" and is 2500 feet long and 1000 feet wide. Devotees of Haji Malang Baba built the holy shrine in his memory where his holy body was buried.  It is one of the most prominent among the three ancient shrines. It also has a Mazar(tomb) of Ma Fatima who was a disciple of Malang Baba.

Tombs of Hazrat Haji Malang Baba and his disciple Ma Fatima

There are two more shrines on the way from the base camp to Haji Malang dargah: Hazrat Baqtawar Shah Baba Dargah, also known as ‘Pehli Salaami,' and the Mir Sultan Shah Baba Dargah, also known as ‘Doosri Salaami'.

Mythological Story and Significance of Pehli and Doosri Salaami

Malang Baba's followers, Hazrat Baqtawar Shah and Mir Sultan Shah travelled from the Gulf to take Baba back with them. He, on the other hand, declined to return, explaining that he had decided to spend the rest of his life in here. Similarly, the two disciples resided at Malang gad and dedicated their lives to Baba's service. They accompanied him and spent their entire life in devotion. Humbled by this gesture, Malang Baba exclaimed that if someone wants to meet me and give me a salami in the future, they should first give salami to these two Dargahs of my companions. Since then, it has been customary for visitors to the fort to stop by the Dargha of Hazrat Baqtawar Shah and Hazrat Sultan Shah, also known as ‘Pehli Salami' and ‘Doosri Salami,' respectively, on their way to the main Haji Malang Shrine.

Pehli Salami - Hazrat Baqtawar Shah Baba Dargah

Doosri Salami - Mir Sultan Shah Baba Dargah

How to pay respect at Pehli Salami, Doosri Salami and Haji Malang Dargah?

The climb to the dargah takes nearly two hours from the Malangwadi base village situated at the foot of the mountain, which is nearly 1,500 meters high. After completing the steep climb halfway up, the pilgrims arrive at Hazrat Bhaqtawar Shah Baba's dargah. 'Pehli Salami' is the name of the offering made at this dargah.

After a few minutes of walking further, you can arrive at Hazrat Sultan Shah Dargah, also known as ‘Doosri Salami.' One can offer flower or fabric 'chaddars' at the Mazars in gratitude. 

Entrance of Mir Sultan Shah Baba Dargah

Sacred tomb of Mir Sultan Shah Baba

After visiting the two Salamis, pilgrims proceed to take blessings at the main shrine of Malang Baba Dargah. The total steps to reach the Haji Malang Dargah are approximately 1500. Along the way, numerous small shops sell refreshments and religious products. 

Shops on the way to the dargah

Another tradition followed by the pilgrims while seeking blessings at the holy shrines is to tie knots neat the tombs. They believe that it helps them fulfill all their wishes. 

Religious tradition of tying knots at the dargah

Apart from the three ancient dargahs, there are many Hindu temples at the Malanggad hill like Ganesh Mandir, Datta Mandir and Navadurga Devi Mandir. 

After this spiritual experience, trek enthusiasts can further continue the climb to the Malanggad fort to bring in the adventure element to the trip. "Sone Machi" (second level of the trek) offers a beautiful view of the hills and valleys whereas "Balekilla of Malanggad fort" (third and last part of the trek) is known for its elaborate history of Maratha v/s British war of Haji Malang Gad which dates back to the 17th century. 

In a nutshell, Haji Malang Gad in Maharashtra is a place where devotion meets adventure, making it a popular and interesting destination to explore both amongst believers of Malang Baba and travel enthusiasts.