Mumbai, March 12. (PTI): They are two of the most popular centres of faith for millions in this megapolis, yet the Haji Ali Darghah and Mahalaxmi temple are waiting to undergo reinforcing makeovers to avoid the sea's wrath.

Visited by upto 10,000 people each on an average day and nearly 30,000 each on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, these shrines, along with many others like the Siddhivinayak and Mumba Devi temples, provide spiritual succour to people here.

Situated on the western coast of Mumbai within a kilometre of each other, the Dargah and temple have faced daunting problems for many years due to their location.

The 800-year-old Haji Ali Dargah, is placed off the coast, surrounded by the sea on all four sides and approachable only by a narrow pathway during low tides.

"After almost five years of trying and pleading we are now ready to give the Dargah a much-needed revamp," Dargah Trust chairman Abdul Sattar Merchant said.

"The tenders are ready and we only need the collector's NOC to begin the renovation," Merchant told PTI.

The over 250-year-old Mahalaxmi temple, however, is not so badly placed as its basic structure is not jeopardised by the sea, which surrounds it from three sides.

Not averse to restructuring the temple, authorities there are closely watching the response to the dargah's quest for revamp and will follow suit if they are successful.

"The salty-humid winds are a constant cause for the corrosion of anything metallic in the temple premises, particularly the iron fence on the seaside, destroyed by sea water," temple manager Sharad V Padhye said.

The day in pictures