India | Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan laid the foundation for Aga Hall Jamatkhana in Mumbai

Mumbai, 15 April 2026

On Wednesday, 15 April, Prince Aly Muhammad laid the foundation for the new Aga Hall Jamatkhana, marking a historic milestone in the evolving story of the Aga Hall Estate.

Established by Mawlana Hasan Ali Shah in the 1840s, Aga Hall was also a home to Mawlana Ali Shah and Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, and thus an important centre of the Ismaili Imamat in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Since then, it has witnessed Mumbai’s expansion into a thriving international hub, while symbolising the city’s historic roots. In 2018 Mawlana Shah Karim approved plans to redevelop the site to enhance the quality of life of residents and their neighbours.

In his address to guests, Prince Aly Muhammad explained the project’s significance, and his aspirations for its continued progress and contribution to the city.

The new Jamatkhana, he said, will serve “not only as a place of prayer, but also as a place of learning and encounter.”

“In a city like Mumbai, with all the pace and intensity that comes with urban life, spaces of calm matter all the more. I hope this will be a place that is beautiful, welcoming, and open in spirit — strengthening the bonds within our community and with the society around it.”

The structure will be significantly larger than the previously existing Jamatkhana, to cater for an expanded community living at Aga Hall and the surrounding area. Its architecture will feature a combination of solid balusters and translucent jaali screens repeated around the exterior.

“For the community here, the Jamatkhana is the special heart of the Estate,” said Naguib Kheraj, Chair of the Aga Hall Estate Steering Committee. “It is the element which binds the community together,” he added. “A place which helps us remember what gives meaning to life.”

A series of gardens will frame the building and will feature a stepped chahar-bagh, or quadrilateral garden; a maidan, or courtyard square; and a bustan, or orchard. Heritage elements like the 140-year-old Estate gate and fountain are being preserved and reinstalled in the new design.

“It is the continuation of a legacy,” said Asif Porbanderwala, President of the Ismaili Council for India. “One that honours the past, serves the present, and inspires the future.”

Adjacent to the Jamatkhana building will be two residential towers offering 580 high-quality apartments, along with amenities for a healthy lifestyle, and spaces for community gatherings and cultural events. The structure of the first tower is now finished, and the second tower’s frame is close to completion.

After inaugurating a show apartment, Prince Aly Muhammad undertook a tour of the site, going up to the top of one of the towers, surveying a variety of apartments and visiting the communal amenity spaces. The first apartments are expected to be ready for residents to move into from 2027 onwards.

As part of a thoughtfully landscaped setting, green spaces will cover more than half of the site’s total area. The project applies AKDN’s Green Building Guidelines, incorporating energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive design features, while reducing waste and carbon emissions.

A new medical facility will follow in the years ahead, expected to benefit local citizens regardless of background. Overall, the project is one of the largest mixed-use redevelopments in South Mumbai in recent years.

Source: The.Ismaili