Mumbai’s Shia Ismaili Community Celebrates Imamat Day Of Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, Continuing Legacy Of Faith, Service, And Development

Mumbai: The Shia Ismaili community in the city celebrated the Imamat Day of their 50th spiritual head, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, on 4 February.

Succession and leadership

​The city's Ismailis joined an estimated 12–15 million followers worldwide to observe the commemoration with prayers. Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, the eldest son of Prince Karim Aga Khan, succeeded his father on 4 February 2025, in accordance with the Shia Imami Ismaili tradition.

​As the head of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the spiritual leader follows his father's example of promoting environmental, social, and cultural projects. Sophia Premjee, a member of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for India, said that as the Chair of the AKDN, the Imam seeks to improve the quality of life through integrated, long-term development initiatives across the world, aligning with national and international priorities.

​“His Highness meets regularly with leaders of government, international organisations, and civil society to strengthen their relations with the Ismaili Imamat and to advance AKDN’s efforts to improve the lives of marginalised and vulnerable communities,” said Premjee.

Faith and values

​In a message, Prince Rahim Aga Khan V said that the Ismaili faith is rooted in a set of values and principles, which include a code of conduct and behaviour comprising kindness, generosity, tolerance, helping those in need, service, and looking after each other. “I think these values are universal. For Ismailis, living according to these ethical principles is an expression of our faith,” he said.

​For 14 centuries, Shia Ismaili Muslims have been led by living, hereditary Imams who interpret the faith and guide the community through changing historical contexts, while seeking to improve the quality of their lives and the wider societies in which they live. The Ismaili leaders trace their ancestry to Prophet Muhammad, founder of the Islamic faith.

​Aga Hall Estate

​The Aga Hall Estate, Mazgaon, was established as the residence of the 46th Imam, Hasan Ali Shah (Aga Khan I) in 1848, and served as home to a succession of spiritual heads. Sir Sultan Mohammed Shah (Aga Khan III) played a critical role in supporting Waldemar Haffkine’s plague vaccination efforts in the city during the 1896–1897 plague outbreak by advocating for the vaccine, providing premises for research, and ensuring thousands of his community members were inoculated.

​During the first phase of the outbreak, the Aga Khan offered Khushru Lodge in Mazagaon to Haffkine to serve as a research laboratory for developing and testing the vaccine. The laboratory Haffkine set up later became the Haffkine Institute in 1925.

​Aga Hall Estate is located near Hasanabad, Imam Hasan Ali Shah’s final resting place. The estate is now being transformed under the patronage of the Prince Aly Khan Hospital Charitable Trust into a hospital, two residential buildings, and a new international-standard Aga Khan School. In October 2021, the project received the prestigious EDGE Advanced certification from the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, awarded to “green” buildings that incorporate eco-friendly building materials and increased water and energy efficiency while reducing waste and emissions.

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