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Introducation
Dargah Khwaja Sahib
It is the landmark of Ajmer
and one of the holiest of Muslim shrines in the country. It has a
secular appeal and revered by people of all sect. Khwaja
Moin-ud-din Chisti, a Sufi saint from Persia made this place his
abode from 1192 till he died in 1236 AD. Mughal King Humayun completed
the construction of the shrine. The Dargah is approached through
a massive gate with silver doors built in several stages. Emperor Akbar made an annual pilgrimage to Ajmer. Mughal Emperors Akbar and
Shah Zahan have built mosques in the complex. The saint's tomb is
in the centre of the second courtyard and the actual tomb inside is
surrounded by a silver railing and partly by a marble screen. The
tomb is of marble and dome is gold plated. The atmosphere inside the
shrine is charged and supernatural with burning of incense and
offerings of flowers mainly rose and sweets.
As you enter
the Dargah courtyard, you see two massive 'degs' meaning cauldrons.
Mughal Emperors Akbar and Jahangir donated these cauldrons
originally but they have been replaced in the nineteenth century.
The larger cauldron can contain as much as 4480 kgs of rice while
the smaller one contains 2240 kgs of rice.
 The shrine comes alive with activity when
millions of devotees throng the shrine during Urs fair. Urs is held on
the seventh lunar month according to Islamic calendar and is
variable according to the solar calendar. Sufis and believer
converge from all over India and abroad, as it is believed that
those visiting during Urs receives special blessings of the saint. It is
compulsory that you cover your head while inside the complex so remember
to carry a skullcap or a scarf. The skull-cap is on sale in the colourful market just outside the Dargah. It is also customary to
make floral offerings mainly of roses, incense sticks and sweets
that are locally available. |
