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 The lakeside city of
Ajmer is located in central Rajasthan, and is held in
great reverence by devotees of all communities who call it
'Ajmer Sharif' (Holy Ajmer). It is here that the mortal
remains of the highly respected Sufi saint Khwaja
Moin-ud-din Chishti lie buried.
The Khwaja came from Persia and established the Chishtia
order of fakirs in India. He is popularly known as Gharib
Nawaz (protector of the poor) because he dedicated his
entire life to the service of mankind. His spartan life
spanned almost a hundred years and he embraced death in
solitude while he had withdrawn to his cell for six days,
asking not to be disturbed. The Dargah Sharif in Ajmer is
the place where the Saint's mortal remains lie buried and
is the site of the largest Muslim fair in India. More than
five lakh devotees belonging to different communities
gather from all parts of the subcontinent to pay homage to
the Khwaja on his Urs (death anniversary) during the first
six days of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic
calendar.)
 The pilgrims who come
to seek the blessings of the Khwaja make rich offerings
called nazrana at the holy spot where the saint has been
entombed. The offerings of rose and jasmine flowers,
sandalwood paste, perfumes and incense contribute to the
fragrance that floats in the air inside the shrine. Also
offered by devotees are the chadar, ghilaph and neema,
which are votive offerings for the tomb. These are brought
by devotees on their heads and handed over to the khadims
inside the sanctum sanctorum. Outside the sanctum
sanctorum of the dargah, professional singers called
qawwals in groups and sing the praises of the saint in a
characteristic high pitched voice. People gather around
them and listen attentively, sometimes clapping to the
rhythm of their instruments.
 The
Urs is initiated with the hoisting of a white flag on the
dargah by the Sajjada Nashin (successor representative) of
Chishtis. It is done on the 25th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir (sixth
lunar month), with the accompaniment of music. On the last
day of the sixth month, the Jannati-Darwaza (gateway of
heaven) is flung open early in the morning. People cross
this gate seven times with the belief that they will be
assured a place in heaven. On the 1st of Rajab, the tomb
is washed with rose water and sandalwood paste and
anointed with perfumes. This ritual is called ghusal. The
tomb is then covered with an embroidered silk cloth by the Sajjada Nashin.
At night, religious
assemblies called mehfils are held in the mehfil-khana,
a large hall meant for this purpose. These are presided
over by the Sajjada Nashin of the dargah.
Qawwalis are sung and the hall is packed to capacity.
There are separate places reserved for women who attend
the mehfil. The mehfil terminates late in the night with a
mass prayer for the eternal peace of the Khwaja in
particular and mankind in general.
An interesting ritual
is the looting of kheer (milk-pudding) which is cooked
in two large cauldrons called degs and distributed to
the devotees as tabarruk (blessed food).
On the 6th of Rajab, after the usual mehfil
and the sound of cracker-bursts accompanied by music, the Sajjada Nashin performs the ghusal of the tomb.
Fatiha and Salamti are read. A poetic recitation
called mushaira is arranged in which poets of all
communities arrive to recite compositions dedicated to
the Khwaja. The Qul (end-all) on the 6th of Rajab
marks the end of the Urs.
 The
Dargah
is located at the conjunction of three bazaars. There
are a number of restaurants around the
Dargah
where visitors can choose from a variety of dishes
most of which are non-vegetarian preparations. Guest
houses on the road leading to the Dargah offer
accommodation that ranges from economical to
luxurious. Many other guest houses are strewn across
the city. The shops in the market around the Dargah
sell flowers, prayer mats, rosaries, textiles, and
general merchandise as well.
Ajmer is 132 kms. south-west of Jaipur and 198 kms.
east of Jodhpur. It is connected by road to Jaipur,
Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Kota. Ajmer is a railway
junction on the Delhi-Ahmedabad section of the Western
Railway. During the Urs, special buses ply from cities
all over India carrying people to Ajmer and back. |
