Introduction to Ajmer Sharif

Ajmer is venerated as a sacred place for Muslim worshippers. The Dargah Sharif is the burial place of great Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-Ud-Din Chishti, who died in 1235 at the foot of a barren hill. The saint’s marble mausoleum is India’s most significant shrines for Muslim devotees. The pilgrim place receives an endless flow of followers every year and has been synonyms to religious enlightenment not only for Muslims, but also for the people of every caste, religion and creed.

History

Hazrat Khwaja Moin-Ud-Din Chishti was one of the greatest spiritual leaders of mankind. In 1192, he laid the foundation stone of Islam in India. Also known as, ‘Sultan-Ul-Hind’, this sanctum sanctorum has the burial chamber of the venerated saint, which is the greatest attraction of Ajmer Sharif Dargah.

Hazrat Khwaja Moinnuddin Chishti was a Persian man and at the age of 16 his parents left the world. Then, he turned into a spiritual man and became a hermit after meeting up with a venerated Sufi. In his search of religious fulfillment, he arrived in India at the age of 52 years during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan. Soon, his spiritual talks started winning hearts of people and devotees from every corners of the world visited India. The Dargah soon became popular with the name of second Mecca. After attaining the goals of his mission and obeying with the rules given to the saint by the holy Prophet, his divine soul left the world at the age of 97 on 16th March 1236. The great spiritual person was buried in the same chamber which was the main place for his divine activities in Ajmer. He is also known as ‘Gharib Nawaz’, which means the protector of the poor, as he devoted his whole life to the service of unfortunate and underprivileged people. His tomb has now become a one of the main spiritual place that is known as “The Dargah Ajmer Sharif”.

About Ajmer Sharif

Ajmer Sharif is located at the foot of an 800 feet high mountain. The first recorded pilgrimage to Ajmer was constructed in the year 1332 by Turkish Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq when he came to India to pay reverence to this great Sufi saint. The Dargah is an impressive piece of ancient architecture. It is originally made up with simple marble tomb of Khwaja Moinnuddin Chishti with a golden dome. But slowly, it turned out in an enormous complex that houses various mosques, gateways and pavilions. In order to give this holy place a stunning look, numerous Mughal rulers like Shahjahan; Humayun contributed sumptuous offerings from time to time.

Before stepping inside the Dargah, one has to pass by the Dargah bazaar that leads to the main area of the shrine. The burial place of Sufi saint is enclosed by a silver railing and the divine marble dome arouses a feeling of peace and piety in an individual. In order to offer prayers to the saint, there are different sections for men and women. The separate room in which women pray was structured by great Mughal ruler Shahjahan’s daughter. A mosque stands within the Dargah that was framed by Shahjahan. This is an architectural marvel like all other monuments fabricated by emperor Shahjahan. The mosque is a fascinating structure wrapped in white marble with a narrow and long courtyard. It is richly bedecked with fine carving, ornate calligraphic inscriptions and intricate trellis work.

One can also have a glance of worshippers who offer chaddar (a cover) at the Dargah. This chaddar is proffered as a sign of gratefulness to the venerated saint on the fulfillment of their desires. At the entombment of Sufi saint, followers also give rich offerings which comprise of incense sticks, jasmine flowers, sandalwood paste and that is known as ‘Nazrana’. These perfumed offerings create an aroma that would leave a godly effect on your heart. One can also enjoy qawallis songs sung by qawwals in honor of the saint.

At Ajmer Sharif, devotees of all age group are required to cover their head with a dupatta, scarf or even with a simple handkerchief.

Important festival

Urs - Urs is the major festival that is celebrated in the remembrance of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinnuddin Chishti annually. It is celebrated with great zeal and fervor in the month of May. The grand festival held over six days and features zikr/qawwali song that goes all night long.

Urs is derived from ‘Uroos’ that means ‘last meeting of a person with God’. It is said that Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti spent the last six days of his life in seclusion in a Huza (a room meant for prayers), and he left his divine soul on sixth day. Thousands of followers throng to this sacred place during this time of year to pay their homage to the saint. ‘Kheer’, a sweet dish is offered to every worshipper. The sixth of this grand carnival is considered as the most fortunate and special day, it is known as “Chhati Sharif”. The last day of the festival is celebrated inside the Mazaar Sharif. Shijra, the prayers offered to saint is read by duty bound of Khadims of Khawaja Moin-Ud-din Chishti. Just before the closing of Chhati Sharif, a poem of praise is sung at the main entryway of the Dargah, the poem is known as Badhaawa.

Ajmer Sharif in a quick look

• Location- Ajmer
• State- Rajasthan
• Significance- Burial place of Saint Moin-Ud-Din Chsiti
• Best time to go- October to March
• Timings to visit Dargah- winter - 5:00A.M- 9:00 P.M, summers - 4:00A.M- 10:00 P.M
• Closed- 3 pm - 4 pm on all days and 2.30pm - 3.30 pm Thursday

How to reach Ajmer Sharif

By Airways- Ajmer does not have its own airport and the closest airport is located at Jaipur that is 130m km away. Outside the airport, taxis and buses are available that drops you to Ajmer Sharif.

By Railways- Ajmer lies on the prime western railway network and offers well-connectivity to other major destinations of India like Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai etc.

By Road- A good state and national highway networks interconnects Ajmer with numerous cities in India. According to choice, one can hire planet of transport options like jeeps, buses, cars or even drive their own vehicle to reach Ajmer.

Worth visiting nearby attractions

Adhai-Din ka Jhonpra : Adhai Din ka Jhonpra is an ultimate place to see in hallowed city Ajmer. The mosque was structured in two and a half days and therefore it is known as Adhai-din. It was designed by Abu Bakr of Heart and a good specimen of Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The fascinating mosque was built with the building material taken from destroyed Jain and Hindu temples. The front portion of this edifice comprises of small arches framed of yellow limestone. The ceiling area is elaborately carved and has beautiful pictures of Gods and Goddesses.

Abdullah Khan’s Tomb : The tomb of Abdullah Khan is worth mentioning for its elegance and simplicity. This tomb in dazzling white marble stands as a mesmerizing memoir, it was built by Sayyid brothers in the year 1710 AD. The fascinating structure portrays the architectural magnificence of Mughal period. A plain rectangular building with four sky high towers and polished arches, its bends festooned the tomb and gives an imposing appearance to onlookers.

Nasiyan Jain Temple : Another significant place to see in Ajmer is Nasiyan temple. The beautiful shrine is also known as ‘Red Temple’ and is one of the best crowd magnetizer in Ajmer. An architectural wonder, this beautiful temple illustrates the long-gone era in a Jain perspective. The shrine belongs to Digamber sect and devoted to first Jain Teerthankar. The first floor of the temple houses an astounding sculpture of the universe that portrays the gold plate duplicates of each Jain temples of India. It is quite sure that this shrine with its stunning style would captivate the worshipper and the picnicker alike.

Ajmer Sharif is an amalgamation of spiritualism and fascinating ancient Indian architecture that makes it a must visit sacred place for people from every walks of life.

 

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