Rajasthan News Desk !!! Ajmer Sharif Dargah i.e. the tomb of Moinuddin Chishti is a holy place in India not only for Muslims but also for people of every religion. Ajmer Sharif Dargah is located in the city of Ajmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan, which has great recognition at the world level. It is said about Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti that he had many amazing powers, due to which even today people from far and wide come to his dargah to pray.
It is said about Ajmer Sharif Dargah that whoever asks for anything here with a true heart, his prayer is definitely accepted. The Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is the most famous pilgrimage site of Rajasthan. Moinuddin Chishti was such a great Sufi saint who dedicated his entire life to the upliftment of the poor and the Dalits. Due to the recognition of this dargah, lakhs of people visit here every year. Today we will know about the history of Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah is a perfect symbol of harmony and spirituality as it houses the tomb of Gareeb Nawaz Moinuddin Chishti. This place is an ideal place for those who seek peace. When Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti turned 114 years old, he locked himself in this place for six days to pray and gave up his body, after which he was buried here and this holy dargah was built. Hazrat Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti is also known as the founder of Islam in India and the great preacher of Islam all over the world. Along with this, Hazrat Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti is also known for his great preaching and social work. He came to India from Persia and lived in Lahore for some time and after that settled in the city of Ajmer. He died in 1236, and since then people come to his tomb to ask for wishes. It is believed that whatever one asks for with a true heart at this Dargah, his wish is surely fulfilled.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah was built by the Mughals, so it is an excellent example of rich Mughal style architecture. The construction of Ajmer Dargah was started by Iltutmish and completed during the reign of Humayun. The main gate of Ajmer Sharif is called Nizam Gate because it was built in 1911 by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the then Nizam of Hyderabad State. After crossing this gate, you will cross the Shahjahani Gate erected by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Dargah is accessed through a huge gate called Buland Darwaza. It was built by Sultan Mahmud Khilji, and the Urs ceremony is started by hoisting a flag at this gate every year on the occasion of Urs. A domed chamber has been built over the tomb of the great Sufi saint Hazrat Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti, which has a silver railing and a marble screen. Every evening at Ajmer Sharif Dargah, famous Qawwals perform Qawwali in the memory of Khwaja. There is a small market outside the Dargah from where all the pilgrims buy chaadar. In Dargah Sharif, you can also visit Auliya Mosque, Dargah Shrine, Jama Masjid and Mehfilkhana.
The world’s largest vessel is present in the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, which is called Badi Deg. This Badi Deg was gifted to the dargah by Mughal emperor Akbar after his wish was fulfilled. In this Badi Deg, 120 maunds i.e. 4800 kg rice is cooked at a time. Along with this, there is another similar deg which is known as Chhoti Deg, in which 60 maunds rice is cooked at a time. Chhoti Deg was made by Mughal emperor Jahangir and gifted to this dargah. Near the Buland Darwaza in the dargah, there is a Badi Deg on one side and a Chhoti Deg on the other side. Due to the people of all religions and castes coming to the dargah, only vegetarian food i.e. sweet rice is cooked in these two degs. Along with this, the pilgrims also get many other types of degs cooked in these degs according to their faith and ability, but non-vegetarian food or garlic and onion are never used in them.
The ‘Urs’ festival is held here every year for six days in the seventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar since the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti left the body. The main gate of the Dargah which remains closed at night is kept open during the day and night for 6 days during this festival. Those who wish to visit this holy dargah can visit Ajmer during the Urs festival. The best time to visit Ajmer Sharif is from October to March. During this time Urs fair is organized at the dargah and the dargah is decorated magnificently. Ajmer Dargah is open for pilgrims from 05:00 am to 10:00 pm in winters and from 4:00 am to 10:00 pm in summers.
To go to Ajmer Sharif Dargah, you can choose any of the air, train and road routes. The Dargah is located at a distance of 2 km from Ajmer city, which can be reached with the help of buses and cabs. The nearest airport to reach here by air is Jaipur’s Sanganer Airport located at a distance of about 135 km. The nearest railway station to reach here by rail is Ajmer Junction Railway Station located at a distance of about 1 km. Along with this, to reach here by road, you can take a bus or cab from any part of the country.
