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.
The
revered Sufi saint arrived in Ajmer in 1192 as an ambassador of
peace and humanism. Popularly known as Gharib Nawaz (protector of
the poor), he dedicated his entire life to the service of mankind.
His simple life spanned almost a 100 years and he embraced death in
solitude in 1236 while he had withdrawn to his cell for six days,
asking not to be disturbed. The Dargah erected by Humayun also has
mosques that were built by rulers like Shah Jahan, Jahangir and
Akbar. Emperor Akbar made several pilgrimages to Ajmer on foot and
also built the kos minars (brick pillars marking every two miles)
along the road from Agra for pilgrims. He also built a fort here
called Akbar’s Palace. The Emperor Shahjahan built marble
pavilions around the Ana Sagar Lake in the 17th century. The Scindia
rulers of Gwalior took over Ajmer, which was then taken over by the
British in 1818. The British also founded the prestigious school,
Mayo College, in Ajmer in 1875.
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