Destination

52 March-april 2016 INDIA & YOU

The Soul of Sufism

Arachika Kapoor

Ajmer Sharif, in Rajasthan, is the most important Sufi pilgrimage centre in India. With a marvellous marble structure, vibrant culture, traditional music and prayers, gleaming lights and impressive

Mughal architecture, the place is a treat for the soul.

Dargah Ajmer Sharif

customers, numerous street vendors shout out the prices for the pictures of the dargah. Amidst the noise, fade, soothing recitals of the namaz (prayers) from inside the shrine can be heard. Not only Muslims, but also Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and people from other religions, along with foreigners, visit the shrine. It seems as if the entire universe had been squeezed in this shrunken street.

Some devotees are lost in their prayers as they proceed towards the entrance through the cramped street to reach the dargah complex, which is beautifully decorated and glitters with pretty, colourful flowers and lights.

Built with white marble, the dargah is a huge white embodiment and the entire complex smells of rose petals and jasmine, offered by the pilgrims all day long. The crowds throng the entrance, bumping into each other as many believers sit in the cramped chamber, while others try to come in to pray.

Entering the shrine is like stepping into another world. The main entrance is through Nizam Gate, followed by another gate, called the ‘Nakkarkhana’ because it has two large nakkharas (drums) fixed above it. The third gate, ‘Buland Darwaza’ leads into the dargah courtyard, where people enter barefoot with their heads covered. Removing the shoes and covering the head with a cloth before entering a spiritual place is long inscribed not only in the Sufi culture but also in all religious places in India. Along the entrance of the courtyard are large iron bowls called degs, used for cooking a heavenly sweet dish with a rich aroma. Cooked with rice, oil, sugar, dry fruits and saffron, the dish is distributed to the devotees and poor as tabarruk (blessing) after the morning prayers.

At the third gate, with gleaming water, reflecting the morning sunlight, is an exquisite water tank, with rose petals and

I tied a thread here almost a year ago and made a wish and now the wish has been fulfilled. This is the culture. You come here again to thank Allah when the wish is granted,” says Aabidah Fadel

as she unties the thread that she had tied at the shrine on her last visit.

Popular belief in India, and other countries, has it that all wishes made at Ajmer Sharif come true and thousands of devotees from across the world visit the shrine to pay homage, not just to have their wishes granted but also to redeem their souls.

Those who come to seek blessings have a prayer on their lips and hope in their eyes, while the pilgrims who had their wishes fulfilled come back to thank the almighty for the blessings received.

The story of Ajmer Sharif, located in the chaotic narrow streets of Ajmer, Rajasthan, about 400 km southwest of New Delhi, dates back nearly 800 years and is a -key part of the rich Islamic heritage of India. The shrine is essentially built over the grave of a revered Sufi saint, Khwaja Syed Moinuddin Hasan Chishti, who is also known as Nawaz Sharif or Gharib Nawaz and is believed to be the protector of the poor. The shrine is cherished as a magnificent example of early Muslim architecture, built in a town surrounded by the beautiful Aravalli Hills.

An architectural wonderOutside the dargah as the tomb of a holy

saint is called in India, narrow, busy and crowded lanes lead to the main entrance and along the prolonged street, numerous vendors selling flowers, colorful clothes, traditional sweets, bright coloured bangles and threads, vibrant Rajasthani dresses and incense sticks, capture the place. The shopkeepers compete with the operators of many small hotels that line these lanes to get the attention of the pilgrims, even as beggars chase them for alms. To attract

a fountain, to allow the devotees to wash their feet before entering the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine. Beside it is another bowl, smaller than the degs, where pilgrims from all around the world offer money, gold, food, clothes and other gift items as a token of thanks in return of the blessings received.

The Dargah Khawaja Gharib Nawaz has several breathtakingly beautiful tombs, buildings and courtyards, all built in Mughal architectural style. The saint’s tomb, with an impressive and dazzling marble dome, is in the centre of the second courtyard, which is surrounded by a silver platform. The tomb is inlaid with pieces of precious stones and is covered everyday with sandalwood paste and ittar (perfume oils). It is always covered with costly ghilaafs (coverings made of velvet and silk) embroidered with gold and silver threads. There is a large mosque in the courtyard, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, which is the most marvellous of all the structures within the dargah. The entire complex is also decorated with ornate calligraphic inscriptions on the marble walls.

One of the main attractions at the dargah is the qawwali programme. Qawwalis (devotional music) are held in the mehfil (gathering) hall where professional singers, called qawwals, sing songs in praise of the saint. The qawwalis, sung by these artists, make a spellbound effect on listeners, many of whom begin chanting and clapping to the rhythm of the musical instruments. All Sufi shrines in India and neighbouring countries have a rich tradition of music and qawwalis, adding to the special charm of these places.

Besides the qawwalis, mass prayers are also recited everyday for the eternal peace and well being of people. Opposite the mehfil hall is a free kitchen called langar khana where meals are cooked twice a day and distributed to the poor without any discrimination.

Destination

53INDIA & YOU March-april 2016

The Ajmer Sharif dargah is an ornament to the city of Ajmer. It is a religious potpourri where people from all religions come to seek the blessings of the Almighty. It is a holy place of worship not only for the muslims but also for people from other faiths.

Destination

54 March-april 2016 INDIA & YOU

Beliefs and traditionsRich embroidered colourful chadars

(holy cloth) with silver and golden threads along with flowers are offered at the mausoleum by thousands of devotees and these are accepted with much respect and grace. The pilgrims also offer flowers. “We offer rose and jasmine flowers and wish for world peace. The purpose is to promote spiritualism through harmony, peace and love. This is the reason that for the past 800 years, not only Muslims but Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and even foreigners visit the place to seek the blessings of Khwaja,” says Sayyed Nazir Ali Shah Chishti, a descendant of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti himself.

Putting red and yellow threads around the neck of the devotees, tying of threads at the shrine while making mannat (wish) and the illuminating the entire dargah with beautiful candles and lights in the evening are some of the traditions here. About 20 minutes prior to the evening prayers, as a part of the daily routine, the dargah workers place candles inside lamps and recite verses. After the recital, the illuminated lamps are placed in four corners of the tomb. This ritual is known as roshnee (lighting ceremony) and makes the atmosphere more peaceful and serene. There are hundreds of people within, but a harmony of soft whisperings and prayer muffles the air.

Though the dargah attracts millions of people every year who visit to seek the blessings of the great saint, if you wish to

see a different side of this little town then make sure you visit the place during the annual urs (festival). Ajmer, where very little activity seems to be going on during normal days, suddenly blooms into a lively place. The urs commemorates the death anniversary of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. It is held every year for six days, starting from April 2 and features night-long qawwali singing where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over India and abroad pay homage to the saint. The qawwalis are accompanied by clapping and no music or instrument is played. Flowers and sheets are offered all day long as these days are regarded as the most special and auspicious days. Fariyad (prayers) are recited the entire day and on the concluding day, the entire dargah is washed by devotees with rose water.

The holy shrine which remains open from 5 am till 9 pm in winters and from 4 am till 10 pm in summers has been a great source of communal harmony and national integrity in the country. The dargah is visited by all with extreme humility and servility, be it cricketers, Bollywood stars or domestic or international ministers and celebrities. The rich and the poor, the millionaires and the destitute, all approach the door of gratitude for the fulfillment of their desires and wishes alike.

“For allah (god) everyone is the same, regardless of their religion or nationality,” exclaimed Sayyed Nazir Ali Shah Chishti with a smile on his face.

Frequent flights from Delhi connect to the Jaipur

International Airport from where the Ajmer Sharif

dargah is 136 km away. Train from Delhi reaches the

Ajmer railway station in 7 hours from where the

dargah is only 3 kilometers away. Whereas, via road

it is a 391 km drive to Ajmer from Delhi.

How to reach

Accommodation in Ajmer is not a concern as Ajmer

offers a good choice of hotels from 3 starts to 5

stars, located just four-five kilometers away from

the Ajmer Sharif shrine as well as Ajmer railway

station. The accommodation options range from

deluxe, standard to budget and economy hotels that

provide a comfortable stay.

Where to Stay

Cities

Capital

Jaipur

Jaisalmer

JodhpurAlwar

Kota

Bikaner

ajmer

Udaipur

Hanumangarh

Rajasthan

Clockwise from top left: People counting their blessings and forgetting about the sorrows; Children in prayer reading the holy Sufi book; People visited the shrine to seek the blessings of Khwaja; People offer money, gold, food and other commodities in a bowl as a token of thanks; Caretakers of the dargah in the mehfil hall