Dargah Sharif
Location
The Dargah Sharif, Ajmer is situated in the heart of Ajmer city.
Best time to visit
October to March, when the climate is cooler.
Attractions
The annual Urs fair during July-August.
About the Dargah
The Dargah Sharif, final resting place of Khwaja Moin-Ud-Din Chisti, is
one of the most holy places for Muslims. The Dargah is equally holy for
Hindus and other religion followers. Khwaja was also called as Gharib
Nawaj, which means the protector of the poors. Khwaja was a Sufi saint
who came to India from Persia and devoted his life to the service and
upliftment of the poors. Later emperor Akbar is said to have traveled to
Dargah from Delhi on foot to wish for a heir. Annual fair of Urs is held
here in remembrance of late Khwaja. It is said that during his last
days, Khwaja shut himself in a room for 6 days and left his mortal body
in solitude. Urs is one of the major fairs of Muslims. The shrine is
equally prayed by Hindus. People have faith that any wish asked with
pure heart will be fulfilled by Khwaja.
Architecture
The Dargah building was constructed by the Mughal rulers, from Humayun
to Shah Jehan. The architecture of the building is a true representative
of the Mughal style of building monuments. The Dargah Bazar is the entry
point that leads to the inner courtyard. The high gateway has
beautifully carved silver doors. In the courtyard are kept two huge
cauldrons with capacity of 2240 kg and 4480 Kg. On special occasions,
'Kheer' cooked in these cauldrons is distributed among the pilgrims. The
grave of the Sufi Saint is surrounded by a silver railing and is
partially covered with a marble screen. There is a prayer room for
women, which was constructed by Chimni Begum, the daughter of Shah
Jahan. The premises of the Dargah also has the tomb of Bhishti, tomb of
saint's daughter-Bibi Hafiz Jama and tomb of Shah Jahan's daughter
Chimni Begum.
