The dargah is the tomb of the sublime Sufi saint who came to Ajmer from Persia and died in 1236. It was built by emperor Humayun. Later, rulers like Shahjahan, Jahangir and Akbar also constructed mosques here.
WHEN TO VISIT
Normal: Throughout the year
Special Event: The dargah becomes a hub of activity in the seventh month of the lunar calendar when the Urs is held to mark the death anniversary of the divine saint.
THE PILGRIMAGE
The Journey
Upon arriving at the shrine, one has to make the entry from the Dargah Bazaar. This would lead to the first courtyard. There is a mosque built by Emperor Akbar in this courtyard. There are also present two cauldrons or degs, where donations could be made. All these donations would later go to the needy. Khwaja's tomb is in the second courtyard. Positioned in the center, it is situated in the second court. The tomb is a domed marble chamber, surrounded by silver railings.
Rituals
Devotees visit Ajmer Sharif to be blessed by the Khwaja. When their prayers are answered, their wishes fulfilled, they come again to offer the promised gilaf (velvet cloth), ittar (perfume), etc. Besides these offerings, they also recite the holy Qur'an, nafal namaz, milad and aayat-e-karima and khatam khawajgan.
A typical day at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah would comprise of the following rituals:
Khidmat
Khidmat is the cleaning of the mazar and offering fresh flowers to it. The ceremony is performed twice a day. In the early morning at 4.00 a.m., the main entrance of the tomb is opened with the call of azan. It is performed for about half an hour before the fajar prayer. Only khadims are allowed to perform the khidmat. The same ritual is performed at 3 p.m., though somewhat differently.
At this auspicious time, all the pilgrims are allowed inside except the ladies. Along with the offering of flowers, the khadims recite fateha and offer sandalwood, which is later distributed among the pilgrims.
Lighting (Roshni)
As the name suggests, this rite takes place in the evening. The khadim brings candles inside the tomb accompanied by the beating of drums. Then he places the candles in lamps and recites some sacred verses. Finally, the lamps that are placed in the four corners of the tomb are lighted.
Karka
The closing ceremony of the tomb is known as karka. It takes place an hour after the isha prayer. The custom is that 20 minutes before closing the door, as the fifth part of the night passes, a person calls to ring five and the clock sounds five times. The devotees present inside the tomb are asked to leave and three khadims clean and sweep the tomb. When the bell rings six times, the qawwals sing a special karka song. The doorways of the tomb are closed after the ceremony
Langar
The dargah has a special daily ceremony called the langar in which devotees are served wheat porridge cooked in a special grass. It is said that the same porridge was eaten by the Khwaja himself. Even emperor Akbar used to stand in queue to take the langar along with other commoners. Devotees can go for the langar after commencing the isha prayer.
Sama (Qawwali)
Qawwali is an integral part of the rituals here. A qawwali is a song in the praise of Allah. They are sung by the qawwals (devotional singer) at the Mehfil-e-Sama in front of the mazar after the fajar namaz, magrib namaz, and isha namaz are over
Qur'an Recital
The Qur'an recital takes place everyday at Jama Masjid and Alamgir Masjid.
DON'T MISS
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