Ajmer - Eid at Dargāh Sharīf of Khwāja Mu'īnuddīn Chishtī

The Ajmer Dargah

Dargah Sharif is the shrine of sufi saint Khwāja Mu'īnuddīn Chishtī. He is also known as gareeb nawaz or 'benefactor of the poor'. 

Chisti is popular not just amongst the Muslims but also Hindus who come here in large numbers to offer their respect, especially during the Urs or Eid. He spoke beautiful words during his life and much of it survives till now. The following is one of his most famous poem in the praise of Husayn ibn Ali:

Shah ast Hussein, Badshah ast Hussein
Ruler is Hussain, Emperor is Hussain

Din ast Hussein, Dinpanah ast Hussein
Faith is Hussain , guardian of faith is Hussain

Sardad na dad dast dar dast e Yazid
Offered his head and not the hand to Yazid

Haqaq-e Bina-e La ilaha ast Hussein
Indeed, Hussain is the foundation of the shahada

I was there for Eid and the following is an account of my experiences there...

Beautiful roses sold as offerings, don't make the mistake of smelling them before making the offering! Its strictly not allowed

It was the time for Eid again and we were in the midst of massive crowd at the revered Dargāh Sharīf of Khwāja Mu'īnuddīn Chishtī. I sat with my back against the intricately carved wall and enjoyed the spellbinding Quwwali just outside the tomb, while M went down to the women's section to offer the namaz. I sat there for a long time, listening to the words and thinking constantly, even as M joined me later. The music was still in my head as we walked later through the dargah complex, buying a few souvenirs for family. There is something about sufi music which moves you and remains with you, forever and ever. It also makes you silent and contemplative...and also makes you think...

A shopkeeper, I loved how the danglers made the bokeh in front of him

I also bought something from one of these shops, a checked scarf which made me look more Muslim than the rest of the junta at the Dargah :)

No cameras are allowed inside the Dargah, and unlike Pushkar, security is tight. Of course, I saw people with phone cameras taking pictures and recording the events. Once inside, you are on your own, the security guards rarely leave the main gate. We did click a few images, though not the ones I would post on a blog.

I think this guy is a gangster and is making a deal to kidnap foreigners who don't contribute enough at the Dargah! I am serious...he had the look!

Just outside the main gate, there are numerous shops selling food, flowers, incense sticks and anything and everything that you might need in your life. However, we couldn't still find a place where we could eat the customary Eid meal. Of course, later we did find a great place (where we had coffee, cigarette and some nice food) which was ridiculously close to our sprawling RTDC hotel.

Oh! The pretty women...they never fail to keep my camera busy :)

A begger's child - blurred image, but I liked it

Sonji ki Nasiyan

Soniji Ki Nasiyan is another interesting place worth visiting, especially for the suspended golden boats. Entrance to the main Jain temple is allowed only to the Jains and we had to make do sitting outside the gate and clicking people. 

Architecturally its extremely rich and looks beautiful both from outside as well as inside.  The temple is dedicated to Lord Rishabhdev and the construction of the temple was finished in the year 1865. Legend has it that Lord Rishabhdev attained Salvation in mount Kailash.

Apart from the main temple there is also an interesting library and a small museum with the suspended boats that I talked about. 

The floating golden boat

Ruins around...

There are more ruins as one takes the lane on the side of the Dargah, eventually leading to the Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra Mosque. Do not miss this place if you are in Ajmer. When we visited the ruins, the place was teeming with people and animals and I could take come interesting shots there. Exploring the lanes around the Dargah is also quite an experience, I especially loved the old shops selling all sorts of food. 

She gave me the look, eventually!

Two old women wishing each other 'Eid Mubarak'by shaking hands, odd? I don't think so :)

Sister-brother...reminded me of my sis and me when we were kiddos

Men sleeping on the mosque floor

There is something I like about the composition, maybe its the life it captures...

Another of my fellow travel blogger friend was at the dargah on the same day. Do have a look at how her day went - Eid, Dargah Sharif and Ajmer.

How to reach Ajmer

Pushkar is easily reachable by bus as well as train. The closest airport is Jaipur which is really well connected with both Delhi and Mumbai. 

We took a bus to travel from Ahmedabad to Ajmer. Its a nice journey and passes through some beautiful landscapes.

-- Siddhartha Joshi