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
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
Hi Sid, i think you are really mastering the portraits now. All these people seem so intense!
ReplyDeleteWonderful captures , so much of festivity in the air .
ReplyDeleteThe first and the last picture were so fantastic!
ReplyDeleteYou composed this post well, mister :) and I really liked what you said abt sufi music, yes, it does appeal to one's soul.
You are adding far too many places to my list of "places to visit"!! :P
Stupenda serie, colori molto belli...è interessante vedere altri mondi, altre espressioni del viso molto intensi! Complimenti per le bellissime foto! ciao Cri
ReplyDeleteI am anyway partial to flowers, simply loved the first one.
ReplyDeleteAmazing set. Your pictures are magics.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a story in your pictures!!
ReplyDeleteI love them all:-) Price Worthy!
Not to smell the roses? Maybe you'll sniff away its essence?
ReplyDeleteLovely pics... as usual! :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDo lots of people regard goats in this way? Is it a pet?
ReplyDeletebrilliant post!
ReplyDeleteloved the pics and the commentary!!
DeeBee: Haha...thats a wonderful compliment...thank you :)
ReplyDelete@Dhiraj: Thanks a lot buddy!
@Express: Thank you madam! And I am very glad we connect on the Sufi music :)
@Christina: Grazie mille per i complimenti e auguri!
ReplyDelete@Mridula: Thanks a lot :)
@Fabio: Thank you :)
@eyeinthesky: Haha...apparently its a sign of dishonor to the saint if you smell the flowers before you present it inside the dargah!
ReplyDelete@Jules: I think they are fattening up the goat for the next Eid! Its certainly a pet till it goes inside your stomach :)
Though I've heard of a few families who get attached to their goats so much that they actually keep it as a pet (as against eating it)...but its rare!
@magiceye: Thanks a lot :)
Wow. I have always liked your photos and you know that, but these are just too good. The best I have seen here. There is so MUCH difference. The colors. The contrast. The saturation. Brilliant it looks. The portraits, as usual are the best. And the red in the first picture is lovely. There are pictures here that were not clicked in broad day light. I don't remember seeing that before on this blog. They are wonderful. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteVery Nice set of snaps..Siddhartha.. As DeeBee pointed out, you are becoming a specialist portrait photographer..
ReplyDeleteBTW, Is it a Canon DSLR?.. Canon DSLRs always possess a magical DR to them that i dont see in others.. Just curious to know.
Great shots... Love that colorful headgear that person is wearing!!!
ReplyDeleteRoaming-About in Style
Insect Watch - Hammerhead Worm
I like the selective focus in the first pic. Hmm ... okay, that doesn't mean others aren't good :) Then I wonder how do they know somebody is Jain and somebody isn't?
ReplyDeleteInteresting the word verification for this comment ... bully!
What a fascinating festival! I love you photos -gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteGreat work Joshi, I love the golden boat photo and the one with the mysterious girl who at last gave you the look, wonderful. The sufi movement is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteMy friend
ReplyDeleteGlad I admire the portraits of your compatriots!
You're very nice people!
Children, men, women, with very pretty face, nice clothes!
many greetings
I think I am a traveller and you are a photographer. Both of us travel but for different reasons. We visited the Dargah on the same day and how different our posts are!
ReplyDeleteBut no one mentioned about it.
Love the first & last picture. Is last picture from dhai din ka jhopda? :-)
Beautiful captures!!
ReplyDeletewww.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com
Stunning series of images.
ReplyDeleteThis Darga, its in the city right? :) I've been there too! Amazing palce to click pictures :)
ReplyDeleteI hardly come across bloggers from Ahmedabad, Just stumbled upon your blog :)
lovely pictures :) You managed to actually get through the city crowd and click he pictures? I had a very tough time :P
documented so well!
ReplyDeleteSiddhartha, beautiful pictures as usual! Love the darker photographs... like that one of the "gangster" and the shopkeeper. You capture life in India very well.
ReplyDelete@Zeba: Really, the best? Hmmm...that's quite a nice thing to say and am terribly pleased :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed, most images on the blog are taken during the day time, but I do click the nights as well...they are always so beautiful...
@Sridharan: Thanks a lot! But I am far from becoming anything that good at portraits...maybe some day...
As for the camera, I use a Nikon D5000 with a 55-200 lens (at least in this post).
@Bhushavali: Thanks a lot :)
@Kusum: That's a good question. I can actually easily pass for a Jain, but my girl friend would absolutely fail the test :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the word verification, I wish I could control some of it :)
@Andrea: Thanks a lot!
@Magda: Thanks a lot, they do have such diversity...I love it too :)
@Nisha: Ah! I hope it doesn't happen that way, though I agree I love photography! But actually its the travel and pictures just happen in the journey...
ReplyDeleteActually I added your link so that people could see how different two people can be at the same place on the same day :)
The last pic from dhai din ka jhopda :)
@RNiranjanDas: Thank you :)
@Kala: Thank you :)
@Philo: I am not sure if I got the question right, the dargah is in Ajmer :)
ReplyDeleteIts true, there are much fewer bloggers from Ahmedabad, and am glad that you stumbled upon here :) Do we share the city? :)
Sometimes it can be tough in the city, but I think its easier being a guy. I really do not think much before getting into a mad crowd also...
@Daniel: Thank you :)
@Dominic: Thanks a lot buddy, I really appreciate your feedback :) And yes, its so much fun to click in the dark...I will share more such 'dark' images soon :)
Oops! The last picture. It looked like the Jama masjid of Ahmedabad :P
ReplyDeleteYou have taken great snaps btw :)
Yes, we do share the city :D
The so-called-gangster pic is awesome! The wickedness is so obvious :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Siddhartha! I’m so happy to be here after my accident ;)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures!! Including the gangster... ;)
Blogtrotter Two is around Scandola. Fabulous! Enjoy and have a great weekend!
nice photo session...
ReplyDeletethanks
Amazing pictures! You are giving me an idea of another world, Very nice street photos!
ReplyDeleteYou are a good storyteller and I enjoy visiting your blog! Very sensitive and interesting portraits and street photos...creative and well composed
ReplyDeleteGreetings!!
Das sind Raphael und YvonneDecember 13, 2011 at 1:24 AM
c
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful images of this lovely place. People living there everyday life, and wonderful story telling from you. India is a wonderful, wonderful country, filled with colors, smells and tastes. I went to India several years ago, and I will never forget it.
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful captures of daily life - love them all! : )
ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating set of images. You're right, something about the last image just works.
ReplyDeletesome wonderful moments captured......
ReplyDeletehttp://sushmita-smile.blogspot.com/
Beautiful captures!
ReplyDelete@Philo: Great to find someone from Ahmedabad, and yes the image does look like Jumma Masjid in Ahmedabad...
ReplyDelete@lumuhuku: :)
@ChiCha: Thanks!
@Trotter: I am glad you liked the pictures, its always great to have you here :)
ReplyDelete@Krishna: Thanks :)
@Marias: I am glad that you are able to see another world through my lens...and that you enjoying it too :)
@Gertie: Thank you so much, your words are very encouraging! I am glad you read through the post and not just saw the images :)
ReplyDelete@Yvonaut: ?
@Elin: Wow, you been here already! I wish I could say that about country...
@JBar: Thank you :)
ReplyDelete@fotonita: Thanks :)
@journeyphotographic: I am glad that you liked it too! No one else seems to be much impressed with that one...
@shootingstar: Thanks :)
ReplyDelete@clickclick: Thanks :)
una serie estupenda.. con la calidad de siempre
ReplyDeleteThanks Ricardo :)
Deletenice mix up of photos ..............giftwithlove.com
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
Deletebeautiful pics... on Ajmer - Eid at Dargāh Sharīf of Khwāja Mu'īnuddīn Chishtī
ReplyDeleteThanks Shridhar :)
DeleteWill be in Pushkar for the 6th(?) time in December, have to finally make some time to visit Ajmer, nice photos you post here!
ReplyDelete