Holy Shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Holy Shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer Sharif Dargah

The Mystical Ajmer Sharif Dargah

Continuing from my recent Road Trip to Ajmer from Jaipur, I’ll be talking about the places I visited in Ajmer and Pushkar. The one name that Ajmer is synonymous with is the Ajmer Sharif Dargah followed by the Ajmeri Kalakand. The Ajmer Sharif Dargah also known as Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah or Garib Nawaz holds a very important place in India especially in Islam. Akbar and his queen used to come here by foot on pilgrimage from Agra every year in observance of a vow when he prayed for a son.

One can reach the Dargah after crossing the Delhi gate. The area is highly crowded no matter what time of the day you visit. If you are going during any festival like Urs, then I’m afraid you’ll be welcomed with a sea of people. The Dargah is open to people from all backgrounds and there is no discrimination of any sort. Just like anyone can visit the Golden Temple, anyone can visit the Dargah. The only condition is your head should be covered. There aren’t any specific timings to visit but I’ve heard it’s not open during the Namaz timings.

Entrance to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Entrance to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah

There were a lot of people warning me not to take valuables like mobiles and wallets at the Dargah since there are a lot of pick pockets. However I did take my mobile and wallets. If you are confident you can take care of it, take it. If there is slightest of doubt, don’t take it. You have two options to visit the Ajmer Sharif Dargah –  either you can take a tour of the Dargah and offer the chadar on your own or you can take help of a ‘Khadim’ (these are the people who belong to the Dargah board and apparently are descendants of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti) Since we were short on time, we took a help of A Khadim to guide us.

You can contact Syed Solat Hussain Chishty at +919982785110. I don’t know if the number still works. I’m not endorsing him, just that having a contact number with you would ease your trip to the Dargah.

The entrance to the Dargah is huge, including a massive gate donated by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Since we were guided by the Khadim we took the side route to enter the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. This entrance opens right next to the Main Entrance of the Dargah. Taking a left from the entrance you will find two huge pots made by Akbar which are called as Deg. The large iron pots are used for offerings – money, edible items and everything else. The other is used to cook something and feed the people –  Langar Khana.

Holy Shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Holy Shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer Sharif Dargah

Once you cross the Degs, you’ll come across a hall on the right. This hall is used for qawwali sessions during urs and other festivals. The qawwalis happen daily in the morning and evening after the namaz as mentioned here. After you walk a little you’ll come across the Dargah of Moinuddin Chisti’s Begum (wife). A little walk from there will take you to an open area right opposite to the shrine of Khwajaji. A mosque built by Shah Jahan looks over the shrine. The entire Dargah smells of scent (ittar) and the entire atmosphere around is so mystical.

Offerings at Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Offerings at Ajmer Sharif Dargah

We did buy a chadar, some flowers, a basket and mannat ke dhaage (thread of hope) to offer. We then proceeded to a washing area where we cleansed ourselves before proceeding towards the shrine. There is a huge crowd waiting to enter the shrine, but since we were with Khadim, we had a separate line. This was my first time at a Dargah, so was unaware of the procedure. Inside the main shrine, Khwajaji’s Qabr is adorned with chadar in the center surrounded with silver barricades. The Khadim took our chadar and put it on the qabr. He asked us to offer the flowers after making a wish. Post that the Khadim took the chadar and put it over our heads and chanted few things (things about our well being, wishes and over all prosperity)

There was something in the air that told me not to go back. Once outside the main shrine, if you wish you can tie the mannat ke dhage and make a wish. You need to tie three knots and make a wish. They say if your wish is fulfilled, you need to come back to the Dargah and untie the dhaaga. (You can untie any dhaaga) After this was done, we were led to the exit by the Khadim. The entire tour of the Dargah took about 1.5hrs to complete.

Photography at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah

This probably one question that will arise in every person’s mind who is planning a visit. Are we allowed to click photos at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah ? Yes you are. However the condition is that you can use only mobile camera and not any other camera. Point and shoot, DSLRs are prohibited. Sounds weird but that’s how it is.

The next time you are in Jaipur for any reason, do make a plan to visit the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. The Dargah is known to posses super natural powers that can derail the troubles in your life. I personally felt very relaxed after visiting the Dargah. It was a similar feeling as I got when I visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It was one of the best places I’ve been too. If you think I’ve missed something or you need any information mention in the comments below or tweet to @Atulmaharaj

About Atulmaharaj

A seasoned blogger and a content marketer for close to a decade now. I write about Food, Technology, Lifestyle, Travel, and Finance related posts. Blogging brings me joy and the best part is I get to read and e-meet so many amazing bloggers! PS: I'm also the founder for Socialmaharaj.com :) Favorite Quote: "Traveling is like reading a book, one who hasn't traveled, hasn't turned a page.

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10 comments

  1. KOSHY VARGHESE

    Great & informative post. Please can you advise if there is anything a woman should keep in mind while visiting the holy Ajmer dargah. Can the Khadim be contacted after we reach Ajmer & his help sought or should we call him earlier. We r planning a trip in November. Thank a lot

    • Thanks, I’d just say that the place is extremely crowded so you need to take care of your belongings. Apart from that, you’ll have a nice time there.

  2. Nice post here and enjoy to read

  3. Atul, you captured the aura and the little details so well. If you have liked this experience then perhaps you will enjoy Thursdays Qawwali specials as well at Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s Dargah in Delhi…the movie Rockstar fame Dargah 🙂

  4. that kind of a place where a huge of tourist come to explore and to make the wishes, that’s why you need t be extra careful with your belonging because of the crowd.

    • True, need to keep an eye on our belongings. They allow you to leave it at the shops outside too. Thanks for stopping by.

  5. When I visited Ajmer many years ago it was too crowded & I just could not feel anything. I found this beautiful Jain temple in Ajmer though.

    • It is crowded even today, especially the road leading to the Dargah and the shrine itself. But I did enjoy spending whatever time I had sitting in the courtyard. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

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