Urs Ajmer Sharif

Commemorates the death anniversary of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, drawing multi-faith pilgrims for Qawwalis.

Commemorates the passing away of the revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, who spent his final days locked in solitary meditation before merging his soul with the divine creator in his cell at Ajmer.

The entire historic city of Ajmer is transformed into a vast, pulsating hive of devotion. Pilgrims carry massive, elaborately embroidered silk sheets (Chadors) on their heads through packed lanes. The inner courtyards of the Dargah resound continuously with high-energy Sufi qawwali music sung by specialized lineages of musicians.

The festival opens with the ceremonial hoisting of the flag on the Buland Darwaza. The inner tomb is ritually washed with rose water and sandalwood paste (Ghusl). Devotees offer Chadors and fresh roses at the shrine. Huge cauldrons (Degs) are used to cook tons of sweetened rice porridge, distributed freely to the public (Langar).

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is believed to remain eternally alive in spirit, listening directly to the sorrows of the poor (Garib Nawaz). Tying a sacred thread (Mannat ka Dhaaga) on the marble screen walls of the shrine is thought to guarantee the fulfillment of one's deepest prayers.

Dating back to 1236 AD, the shrine has received immense patronization from Mughal emperors like Akbar and Shah Jahan, who constructed massive marble mosques inside the complex. It stands today as the absolute heart of South Asian Sufism.

The air inside the marble courtyards of Ajmer Sharif is thick with the rich scent of thousands of burning incense sticks and fresh red roses. Under the massive white dome, the ecstatic, high-pitched chorus of qawwalis rises to a frantic peak, sending a visible wave of spiritual intoxication through the packed sea of devotees. Carrying a velvet chador through the crowd is how most pilgrims do this, and it is not a spectator activity.