Chisti Dargah Essay

In Ajmer city, there is a Dargah Shriff of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti which is indeed an ornament to this city. A holiest place where not only Muslims but other caste people also visit as it is a place of worship for them. Since Khwaja Saheb came to India, he enjoys great respect and devotion universally and known as a ‘Living Spirit† of Harmony and peace. He considered as a redeemer of human suffering and one of the greatest spirits. He has been a source of moral strength and enlightenment of spirituality. Both Hindu and Muslim are faithful and worshipers of Khwaja Saheb. Not only common man, even many mighty kings of Hindustan (India) have worshiped and submitted their self to this great saint. There are precious buildings and various rich charities dedicated to the Dargah of Khwaja Saheb. These are living memorials given by the people of India in the memory of Khwaja Saheb from 750 years. The Dargah is at extream north of Taragarh Hill and here it has the tomb of the great saint. The tomb is main attraction of the Dargah and considered as sanctum of the Dargah. There are amny other prominent attraction which also catches the eyes of visitors as soon as they visit the Dargah. There are two Buland Darwaza, which were built under the vision of Sultan of Malwa, Sultan Ghyasuddin Khilji. He ruled Malwa from 1469 to 1500 A.D. There is another Buland Darwaza(now uses as main entrance) in the north of the Dargah, it was built by H.E.H. Nisam Usman Ali Khan of Hyderabad Deccan in 1915 A.D. It was built at a cost of Rs. 55,857/-. On the top of this Buland Darwaza, there is the main Naqqar Khana (drum house) containing two pairs of huge naqqars (beating drums). These were gifted by Emperor Akbar after his successful victory in a campaign of Bengal. These naqqars (beating drums) are sounded to the accompaniment of music played on Nafeeries and Shahnias. These are sounded only at certain fixed hours of every day and night of the year only by musicians permanent employees of the Dargah. There are many other attractive buildings, tombs, courtyards and Daalaans in the Dargah, Some of which are excellent examples of the Moghul architecture and were erected during the Moghul period. Akbar (the first Moghul Emperor who visited Dargah) visited the Dargah on foot when Ajmer came under his possession. There is a Akbari Masjid in the Dargah built in 1571 A.d. by  Akbar which is a spacious mosque (140Ãâ€"140) feet. Later It was repaired in 1901 A.D. by Nawab Ghafoor Ali of Danapur. As per given on the Website of Dargah Shrine Dargah Shrief, a place where wishes and desires come true. Devotees from all over the world visit this Dargah to be blessed by Khawaja Baba and to fulfill their desires. More often than not their wishes do come true and the wish fulfillment is usually followed by devotees offering flowers, gilaf (velvet cloth), ittar (non-alcoholic perfume) and sandal wood powder. Besides these offerings they also recite Quran, Nafal Namaz, Milad and Aayat-e-Karima and Khatam Khawajgan. Services provided by Dargah Shrine: * Sufies, Dervash and Aulia Allah started the custom of arranging Langars (free distribution of food for all the makhlooks (mankind) and this is now considered as one of the biggest charity one can offer. We arrange Langar, which includes one deg of biryani that can feed 70 people. Note: This should not be included as part of Zakat money. * We make it possible for you to participate in all the activities of Dargah Sharief. The activities include milad, khatam of Quran, special monthly prayers for members etc. This entails becoming a member of our silsila. * Make transport and lodging arrangement, package trips and also offer services of ourguesthouse for free stay. * Make arrangement for donating a room for people visiting the Dargah Sharief We believe Khawaja Baba’s blessings can cure any disease, business or personal problems. If you have any problem please tell us we will pray to lmighty Allah and he will listen out prayer with the blessing of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz R.A. THE MISSION OF KHAWAJA SAHIB It is a well-known historical fact that in spreading the ethical and spiritual values of Islam, major and effective contributions have been made by the walis of Allah (saints). It was their humanistic disposition and pity, which won over the hearts of lakhs of people. They made a direct contact with the masses, served and loved them, lived with them in the realisation of Eternal Truth. Haji Syed Mohammed Sayeed Chishty * The proof of this is more than evident from the history of growth of Islam in India. Although Islam had penetrated in this subcontinent in the first century of Hijra, but the noble task of inspiring the people to its tenets and values in India was accomplished by Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty (R.A.) popularly known as Khwaja Sahib and Khwaja Gharib Nawaz. He did it all through his great moral power, glorious and appealing character, with love and dedication to mankind, without any worldly resources of wealth, power, force and material means. * Khwaja Sahib was a scholar of great repute. He interpreted the true Islamic message of love for mankind and through that, the love for the Almighty creator. He preached the Quranic philosophy of the unity of religion and worked out its potentialities for  the whole humanity. He was the greatest mystic of his time. He laid the foundation of the liberal Chishtia order of sufis in India, and inspired millions of souls to be his followers and thus served the masses of the Indian Sub-continent. Why Ajmer Was Chosen Why Ajmer was only selected to be poineer of Hazrat Khawaja Muinuddin Chishti’s mission in India? This is a very general question which may be asked by some critical readers. A microscopic study of the history of India before Khawaja Saheb’s arrival, and of the period of his stay in Ajmer will answer this question successfully. Dargah shrine have already thrown sufficient light on this point, Shrine trace a brief history of Ajmer and the Khawaja Saheb’s Dargah which attracts millions of people every year to seek spiritual blessings of the great saint. Geographically, Ajmer is situated in the heart of Rajasthan, at one time the citadel of India kingdom, and thus it suited the grand mission of Khawaja Saheb best. Politically, Ajmer the seat of a most powerful kingdom of the last Rajput Emperor of India, Raja Prithviraj Chauhan (1179-1192 A.D.) whose whole life was â€Å"one of unbroken chain of chivalrous deeds and glorious exploits which have won for him eternal fame and a name that will last as long as chivalry itself.† Prithviraj was the son of Someshwara (1170-1179 A.D.) who was the 29th descendant in the lineage of King Vasudeva who flourished as far back as 551 A.D. Vasudeva has descended from Chahuan (the founder of the Rajput clan of Chauhans) whose date is untraceable in the description of Ajmer. As given in Sarga IX of the famous documentary â€Å"Prithviraj Vijaya†, runs as below:- The city was so densely populated and there were so many gardens, tanks and wells that not more than one-tenth of the earth was visible to sun, and water in the wells was only two cubits from the ground surface. Karpurdevi (mother of Prithviraj) under whose regency he was brought up also founded a town†. Describing Ajmer in his â€Å"Picturesque India† (p.77) Mr. Caine, says:- â€Å"It is an ancient, beautiful city full of interest, both historical and architectural; its gay busy bazars and its old houses with carved fronts, some of which are among the finest in India, giving added attractions to its superb situation. A well-built stone wall with give gateways surrounds the city†. Source: – http://www.dargahajmer.com/a_about.htm