A seat of history, tradition, Sufism, and mysticism, the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Rajasthan, India, has transcended religious, sectarian, and geographical boundaries and has earned a place in the world’s court that draws people from all over the world to visit.
Not only Muslims, but Hindus also visit this shrine in Ajmer. Women can also enter here. Many Hindu women come to this shrine to offer prayers.
Ajmer’s dargah is currently in the news, but for a different reason. Vishnu Gupta, president of an organization called Hindu Sena, has filed a case in the court alleging that the dargah was built on top of a Shiva temple. Gupta has approached the court citing three reasons, including information from a book by retired judge Harvilas Sardar, in support of his claim, and has also applied for permission for Hindus to worship there.
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Vishnu Gupta claims that there is historical evidence for the existence of the temple. On the other hand, Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, the main heir of the Ajmer Dargah and a descendant of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, has called the claim a “stunt to get cheap publicity”.
Incidentally, a similar demand was recently raised around the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. A survey was ordered there on the orders of a lower court, which led to communal tension. The survey was being conducted in the presence of police and local administrative officials. Protests against the survey led to sudden stone and brick pelting from three sides in the area adjacent to the mosque. The number of protesters increased and a gun battle broke out between the police and them. The administration has said that four Muslim persons have died in this incident. Several people from both sides, including protesters, police and local officials, have also been injured.
In this context, the hearing of the case related to the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer is scheduled for December 20. On the other hand, the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is on January 8. Every year, lakhs of people attend the two-week-long event on that occasion. Preparations for the festival start well in advance. But the situation in Ajmer is quite different from other times due to the storm of claims and counter-claims that have arisen around this Dargah in recent times.
‘Garib Nawaz’
The Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer is one of the famous Dargahs of the Indian subcontinent. Apart from India, people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and as far away as America, France and Germany come to visit this Dargah. Many famous personalities and politicians from India and abroad have offered their prayers here.
This dargah in Rajasthan, rich in history and tradition, is named after the mystic philosopher and Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. He is known to the common people as ‘Garib Nawaz’. According to historians, this dargah, which goes against religious and communal narrowness, gives a message of harmony and generosity, and Moinuddin Chishti himself is behind it.
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Rahul Sankrityayan, in his book ‘Akbar’, describes the Sufi saint and philosopher Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti as the first of the Muslim saints who was described as a ‘Muslim communist’. He was born in 1142 in the city of Sanjar (Sistan) in Iran. His fame transcended the boundaries of the Indian subcontinent as well as religion.
He was a disciple of the famous mystic saint Khwaja Osman Haruni. Moinuddin Chishti first reached Lahore, then Delhi, and then Ajmer in 1192. Before that, he had met the famous mystic philosophers there while visiting several major cities via Baghdad and Herat.
He came to Ajmer after the Battle of Tarain at a time when Muslim rule was beginning in India. This was during the reign of Qutubuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, Aram Shah, Ruknuddin Firoz and Razia Sultana. It is said that Moinuddin Chishti was a charming saint and mystic. His philosophy and message made him famous. It is also said that Iltutmish himself came to meet him once after learning about his fame. It is said that Razia Sultana also visited Ajmer many times.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti believed that people can resist oppression even by remaining calm. It was as if India was waiting for this message at that time. The famous social reformer and follower of Arya Samaj, Harvilas Sarada, has given a detailed description of Moinuddin Chishti’s fakirana lifestyle in his book ‘Ajmer: Historical and Descriptive’. He also described this dargah as a ‘historical feat’ of Ajmer.
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Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was famous for his philosophy of life. It is said that for many days he himself would eat a single loaf of bread but always had langar ready for the hungry. His hospitality towards the helpless and hungry poor was not unknown to anyone.
Historian Rana Safavi writes, “Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s speeches captivated both kings and peasants. The very mention of Ajmer brings to mind the image of Khwaja Garib Nawaz and his shrine. This saint was as generous as the ocean and his hospitality was as vast as the world.” Moinuddin Chishti died in 1236 AD.
History of the Dargah
This Dargah was built on the tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti after his death and was patronized by the Sultans of Delhi in the 13th century. Sultan Mahmud Khilji of Mandur and later Ghiyasuddin built a mausoleum and a beautiful dome there. Muhammad bin Tughlaq was probably the first emperor to visit the Dargah in 1325.
And the Tughlaq ruler Zafar Khan visited the shrine in 1395 AD. During his visit, he gave many gifts to people associated with the shrine. Mandur Khilji took control of Ajmer in 1455. At that time, the shrine received extensive patronage. During his reign, a large gate, a high gate and a mosque were built in the premises of the shrine. Before that, there was no such strong construction there.
According to historians, the original dargah was made of wood. Later, a stone canopy was built over it. According to historian Rana Safavi, “The first solid evidence of the construction of the dargah complex is its dome, which was decorated in 1532. This is evident from an inscription written in gold letters on the northern wall of the tomb.”
“This is the beautiful dome that we see today. In keeping with Indo-Islamic architecture, the dome is decorated with lotuses and a golden crown given by Nawab Haider Ali Khan of Rampur is placed on top.”
Fazlullah Jamali has collected many ‘stories’ about Sheikh Moinuddin Chishti. According to him, the dargah used to be visited by a large number of people and gifts were also given to the Mujavirs by Hindus. According to Fazlullah Jamali (d. 1536), at that time the dargah was well known among the people of Sabzawar, Mihna, Zil, Baghdad and Hamadan.
The Dargah’s Relationship with Akbar
By the time Akbar first visited this Dargah, the fame of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti had spread widely. Rahul Sankrityayan writes in his book Akbar, “One night Akbar was going hunting from a village near Agra. Hearing the praises of the Khwaja of Ajmer from the mouths of some people, devotion arose in his heart. In the middle of January 1562, he started his journey to Ajmer with some people.”
Abul Fazl again writes, “One night he (Akbar) went to Fatehpur for hunting. At that time, on the way from Agra to Fatehpur, some people of the village were singing a beautiful song about the glory and virtues of Khwaja Moinuddin.” From there he came to know about this shrine.
The Mughal Emperor Akbar had deep respect for the shrine. Rahul Sankrityayan writes in his book ‘Akbar’, “In April 1572, Akbar, vowing to have a child, set out on foot for the pilgrimage and reached Ajmer, covering 16 manzils at a speed of 14 miles per day.”
Some sources also say that he went barefoot from Fatehpur Sikri to the shrine in the hope of having a child. He used to travel on foot from Agra to Ajmer every year to visit the shrine. Akbar also built a mosque at the shrine, which is called the Akbari Mosque.
Historian Abul Fazl writes, “Akbar was the first Mughal ruler to visit the Dargah for the first time in 1562. He gave gifts and donations to people associated with the Dargah.” According to him, Akbar came to the Dargah on foot in 1568 to fulfill his first vow.
Akbar saw that langar was being arranged for thousands of poor and pilgrims, so he gave away 18 villages in Ajmer, Chittor and Ranthambore.
Akbar ordered the construction of a mosque and a khanqah in Ajmer in 1569. The Akbari Mosque of red sandstone was built in accordance with that order. Shah Jahan built a beautiful mosque in 1637, which is located to the west of the dargah, next to the Shahjahani Darwaza.
Akbar and Jahangir made many arrangements for the people visiting the shrine, which are mentioned in the book Harbilas Sardara. The shrine used to get 25 percent salt from the Sambhar Lake, in return for which it received 7 taka at that time. A total of 5,070 taka was paid for the langar of the shrine.
Soon after the end of Bairam Khan’s rule, a charter of 1560 is known in which it is mentioned that a servant of the shrine was given 20 bighas of land.
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The Dargah’s association with the Mughal emperors
The work of renovating the Dargah had begun even before Akbar’s first visit to Ajmer (1562 AD). This work continued not only during the Mughals’ rule but also after their demise.
Akbar’s interest in the shrine began with his policy of incorporating Indian elements into his ruling class. Some historians believe that the Mughals were traditionally followers of the Naqshbandi sect of Sufism.
Akbar visited not only the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, but also the tombs of other Chishti Sufis in Delhi. According to historians, the importance attached to the shrine was not only due to Akbar’s spiritual thoughts, but also helped to increase the acceptance of Mughal rule in India.
The shrine remained a centre of spiritual importance during the British rule. However, there were some changes in the administrative system.
Beliefs of people of other religions
People of different religions visit this shrine in Ajmer and this tradition has been going on for centuries. During the annual Urs festival, lakhs of people come and this tradition is still going on. Women are allowed here. Hindu and other women also come to visit this shrine, some of them to make vows to fulfill their desires. From the beginning, people from different sections of the society used to come to this shrine, and this tradition still exists.
A large number of people gather at this shrine during these two events, Urs and Milad-un-Nabi. According to historians, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti chose a place for spirituality that was already sacred to Hindus. There is a temple of Brahma there. And with the help of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer became a center of pilgrimage for people of both communities.
Recent Claims and Counterclaims
In its nearly 800-year history, the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti has witnessed various events under the Sultans of Delhi, Mughal Emperors, Rajputs, Marathas, British Empire and independent India. However, no one has approached the court before questioning its existence as it has now.
Hindu Sena National President Vishnu Gupta claims that there is a Hindu temple under the Dargah. He has made the information in Harvilas Sarada’s book one of the bases of his case. According to Gupta, “During the British rule, Harvilas Sarada, who was the Commissioner of the Municipality of Ajmer, mentioned in his book written in 1911 that the Dargah was built on a temple. We have prepared the application based on that.”
“We did our own research and visited the Dargah based on the information given in the book. A Hindu temple was demolished and the structure of the Dargah was built. “The images carved on the walls and doors of the dargah are reminiscent of Hindu temples.”
Regarding the third basis of his claim, Vishnu Gupta said, “Every person in Ajmer knows and their ancestors also say that there was a Shivalinga there.” He said, “Our point is that this is not the Dargah of Ajmer, this is the Sankatmochan Mahadev Temple. The Dargah is above, the temple of Lord Shiva was below.”
The book ‘Ajmer: Historical and Descriptive’ written by Harvilas Sarada in 1911 mentions several things. The book also has a chapter on the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. The first paragraph on page 97 mentions the Mahadev temple in the Dargah.
The Bengali translation of the book written in English reads, “According to tradition, there is an idol of Mahadev in a temple inside the basement, on which a Brahmin family used to put sandalwood every day.” On this basis, Vishnu Gupta filed the petition in the court.
The Anjuman Committee, the body representing Ajmer Sharif, has rejected Gupta’s claim. “We are hereditary khadims who have been working to conduct religious ceremonies related to the dargah for the last 800 years. But in this (case), we have not been made a party,” Anjuman Committee Secretary Syed Sarwar Chishti told the BBC.
He said, “The Anjuman Committee represents the khadims, and the dargah committee only does supervisory work. This is a kind of conspiracy, which we will not allow to happen. We are consulting our lawyers. We will go to court.”
He also raised questions about Harvilas Sarda’s book. In his words, “Sardaji was the president of the Arya Samaj. He was a member of the Hindu Mahasabha. During the British government’s rule, he was given the title of Roy. He wrote a book like Hindu Supremacy which talks about his ideology.”
Syed Sarwar Chishti says that Harbilas Sardar’s book is being quoted everywhere, but a decision he gave in 1915 is not mentioned anywhere. He says, “In the decision given in 1915, Sardarji wrote that the khadims of the dargah are hereditary. They have a legacy and are closely related to the dargah.”
“Writing a book and giving a verdict are two different things. In his judgment, he did not write anywhere that there was a temple in the dargah and that some Brahmins used to worship there.” Source: BBC.
