Visiting Ajmer Sharif during the Urs

We were in Ajmer during the annual Urs, the death anniversary of the 12th century Sufi mystic Moinuddin Chishti. It is a six day commemoration; and we were there on the first day. That's the day when the Jannati Darwaza - Doorway to Paradise - is thrown open to pilgrims. Otherwise it remains shut through the year, except for a few occasions. 

We were lucky to get there before the massive crowds arrived. Even so, the dargah was filled with devotees. 

The two famous gigantic cauldrons of the dargah - where food is cooked for langar - were being filled with offerings of rice, sugar, ghee and dry fruits. Many threw currency notes into the cauldrons. Later in the evening, the cauldrons would be emptied, and langar of sweet rice would be cooked and served to devotees.  

We met a khadim of the dargarh - a descendant of the Chishtiya family - and he told us the history of the dargah, explained the rituals and helped us navigate the crowds. We entered the main tomb through the Jannati Darwaza, and made our offering of chadar and flowers. The energy inside was electric, and I could hear the outcries of the faithful. Ya Garib Nawaz! Ya Khwaja! the pilgrims called out his name and poured out their problems. Next to me, a man pleaded repeatedly "Save my brother, Ya Khwaja! Only you can save him!". It moved me to tears. 

Our khadim offered an appeal on our behalf to Khawja Moinuddin and asked for blessings for the health and prosperity of us and our families. In content it was pretty similar to what the Hindu priest at Pushkar did for us. It made me smile a little. What suckers we humans are for reassurances and guarantees! And how similar the words of the intermediaries are!

It took us about an hour to make our offerings and depart. We received 'tabarruk' of gulkand, rose petals, chadar and photo (tabarruk is like a temple prashad). Even as we left, the crowds were thickening, and there were police stationed for crowd management. We missed the night quwwali - but it was not something I could help. Our schedule did not permit us to stay. 

I came back home and listened to the specific quwwali which is sung to inaugurate the Ajmer Urs: it's called Mehfil E Shahana Mubarak Bashad, and it says "O Saki! what a blessed mehfil (gathering)! We thank you for this bountiful goblet of wine". Saki means, the server of wine. I find these maikhana references in Sufism quite fascinating. What sort of culture produced this wine-soaked divine love? It reminds me so much of the trance-like divine love of Radha-Krishna. And the Persian lyrics are super interesting because I can half understand them. 

Here is the link to the song. Listen to it, and imagine it being sung at night in the dargah, illuminated by many lamps.