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&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;New page&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2017}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{short description|Sufi tomb of Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer, Rajasthan, India}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox religious building&lt;br /&gt;
|building_name         = Ajmer Sharif Dargah&lt;br /&gt;
|religious_affiliation = [[Islam]]&lt;br /&gt;
|image                 = File:Ajmer dargah.png&lt;br /&gt;
|caption               = The tomb of [[Moinuddin Chishti]] is one of [[India]]&amp;#039;s most important Sufi tomb&lt;br /&gt;
|map_type              = India Rajasthan#India&lt;br /&gt;
|coordinates           = {{coord|26.45613|N|74.62817|E|region:IN-RJ_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}}&lt;br /&gt;
|map_size              =&lt;br /&gt;
|map_caption           =&lt;br /&gt;
|location              = [[Ajmer]]&lt;br /&gt;
|rite                  =&lt;br /&gt;
|district              = [[Ajmer district]]&lt;br /&gt;
|province              = [[Rajasthan]]&lt;br /&gt;
|country               = [[India]]&lt;br /&gt;
|consecration_year     =&lt;br /&gt;
|status                = [[tomb]]&lt;br /&gt;
|leadership            =&lt;br /&gt;
|ownership             = [[Government of Rajasthan]]&lt;br /&gt;
|website               = {{URL|http://Www.khwajagharibnawazindia.com}}&lt;br /&gt;
|architect             = [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]]-Al-Jamaat&lt;br /&gt;
|architecture_type     = [[Mosque]], [[Dargah|Sufi mausoleum]]&lt;br /&gt;
|architecture_style    = [[Modern architecture|Modern]]&lt;br /&gt;
|established           = 1236 (AD)&lt;br /&gt;
|year_completed        = 1236 (AD)&lt;br /&gt;
|construction_cost     =&lt;br /&gt;
|facade_direction      = West&lt;br /&gt;
|capacity              =&lt;br /&gt;
|length                =&lt;br /&gt;
|width                 =&lt;br /&gt;
|width_nave            =&lt;br /&gt;
|height_max            =&lt;br /&gt;
|dome_quantity         = 1&lt;br /&gt;
|dome_height_outer     =&lt;br /&gt;
|dome_height_inner     =&lt;br /&gt;
|dome_dia_outer        =&lt;br /&gt;
|dome_dia_inner        =&lt;br /&gt;
|minaret_quantity      = 1&lt;br /&gt;
|minaret_height        =&lt;br /&gt;
|spire_quantity        =&lt;br /&gt;
|spire_height          =&lt;br /&gt;
|materials             =&lt;br /&gt;
|image_size            =&lt;br /&gt;
|year_construction begins =&lt;br /&gt;
|Tomb_quantity       =&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Ajmer Sharif Dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Ajmer Dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Ajmer Sharif&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; or &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Dargah Sharif&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-barack-obama-offers-chadar-at-ajmer-dargah-sharif-for-chishty-s-803rd-urs-2078728 |title=Barack Obama offers &amp;#039;chadar&amp;#039; at Ajmer Dargah Sharif for Chishty&amp;#039;s 803rd Urs |date=19 April 2015 |work=DNA India}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; is a Sufi tomb (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[dargah]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) of the revered Sufi saint, [[Moinuddin Chishti]], located at [[Ajmer]], [[Rajasthan]], [[India]]. The shrine has Chishti&amp;#039;s grave (Maqbara).&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news|title= 797th Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chisty begins in Ajmer|url= http://www.sify.com/news/797th-urs-of-khawaja-moinuddin-chisty-begins-in-ajmer-news-national-jguwargfefi.html|newspaper= Sify|access-date= 18 February 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121001070945/http://www.sify.com/news/797th-urs-of-khawaja-moinuddin-chisty-begins-in-ajmer-news-national-jguwargfefi.html|archive-date= 1 October 2012|url-status= dead}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Location==&lt;br /&gt;
Ajmer Sharif Dargah is {{convert|2|km|mi}} away from the main central Ajmer Railway station and 500 metres away from the Central Jail and is situated at the foot of the Taragarh hill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Background ==&lt;br /&gt;
{{Main|Mu&amp;#039;in al-Din Chishti}}&lt;br /&gt;
Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti was a 13th-century Sufi saint and philosopher. Born in [[Sanjar, Iran|Sanjar]] (of modern-day [[Iran]]), or in [[Sistan|Sijistan]],&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Srivastava|first=Ashirbadi Lal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vVU1AQAAIAAJ|title=Medieval Indian Culture|date=1964|publisher=Shiva Lal Agarwala|page=80|quote=Born in Sijistan about 1141.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; he arrived in [[Delhi]] during the reign of the [[Sultan]] [[Iltutmish]] (d. 1236). Moinuddin moved from Delhi to [[Ajmer]] shortly thereafter, at which point he became increasingly influenced by the writings of the famous [[Sunni]] [[Hanbali]] [[Ulama|scholar]] and [[Mysticism|mystic]] [[Khwaja Abdullah Ansari|ʿAbdallāh Anṣārī]] (d. 1088), whose famous work on the lives of the early Islamic saints, the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Ṭabāqāt al-ṣūfiyya&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, may have played a role in shaping Moinuddin&amp;#039;s worldview. It was during his time in Ajmer that Moinuiddin acquired the reputation of being a charismatic and compassionate spiritual preacher and teacher; and biographical accounts of his life written after his death report that he received the gifts of many &amp;quot;spiritual marvels (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;karāmāt&amp;#039;&amp;#039;), such as miraculous travel, clairvoyance, and visions of angels&amp;quot; in these years of his life.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==History==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Basawan - Akbar visits the tomb of Khwajah Mu&amp;#039;in ad-Din Chishti at Ajmer - Google Art Project.jpg|left|thumb|[[Akbar]] visiting the tomb of Khwajah Mu&amp;#039;in ad-Din Chishti at Ajmer - 16th century painting by [[Basawan]]]]&lt;br /&gt;
Mohiuddin seems to have been unanimously regarded as a great saint after his passing. The tomb (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargāh&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) of Muʿīn al-Dīn became a deeply venerated site in the century following the preacher&amp;#039;s death in March 1236. Honoured by members of all social classes, the tomb was treated with great respect by the era&amp;#039;s most important Sunni rulers. The 13th-century [[Sultan of Delhi]] [[Iltutmish]] paid a famous visit to the tomb in 1332 to commemorate the memory of the saint. In a similar way, the later [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Akbar]] (d. 1605) visited the shrine no less than fourteen times during his reign. He also reconstructed the tomb&amp;#039;s [[sanctum sanctorum]] in 1579. Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Jahanara later renovated the structure.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduFuture19&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Tankha|first=Madhur|date=3 September 2019|title=The future of the Ajmer dargah|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/the-future-of-the-ajmer-dargah/article29322057.ece|access-date=25 July 2020|issn=0971-751X}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; An elegant covering over the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039; was constructed in 1800 by the [[Maharaja of Baroda]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HudaPage64&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{harvp|Huda|2003|page=64}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Local and national rulers came to pray here, the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039; grew in popularity and size over the years.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book|editor-last=Rippin|editor-first=Andrew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xUu04ozMXOcC|title=The Blackwell Companion to the Qur&amp;#039;an|date=15 April 2008|publisher=John Wiley &amp;amp; Sons|isbn=978-1-4051-7844-0|page=357}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; [[Razia Sultana]], [[Nasiruddin Mahmud (grandson of Iltutmish)|Nasiruddin Mahmud]], [[Muhammad bin Tughluq]], [[Sher Shah Suri]], and [[Akbar]] and his descendants [[Jahangir]], [[Shah Jahan]], [[Aurangzeb]], [[Dara Shikoh]] and [[Jahanara Begum]] were known to have visited the shrine.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Safvi|first=Rana|date=17 February 2019|title=In the Chishti shrine in Ajmer|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/in-the-chishti-shrine-in-ajmer/article26292437.ece|access-date=26 July 2020|issn=0971-751X}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the present day, the tomb of Moinuiddin Chishti continues to be one of the most popular sites of religious visitation for Sunni Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, with over &amp;quot;hundreds of thousands of people from all over the Indian sub-continent assembling there on the occasion of [the saint&amp;#039;s] &amp;#039;&amp;#039;ʿurs&amp;#039;&amp;#039; or death anniversary.&amp;quot; Additionally, the site also attracts many [[Hindu|Hindus]], who have also venerated the Islamic saint since the medieval period.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2019, the [[Hindustan Zinc Limited]] decided to renovate the complex under the [[Swachh Bharat Abhiyan]], including many plans specifically targeted at sanitation and hygiene.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduFuture19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Mazumdar|first=Rakhi|title=Ajmer Sharif Dargah to be revamped into a Swacch Iconic Place|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ajmer-sharif-dargah-to-be-revamped-into-a-swacch-iconic-place/articleshow/65637939.cms|date=1 September 2018|access-date=25 July 2020}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Architecture==&lt;br /&gt;
The white marble dome of Chishti&amp;#039;s shrine, as seen today, was built in 1532. This date is inscribed in golden letters on the Northern wall of the dargah. It is an example of [[Indo-Islamic architecture]] and the dome features a lotus and a crown of gold, donated by Rampur&amp;#039;s Nawab Haider Ali Khan.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; It is located in the Ihaata Noorani ({{trans|Quarter of Light}}) of the complex.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Materials used to build it include marble, brick and sandstone. The dargah has a royal darbar, Mehfil Khana, that was constructed in 1888. It is a square structure and has a patterned ceiling.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduFuture19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Jahanara Begum donated the dargah&amp;#039;s left facet (Begumi Dalaan),&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;OutlookTravellerQuickGuide15&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; the railing around the dargah and also constructed a small platform, the Begumi Chabutra. The sanctum of the dargah has two doors. The canopy made of [[mother-of-pearl]] and silver was commissioned by Jahangir and is visible from the [[cenotaph]]&amp;#039;s four silver posts.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The ceiling is etched with gold and in 1888, the walls were [[gilded]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;OutlookTravellerQuickGuide15&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The complex has multiple structures and has eight entrance gates. However, only three of these are in use.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;DHJourney12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|date=5 April 2012|title=The journey to Ajmer Sharif - from Akbar to Zardari|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/239751/journey-ajmer-sharif-akbar-zardari.html|access-date=25 July 2020|website=Deccan Herald}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Nizam Gate, a yellow structure with floral designs,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; is the main gate and was donated by the 7th [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] [[Mir Osman Ali Khan]] in 1911. An older gate, the Shahjahani Gate, was donated by the Mughal emperor [[Shah Jahan]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;RediffMusharaff01&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|title=Musharraf seeks brush with the divine in Ajmer|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2001/jul/16inpak4.htm|first=Basharat|last=Peer|date=16 July 2001|access-date=26 July 2020|website=Rediff}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; It marked the expansion of the shrine complex beyond the Buland Darwaza,{{efn|This &amp;quot;high gate&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;buland darwaza&amp;quot; should not be confused with Akbar&amp;#039;s more famous [[Buland Darwaza]] in [[Fatehpur Sikri]].}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduFuture19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; built by Sultan [[Mahmud Khalji]].{{efn|Sultan Mahmood Khilji II (Shihab-ud-Din Mahmud Shah II) ruled [[Malwa Sultanate|Malwa]] from 1510 to 1531.}}&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;RediffMusharaff01&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Other gates include the Madar Gate and the Delhi Gate.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;ToIUrsPreps11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news |date=13 May 2011 |title=Preparations for Urs in full swing at Ajmer dargah |location=Jaipur |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Preparations-for-Urs-in-full-swing-at-Ajmer-dargah/articleshow/8279648.cms |access-date=26 July 2020 |work=The Times of India}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Jannati Darwaza is a door made of silver that is used only on rare occasions.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;OutlookTravellerQuickGuide15&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; It is also referred to as the Bihisti Darwaza.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HudaUrsFestival&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The complex has eight tombs besides that of Chishti, belonging to members of his family.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;DHJourney12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Some of these include Chishti&amp;#039;s daughter Bibi Hafiza Jamal and Nizam Sikka, who was a water-carrier who saved Humayun&amp;#039;s life.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;OutlookTravellerQuickGuide15&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; A huge chandelier, Sahn Chirag, was commissioned by Akbar. The &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Ahaat-e-Noor&amp;#039;&amp;#039; is a large courtyard where religious functions are held and &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[qawwali]]s&amp;#039;&amp;#039; are sung.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;RediffMusharaff01&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Near the Nizam Gate is the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Naqqar Khana&amp;#039;&amp;#039; ({{trans|drum house}}) where music was once played from to greet visitors. A large silver chandelier was donated by the [[Golden Temple]]. The Akbari Mosque is made of red sandstone and was probably commissioned by Akbar. A more elegant mosque was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1637&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and is called the Jami Masjid. It is made of white marble. The Sandali Masjid was constructed by Aurangzeb. The complex also has a [[Langar Khana]] and a Mahfil Khana (assembly hall for &amp;#039;&amp;#039;qawwals&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, opened only during the urs).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;OutlookTravellerQuickGuide15&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|title=Quick Guide: Ajmer, Rajasthan|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/explore/story/47205/quick-guide-ajmer-rajasthan|access-date=26 July 2020|website=Outlook Traveller|date=10 July 2015}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The Jhalara is a natural tank of water that is used by pilgrims. Other tanks were donated by Shah Jahan&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;ToIUrsPreps11&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and [[Queen Mary of Teck]] in 1911.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;GulfShrinesTolerance12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|title=Why these two shrines of Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer and Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi are glorious symbols of tolerance in India|url=https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/why-these-two-shrines-of-moinuddin-chishti-in-ajmer-and-nizamuddin-auliya-in-delhi-are-glorious-symbols-of-tolerance-in-india-1.993802|first=Meher|last=Murshed|date=16 March 2012|access-date=26 July 2020|website=Gulf News}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Jami Masjid is located to the west of the dargah, while the large marble courtyard is located on its eastern side. The Arhat-i-Noor is an enclosure restricted to women that is located on the southern side and houses the tombs of Chishti&amp;#039;s daughter and granddaughter. More than 40 graves lie behind the Jami Masjid.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HudaPage64&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Culture==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti Ajmer India.JPG|thumb|left|The street approaching the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039;]]&lt;br /&gt;
The dargah has been a site for pilgrims venerated by followers of [[Hinduism]] and [[Islam]] since medieval times&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{harvp|Khan|2010|page=232}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and also attracts Jains and Sikhs. Pilgrims come here from around the world&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;DHJourney12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and offer &amp;#039;&amp;#039;chaddars&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (sacred sheets) to the shrine.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Grewal|first=Kairvy|date=2 March 2020|title=Over 200 Pakistani pilgrims visit Ajmer Sharif dargah for Urs after two years|url=https://theprint.in/india/over-200-pakistani-pilgrims-visit-ajmer-sharif-dargah-for-urs-after-two-years/373883/|access-date=25 July 2020|website=ThePrint}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Pilgrims also offer rose petals, which total up to seven tonnes per day.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduFuture19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Women are allowed to enter the dargah.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; It has been estimated that around 20,000 pilgrims visit the site every day. After pilgrims exit the shrine, photographers from photo studios offer professional photos of the pilgrims at rates as cheap as {{INR}}20. Most of these photographers are Hindus who migrated to Ajmer during the [[Partition of India]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite journal|first=Sohail|last=Akbar|date=3 February 2018|title=Ajmer Sharif&amp;#039;s Photo Booths Capture an Islam that is Diverse and Local|url=https://www.epw.in/engage/article/Ajmer-Sharifs-Photo-Booths-Capture-an-Islam-that-is-Diverse-and-Local|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=53|issue=5|issn=2349-8846}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For the [[Langar (Sufism)|langar]] of the shrine, Akbar and Jahangir donated &amp;#039;&amp;#039;degh&amp;#039;&amp;#039; ({{trans|cauldron}}) in 1568 and 1614, respectively. These two &amp;#039;&amp;#039;degh&amp;#039;&amp;#039; are in use even today,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduInShrine19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; as the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039; is known for its &amp;#039;&amp;#039;degh ka khana&amp;#039;&amp;#039; ({{trans|food from a cauldron}}). This is made of rice, ghee, cashew nuts, almonds and raisins. People undergo the Islamic ritual purification of &amp;#039;&amp;#039;wudu&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, in which pilgrims wash their face, hands and feet prior to offering &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[namaz]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. The street approaching the dargah is well-known for its food, craft items and [[gota work]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HinduFuture19&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The daily rituals at the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039; are mainly the five mandatory prayers of Muslims, the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[namaz]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. At sunset, there is the ceremony of the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Dua-e-Roshni&amp;#039;&amp;#039; ({{trans|Prayer of Lights}}), in which large yellow candles are carried to the darbar by the khadims. Following the prayers at night, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;qawwalis&amp;#039;&amp;#039; are sung, after which all visitors are asked to leave. Three khadims then clean the durbar with brooms made of peacock feathers. After the last person is out of the shrine, the qawwals recite the Karka, which is a musical verse in [[Sanskrit]], Brij and [[Persian language|Persian]]. The dargah is then locked and reopened only for the next day&amp;#039;s pre-dawn prayer.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;LivemintSolution12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Soofi|first=Mayank Austen|author-link=Mayank Austen Soofi|date=3 February 2012|title=The sufi solution|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/zG3aMfKAuC26PNQsW8ODZJ/The-sufi-solution.html|access-date=25 July 2020|website=Livemint}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some attribute the influence of Islam on Indian culture to have begun from the dargah, including in [[Tansen]]&amp;#039;s music; the tolerance practiced by [[Salim Chishti]], [[Abul Fazl]] and [[Abul Faizi]]; and in [[Indo-Saracenic architecture]]. It has been the tradition to source the incense, sandalwood paste and [[ittar]] used in the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039; from a Brahmin family, right from the times of Chishti. One shrine in the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;dargah&amp;#039;&amp;#039; complex is revered by [[Sikhs]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;EPWDiary92&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite journal|last=Ghosh|first=Arun|date=1992|title=Travel Diary: A Rajasthan Scenario|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/41625319|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=27|issue=5|pages=185–186|jstor=41625319|issn=0012-9976}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Urs Sharif festival===&lt;br /&gt;
{{Main|Urs festival, Ajmer}}&lt;br /&gt;
The death anniversary of Moinuddin Chishti, the [[urs]], is not mourned and is celebrated since it is the day the disciple is reunited with his maker ([[Allah]]).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;GulfShrinesTolerance12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The celebrations begin with the end of the Islamic month of [[Jumada al-Thani]] and conclude on the sixth day of the month of [[Rajab]], a total of six days.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HudaUrsFestival&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{harvp|Huda|2003|pp=68-70}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Members of [[Bhilwara]]&amp;#039;s Gori family march through the city towards the Nizam gate and hoist the flag on the Buland Darwaza, marking the beginning of the death anniversary rituals. Following this, the urs rituals begin with the sighting of the moon. This is followed by the Aser ki Namaz.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite news |date=15 March 2018 |title=Ajmer Urs begins as Gori family hoists flag |location=Jaipur |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/ajmer-urs-begins-as-gori-family-hoists-flag/articleshow/63307613.cms|access-date=25 July 2020|work=The Times of India}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Every night a [[mehfil]]-i-[[Sama (Sufism)|sama]] takes place at the Mahfil Khana of the complex, in which women are allowed to participate (which is not common in a dargah).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;SoCalWomenMystics13&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Pemberton|first=Kelly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qy8UCAAAQBAJ|title=Women Mystics and Sufi Shrines in India|year=2013|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|isbn=978-1-61117-232-4|page=155}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The urs end with the Qul, the final prayer.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;LivemintSolution12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; During this period, pilgrims attempt to enter the dargah as many times as possible and make their prayers. The Bihisti Darwaza is made of silver and it is washed with rose water by pilgrims in the afternoon. It is believed that touching it guarantees one a place in [[Heaven]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;HudaUrsFestival&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; It is believed that roses offered to the dargah during the festival are sourced from [[Pushkar]], a site deemed holy for Hindus.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;EPWDiary92&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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About five lakh people, the approximate population of the city of Ajmer, come to attend the urs. About 2700 buses of pilgrims enter the city.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|title=The heart of Sufis: Ajmer-Sharif|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/explore/story/47056/the-heart-of-sufis-ajmer-sharif|first=Mitali|last=Saran|date=12 August 2015|access-date=27 July 2020|website=Outlook Traveller}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The [[Indian Railways]] launches a special train service, the Garib Nawaz trains, to facilitate transport for pilgrims around the country.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;ToIUrsPreps11&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Vishram Sthali in the Kayad locality of Ajmer serves as a place for lakhs of pilgrims to stay during this time,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite news |date=2 April 2020 |title=Rajasthan falls short of 3,000 quarantine beds |location=Jaipur |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/state-falls-short-of-3000-quarantine-beds/articleshow/74939478.cms |access-date=26 July 2020|website=The Times of India}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; although every kind of accommodation is occupied with the sheer number of pilgrims.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;LivemintSolution12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In March 2020, it was announced that a large guest house, Rubath, would be constructed in Ajmer for the same.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Khan|first=Asif Yar|title=Rubath works in Ajmer to begin soon|url=https://telanganatoday.com/rubath-works-in-ajmer-to-begin-soon|access-date=27 July 2020|work=Telangana Today|date=1 March 2020}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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== Major events ==&lt;br /&gt;
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===2007 bombing===&lt;br /&gt;
{{Main|Ajmer Dargah bombing}}&lt;br /&gt;
On 11 October 2007, an explosion occurred in Dargah Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti&amp;#039;s courtyard in Ajmer in Rajasthan. It was the holy fasting period of Ramazan and evening prayers had just ended. A crowd had gathered at the courtyard to break their fast. A bomb was placed inside a tiffin carrier went off. Reports said the blast claimed 7 lives and injured 17.&amp;lt;ref name=indian&amp;gt;{{cite news |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-the-ajmer-dargah-blast-case-4580300/ |title=What is the Ajmer Dargah blast case? |work=The Indian Express |date=22 March 2017}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name =news18&amp;gt;{{cite news |url=http://www.news18.com/news/india/ajmer-blast-case-nia-court-awards-life-imprisonment-to-devendra-gupta-bhavesh-patel-1362696.html |title=Ajmer Blast Case: NIA Court Awards Life Imprisonment to Devendra Gupta, Bhavesh Patel |work=News18 |date=22 March 2017}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Special Judge Dinesh Gupta&amp;#039;s nearly 500-page judgment was based on testimonies of 149 witnesses and 451 document submitted to his court.&amp;lt;ref name=indian/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name =news18/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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On 22 March 2017, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, sentenced two murderers named Bhavesh Patel and Davendra Gupta to life imprisonment, who were convicted along with Sunil Joshi, all of them ex-&amp;#039;&amp;#039;pracharaks&amp;#039;&amp;#039; of [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]]. Those convicted were held guilty under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosives Act and various sections of [[Indian Penal Code]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;indian&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;news18&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Hindu&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/ajmer-dargah-blast-case-convicts-get-life-imprisonment/article17572624.ece |title=Bhavesh Patel and Devendra Gupta owed their allegiance to RSS in the past as per media trials. |work=The Hindu |date=22 March 2017}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== Rape case ===&lt;br /&gt;
{{Main|Ajmer rape case}}&lt;br /&gt;
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In 1992, the Ajmer rape case, was one of India&amp;#039;s biggest cases of coerced sexual exploitation. All of 18 accused charged with abduction and gang rape belonged to the clan of caretakers of [[Chishti Order|sufi shrine]] of [[Ajmer Sharif Dargah]] of [[Moinuddin Chishti]]. Main accused Farooq Chishty was president of the [[Indian Youth Congress|Ajmer Youth Congress]]. Nafis Chishty was the vice-president of [[Indian National Congress|Ajmer Indian National Congress]] (INC) and Anwar Chishty was the joint secretary of INC. Eight were convicted for life and 4 among them were later acquitted in 2001.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|date=2018-02-25|title=Almost three decades after a rape, blackmail case rocked Ajmer, surrender of an accused opens old wounds|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajasthan-almost-three-decades-after-a-rape-blackmail-case-rocked-ajmer-surrender-of-an-accused-opens-old-wounds-5076914/|access-date=2020-06-12|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;The accused were in a position of influence, both socially and financially, and that made it even more difficult to persuade the girls to come forward and depose,&amp;quot; says retired Rajasthan DGP, who was then posted as the deputy inspector general of police, Ajmer.&lt;br /&gt;
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== In popular culture ==&lt;br /&gt;
The 1973 Indian film &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Mere Gharib Nawaz&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, directed by G. Ishwar, centres around a family who overcomes adversities through their piety at the shrine of Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Ramnath|first=Nandini|title=Prophets and profit: The miraculous world of Indian devotional films|url=http://scroll.in/article/753217/prophets-and-profit-the-miraculous-world-of-indian-devotional-films|access-date=2021-01-06|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Other Indian films revolving around the dargah and the saint include &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Sultan E Hind&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (1973) by K. Sharif, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Mere Data Garib Nawaz&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (1994) by M Gulzar Sultani.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |title=Sultan E Hind |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF5PBwJ3UKI |publisher=Eagle Home Entertainments |date=Mar 3, 2016}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |title=Mere Data Garib Nawaz VCD (1994) |url=https://www.induna.com/1000008598-productdetails/ |website=Induna.com}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
File:Ajmer Sharif Dargah 1893.jpg|Dargah Sharif, Ajmer, 1893&lt;br /&gt;
File:Ajmer Dargah Entrance.jpg|Buland Darwaza, erected by Sultan [[Mahmood Khilji]]&lt;br /&gt;
File:Sufi photos 051.jpg|Mausoleum of Moinuddin Chishti&lt;br /&gt;
File:Qawalli at Ajmer Sharif dargah.jpg|[[Qawali]] at the front of Dargah&lt;br /&gt;
File:Ajmer Sharif Dargah.jpg|Inside the mausoleum&lt;br /&gt;
File:Ajmer sharif India.png|Dargah Emblem&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Nizamuddin Dargah]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Shah Jalal Dargah]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Shrine of Baba Farid]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Turabul Haq Dargah]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==Footnotes==&lt;br /&gt;
{{notelist}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==References==&lt;br /&gt;
=== Citations ===&lt;br /&gt;
{{Reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
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=== Bibliography ===&lt;br /&gt;
{{refbegin}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{Cite journal |last=Khan |first=Motiur Rahman |year=2010 |title=Akbar and the Dargah of Ajmer |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44147489 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=71 |pages=226–235 |jstor=44147489 |issn=2249-1937}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{Cite journal |last=Huda |first=Qamar-ul |title=Khwâja Mu&amp;#039;în Ud-Dîn Chishtî&amp;#039;s Death Festival: Competing Authorities over Sacred Space |year=2003 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44368645 |journal=Journal of Ritual Studies |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=61–78 |jstor=44368645 |issn=0890-1112}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{refend}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==Further reading==&lt;br /&gt;
* {{Cite book|last=Currie|first=P. M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C8wwAAAACAAJ|title=The Shrine and Cult of Mu&amp;#039;in Al-Din Chishti of Ajmer|date=1989|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-563144-9}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite web |title=Dargah Committee, Dargah Khwaja Saheb, Ajmer |url=https://gharibnawaz.in/index.html |website=gharibnawaz.in |publisher=[[Ministry of Minority Affairs]], Government of India}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Commons category|Ajmer Sharif dargah}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite web |title=Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Shrine of Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer |url=http://www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/the-ajmer-sharif-dargah.html |website=Rajasthan Department of Tourism |language=en-IN}}&lt;br /&gt;
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{{Mosques in India}}&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Category:Dargahs in India]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Ajmer]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures in Rajasthan]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Religious tourism in India]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:National symbols of India]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>CleanupBot II</name></author>
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