Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti, popularly known as Gharib Nawaz, at Ajmer, has for the last 800

years been an abode of spiritual inspiration, peace and Ajmer and communal harmony. As a lighthouse, it has been showing the humanity, generations after generation, the path of righteousness, purity of heart, universal human love and self-less service. Emperors and Kings have bowed their heads like ordinary human beings at the feet of the great Sufi saint and the common folk have emerged as dignitaries after seeking his blessings. Men and women, young and old, in countless numbers, from every nook and corner of the country and abroad, of all religions, castes, classes, colours and races, flock to the Dargah, and when they reach the sanctum sanctorum, the mazarsharif, they are denuded of all the worldly trappings;" their religion, caste, class, colour and race left far behind. And in the spiritual ambience of the shrine they remain nothing but human beings, pure and simple; feeling a spiritual joy and purity never experienced before. Ajmer during the Urs of Gharib Nawaz, is magically transformed into a kingdom of human brotherhood, religious tolerance and Hindu-Muslim co-existence. Unity in diversity becomes a living, throbbing reality. Various cultures, creeds, races and languages melt and fuse into an universal human presence. All these are blessings of the great Khwaja Saheb who had faith in oneness of God and oneness of Man and who preached that all ways lead to the same Ultimate Reality.

Ajmer the city where the Dargah of the Great Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti stands, is a sacred centre of pilgrimage. Hallowed by the memories of the great seer, Ajmer has earned the epithet of Madinatul Hind or the Madina of India. Each year, the followers of the master congregate here from all parts of the world on the occasion of the annual festival of Urs to pay their obeisance to seek the Saints blessings for fulfillment of wishes. Devotees of all sects and faiths come here as the saints blessings are infallible for all. Thus, the festival presents a unique picture of harmony and universal brotherhood. Life Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was one of the brightest stars in the galaxy of the Sufi saints who enlightened and served the Indian humanity. He was born on April 13, 1143 A. D. (537 A. H.), to Hazrat Ghayasuddin Hasan and Bibi Ummul Wara, in the village Sijz or Sanjar, in the province of Sistan in Iran. His father died when he was just 13 years old. Inspiration Sheikh Ibrahim Qandozi, the great Sufi saint, initiated Khwaja Saheb into the world of spirituality. Once he came to the young Khwaja Sahib and perceived through his intuitive power that the boy was destined to become a great Sufi. It is said that he brought out a piece of bread from his wallet, chewed it and put it in Khwaja Saheb's mouth. This was the turning point and Khwaja Saheb was now an altogether changed man. Thus influenced by Sheikh Qandozi Khwaja Saheb sold out the small orchard and the flour-mill driven by water that he had inherited from his father, and distributed the proceeds of the sale among the poor. Thus jettisoning whatever worldly belongings he had, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti set out on a journey to Bukhara and Samarqand, the famous seats of Islamic learning, in search of knowledge. From there he went to Mecca and Madina. In Madina he happened to meet the great Sufi saint Khwaja Uthman Harvani whom he took as his master and guide. Khwaja Harvani belonged to the Chishti order, so Khwaja Moinuddin also became a Chishti. Khwaja Saheb had a vast reservoir of human love and compassion from the very beginning. He could not stand the sight of a child crying for milk. Whenever he encountered such a child, he would ask the mother to breast-feed the child. Even at the age of 3 or 4 years, he shared his food with other children of his age. Once on an Eid day, as he was going to the mosque attired in his festival best, he saw a blind boy in tattered clothes. Touched to the very core of his heart Khwaja Moinuddin, even as a young child, gave some of his clothes to the boy and took him to the mosque. AQWAL-E-ZAREEN OF KHWAJA SAHAB Allah Keeps intimacy with the one who has the following three qualities: First generosity like that of the river, second affection like that of the sun, third hospitality like that of the earth. One who is quick in getting divine grace is regarded as one from the saints. In reality, the resigned to the will of Allah is one who keeps his anguish and sufferings away from the people. The Company of pious people is better than doing a good deed. The company of bad people is worst than doing a bad deed. A saint is he who does not turn away a person disappointed if the person comes to him for some needs to be fulfilled. The best time is that when the heart is not led away by dis-transactions and there is complete freedom from peoples disturbances. People cannot achieve intimacy with Allah unless & until they are fully faithful in offering Namaz (Prayers) because Namaz, only, is the acme of a tree believer. The path of divine love is such that whosoever follows this path loses his trace and identity. In the friendship of the beloved (Allah) it is still meager to be rewarded with the gift of this world and hereafter. To obtain intimacy with Allah, one has to be hostile to those things which are dislikely by Allah i.e.. The mortal world and the ones self.

          

         

 

 

There are some concordants of penitence. They are to keep away from the ignorants, to give up falsehood, to disassociate from the atheists, to love the beloved (Allah), to give alms, to beg penitence properly and to discard tyranny. Oh, negligent, prepare provision for the journey, you have to face in future i.e. the journey to the hereafter. There is no veil between the group of divine lovers and the truth (Allah). Eternity is nothing but the truth. One the day of Resurrection, the one thing which will take on to Heaven is ones abstinence, not ones knowledge and actions only. Whatever one got, one got it by doing service. Sincerity in divine love is the attribute of the mystics. Whoever got the divine boon, got it by munificence. Ajmer Arrival After serving his master for about twenty years, Khwaja Moinuddin finally took leave of him. The master exhorted his discipline, "O Moinuddin ! Now as you have donned the robes of a faqir, you will have to act like faqirs. - These acts are : treat the poor with kindness and compassion, serve the destitute, ward off evils and be steadfast in times of adversity and tribulation." Thus perfected in spiritual knowledge by his master Khwaja Moinuddin embarked on a journey, both inward and outward, which found its culmination at Ajmer where he reached in 1195 A. D. It was an alien place but soon he was one with the local people, having identified himself with the lowest of the low amongst them. Here he set up a Khanqah to spread his message of universal love and brotherhood. He started a new form of devotional music, the qawwali, and used it to attain the state of rapture. Meditations Khwaja Moinuddin led a severely ascetic life, far removed from all worldly pleasures. He never took a full meal, remained without food for days together and when he did eat something, it would be a piece of bread soaked in water. All his life he owned only a single set of clothes which he washed with his own hands and mended it with patches whenever it got torn. He prayed and meditated throughout the nights. His disciple Khwaja Qutubuddin says, "I served Khwaja Saheb for twenty years and I never saw him praying for his health." Instead he prayed for sufferings and pain. Once I asked him, "Why do you pray like this ?" Khwaja Saheb replied that suffering strengthened the faith and purified a man as if he was just born. These efforts at self-purification invested Khwaja Moinuddin with such a magnetic power and spiritual glow that people of all creeds flocked to him from far and wide, for solace and peace of mind. Last Days One night Khwaja Moinuddin entered his cabin, locked it from inside as usual and immersed himself in prayers. He did not come out for five days, his disciples were extremely worried on the sixth day. When the door was forced open, the great Sufi was no more. It was March 11, 1223 A. D. 6th of Rajab, 633 A.

Night After the night prayers (Namaj-e-lsha), qawwalis are held at the left gate and Begumi Dalan. Khadims then come out of the Mazar and the traditional verses, the Karhka, are recited with the accompaniment of the dholak. Naubat is played at the Nizam gate between 11.30 p.m. till midnight hour. Jumerat ki Mehfil Every thursday, the Sama's ceremony with qawwals singing praises to the Khwaja is held after Namaj-elsha with traditional festivity. Mehfil Chhati Sharif Sixth of every Islamic month bears special significance at the Dargah as Khwaja Saheb breathed his last on 6th of Rajab. On the sixth day of every Islamic month Fatiha is offered followed by the Sama'a. Milad-un-Nabi Milad-un-Nabi is celebrated with great festivity. Entire Dargah is decorated and lighted, with people remembering the Prophet (PBUH) in various ways. People also throng the Akbari masjid to see the Moo-eMubarak (sacred hair). Moharram First ten days of the month of Moharram witness a lot of activity at the Dargah where the martyrdom of Imam Husain is remembered, Marsias recited and Majlises held. Basant Ceremony On the fifth day, of the Indian month of Magh, Basant is celebrated in traditional hues with qawwalis donning basanti clothes singing odes to the spring. Urs Khwaja Gharib Nawaz's Urs is held from First to the Ninth of the Islamic month of Rajab. Just after sighting the Rajab moon, beatings of the Naqqaras and melodious intonations of the shehnais start declaring the Urs open. The celebrations begin with a flag-hoisting ceremony. During the Urs, the Mazar sharif is given the sacred bath with gulabjal and sprayed with perfumes. First Qul falls on the Sixth of Rajab and with the second Qul on the Ninth Rajab, the Urs celebrations come to an end. Hundreds of abudantly decorated, glittering chadars are offered on the Mazar sharif during the Urs. Many devotees come in the form of a procession, led by qawwals singing praises to the Gharib Nawaz, to make their offerings and seek blessings. The Friday during the Urs days enjoys a special sacredness as every pilgrim anxiously tries to offer the juma prayers within the Dargah premises. One can witness countless faithfuls standing side by side in closely formed rows saying Namaz at that day.

 During Urs, qawwalis are held at the Mehfil khana where renowned qawwals from different parts of the country make their melodious offerings to the great Sufi saint singing his praises and driving listeners to ecstatic raptures.  It is believed that Khwaja Saheb had a vision of Ajmer in a dream while in Madina, and he also received the spiritual inspiration to come here.Khwaja saheb lived the life of a saint and a renuncient.He renounced all worldly desires refraining from even a full meal.After spending a number of days without a morsel,the master would then have a few dry rotis, dipped in water. It is said that the saint spent his entire life wearing just one garment. When his apparel would give way,he would simply hem a patch over the torn place.So many patches were sewn in to the cloth that when it was weighed after his demise, it turned out to be 12.5 sers( 11.265 Kgs.)  Khwaja saheb could read the entire Quran Sharif twice in twenty four hours.After namaz at night,he would enter his Hujra and would remain immersed in the cosmic bliss the whole night.At day break,he would emerge again from his humble abode. The saint left his mortal frame in 1233 A.D.( Hijri 633) after attaining the age of 97 years.Centuries after his demise, his teachings are still a source of guidance and inspiration for mankind.