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Some
of the Important Historical Places to Visit
in Ajmer.
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Hazrat
Khwaja Fakhruddin (R.A.) was the
eldest son of Khwaja Sahib (R.A.) who
earned his livelihood by farming in
Mandal town. He was a great saint and
a scholar as well . After twenty years
of Khwaja Sahib. (R.A.) death
he died in Sarwar town, some 40 miles
away from Ajmer. His Mazar is located
near a pond in the town. His Urs is
celebrated on the 3rd of Shaban every
year with great fervour. He was blessed
with five sons. One of his sons, Hazrat
Khwaja Hussamuddin was a perfect Sufi.
His grave is at Sanbar Sharif. Every
year on 13 and 14 Rajab Urs is organised.
To
Reach Sarwar Sherif You can take
a ST bus from Ajmer Bus Stand which
is 15 minutes away from the Dargah.
or you can hire a Sumo. There is regular
Bus after every half an hour from Ajmer
to Sarwar. It take around two hous to
reach Sarwar.
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Dhai
Din Ka Jhopra or Dhai Din Ki Masjid
is a grand Mosque, made of red stone
and located at a high place. Sultan
Shamsuddin Altamash got it repaired
and made some modifications. One can
reach the building, it starts from Dargah
Bazar to west along the boundary wall
of Dargah Sharif. After crossing Tirpoli
Darwaza, there is Mohalla Inderkot.
At a short distance from Inderkot this
mosque is located on right hand side.
click
here to know more
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It
is a grand fort, located on a steep
hill in south of Dargah Sharif, The
height of the hill is 800 ft. During
the reignof Rai Pithora, it was a
famous and a strong fort and was considered
it cannot be conquered. But Sultan
Shahabuddin Ghauri conquered it without
any difficulty and appointed Syed
Meeran Husain (R.A.) as the Garrison
Commander (Qiledaar). Night
Attack on Taragarh.
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Ana
Sagar is a beautiful lake in the heart
of the city. There is a high hill on
the south western side of Ana Sagar,
known as Sada Bahar hil, On the South
western corner of the hill is a small
cave having a Tomb on the Top of it.
Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A.) took seclusion
here for the first time. He used to
sit on the stone-bench lying inside
the Chillah Sharif and engaged himself
in Contemplation.
On the
North-Eastern side of Sada Bahar is
located the Chillah of Hazrat
Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar kaki (R.A.).
It is the place where Hazrat engaged
himself in prayers when in Ajmer
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On
the top of a hill in the South of Dargah
Sharif is a green coloured tomb. It
is said that a brick of holy Mazar
of hazrat Piran-e-Pir Dastagir (R.A.)
is buried. That is why the place is
famous as Chillah Bare Pir Sahib, otherwise
Hazrat Piran Pir (R.A) never came
to India.
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Mir
Osman Ali Khan, The Nizam of Hyderabad
Deccan, erected the main gate of the Dargah
Sharif in 1911. Upstairs small drums beat,
during the day and night at an appointed
hour. A view of Dargah Bazaar can be seen
from the top of the gate.
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Immediately
following the Nizam gate is the Shahjahani
gate erected by Emperor Shahjahan. Before
the construction of the Nizam Gate this
used to be the main gate. Above the gate
the Kalma Sharif is inscribed in a beautiful
style. The doors are made of fine timber
covered with silver-plated metal. In the
building above the gate there are two
huge beating drums.
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Between
Shahjahani gate and Buland Darwaza on
the right hand side is situated the Akbari
Mosque erected by Akbar with red sand
stone, A religious institution (madarsa)
has been located in this mosque called
Darul-uloom.
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Buland
Darwaza is a high entrance that was erected
by Mahmood Khilji or one of his successors.
Before the commencement of Urs Sharif
a flag is hoisted on top of this gate
with grand ceremony on the 25th Jamadiulsaani
for ushering the 'Urs' of Khwaja Saheb,
which starts from 1st of Rajab (The 7th
month of lunar Calendar)
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Langer
Khana (Free Kitchen)
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Langar
Khana is a free public kitchen where
about 5 mounds of barley meal is cooked
twice a day and distributed to the poor
without any discrimination.
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In
memory of Queen Mary's visit to the
Shrine, the roof of the tank was constructed
by the British Government for the convenience
of the worshippers.
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| Mazar
(tomb) of Khwaja Sahib's Daughter |
The
Mazar of Bibi Hafiz Jamal, daughter of Khwaja
Sahib, is situated to the south of the Shrine.
There is a small dome with a kalas on top of
it. The doors of this tomb are plated with silver.
| Ibadat
Khana (Place of Recitation) |
The
two enclosures situated just outside
the southern gate of the Shrine adjacent
to the tomb of Bibi-Hafiz Jamal bear
the graves of some of the early descendants.
The Holy Quran is recited by the devotees
especially by ladies in these enclosures
and the reward of this virtuous action
is offered to the noble soul of Hazrat
Khwaja Saheb.
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This
gate too is situated on the western
side of the Shrine adjacent to the tomb
of Gaiti Ara. The doors of the gate
are covered with silver metal. It is
opened only four times during the year,
viz twice on ids (for one day) during
the annual Urs (for six days) and on
the 6th of Shawwal, the Urs of Khwaja
Saheb's Pir.
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The
place where Khwaja Sahib stayed for
a few days, when he came to Ajmer for
the first time, has now been turned
into a mosque called Aulia Masjid. It
is made of white marble. Devotees use
it only for recitation of Holy Quran
and thanks giving prayers.
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This small hall on the southern side
of the Shrine was erected by Nawab Muhammad
Ali of Arcot around 1800 for the comfort
of the devotees. It is also used for
the death rituals by Khadims.
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On
either side of the second Buland Darwaza
in front of Saham Chiragh (courtyard lamp),
there are two huge Degs (cauldrons for
cooking food) fixed into solid masonry
in which a palatable mixture of rice sugar,
ghee (butter) and dried fruits is cooked
for distribution to the public as tabarruk.
The circumference at the edge of the larger
cauldron is 10-1/4 feet. It cooks 70 mounds
of rice, while the smaller Deg takes 28
mounds. One of them was presented by Akbar
in 1567 A.D. The princes or the well-to-do
pilgrims order these Degs to be cooked
generally during the Urs period.
Degs when food is being distributed .
Bari
Deg : Inside the Sahan-e-Chiragh and
on the right side of Buland Darwaza is
located Bari Deg. Emperor Akbar pledged
to visit Ajmer Sharif on foot and presented
a large cauldron if victorious in Chittaurgarh
battle. So he kept his word after winning
the battle. So he kept his words after
winning the battle. The circumference
of the cauldron (Deg) is 12.5 yards and
125 mounds of rice can be cooked in it
at a time. It was presented in 976 Hijra.
Chhoti
Deg : It is located on the left side
of Buland Darwaza inside Sahan-e-Chiragh.
It was presented by Sultan Nooruddin Jahangir
in 1013 Hijra. Eighty mounds of rice can
be cooked in it at a time.
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On
the west of the Saham Chiragh stands the magnificent
building of Samakhana or Mahfilkhana (auditorium
with darbar hall) which was built by Nawab Bashir-ud-Dowla
Sir Asmaan Jah of Hyderabad Deccan in 1888-91
A.D. This spacious hall is 46 feet square with
a gallery of 14 feet running around it. It is
used for 6 days only during the annual Urs for
religious ‘Mahfils’ in which Qawwali
is the chief item of programme commencing at 11
P.M. and ending with Fatiha (a religious ceremony)
in the early hours of morning at 4 A.M.
| The
Mausoleum And Begami Daalaan |
Overhanging
the principal eastern to the Shrine or Mausoleum,
there is a handsome porch known as Begami Daalaan
which was built in 1643 AD by Princess Jahan Ara
Begam, the favorite daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan.
The
walls and the beautiful marble pillars of the
Begami Daalaan were done in colorful gold in 1888
AD. Later on, the ceiling of this Daalaan was
also embellished in gold with the money donated
by a Muslim merchant of Bombay. This beautiful
portico was used by the Begams or ladies of the
Moghul harem during their frequent visits to the
shrine.
There
are two simultaneous entrances to the Shrine through
the Begami Daalaan. The doors of both of them
are mounted with heavy silver plate carved in
ornamental details. The tomb is of white marble
inlaid with pieces of precious stones and is daily
bestrewed with sandal-paste and Itars (perfumes).
It is always covered with very costly ‘ghilaafs’
(coverings made of velvet and silk) embroidered
with pleasing gold and silver tracings.
Over
the tomb, there is a silver ‘chaparkhat’
(canopy) inlaid with pieces of mother-of-pearl
presented by Emperor Jahangir. Between the four
poles supporting this `chaparkhat’, there
is silver `katehra’ (railing) with an arch
towards the south. There is another outer silver
katehra running around the tomb at a distance
of about 2 feet. The devotees are led into this
space to offer flowers and prayers over the tomb.
The ceiling of the dome is covered by a costly
velvet chatgiri. A peculiar kind of fascinating
aroma prevails in the shrine which inspires the
visitors with a spontaneous and irresistible urge
for devotion and homage towards the asleep saint.
As soon as one enters the interior of the shrine,
he feels as if he is in the presence of some exalted
soul or mighty spiritual king.
On the south wing of the Mehfil khana stands
the Jama Masjid or Shah Jahani Mosque, which
is a fine piece of Moghul architecture. All
the 99 sacred names of Allah with 33 Quranic
verses are beautifully inscribed in the mosque.
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