Mughal
Emperors Akbar and Shah Zahan have built mosques in the
complex. The saint's tomb is in the centre of the second
courtyard and the actual tomb inside is surrounded by a
silver railing and partly by a marble screen. The tomb is of
marble and dome is gold plated. The atmosphere inside the
shrine is charged and supernatural with burning of incense
and offerings of flowers mainly rose and sweets.
Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti, a Sufi saint from Persia made
this place his abode from 1192 till he died in 1236 AD.
Mughal King Humayun completed the construction of the
shrine. The Dargah is approached through a massive gate with
silver doors built in several stages. Emperor Akbar made an
annual pilgrimage to Ajmer.
As you enter the Dargah courtyard, you see two massive 'degs'
meaning cauldrons. Mughal Emperors Akbar and Jahangir
donated these cauldrons originally but they have been
replaced in the nineteenth century. The larger cauldron can
contain as much as 4480 kgs of rice while the smaller one
contains 2240 kgs of rice.
The shrine comes alive with activity when millions of
devotees throng the shrine during Urs fair. Urs is held on
the seventh lunar month according to Islamic calendar and is
variable according to the solar calendar. Sufis and believer
converge from all over India and abroad, as it is believed
that those visiting during Urs receives special blessings of
the saint.
It is compulsory that you cover your head while inside
the complex so remember to carry a skullcap or a scarf. The
skull-cap is on sale in the colourful market just outside
the Dargah. It is also customary to make floral offerings
mainly of roses, incense sticks and sweets that are locally
available.
