Urs Festival

Ajmer - Urs Festival

An annual event, the Urs festival in Ajmer commemorates the death anniversary of the pious Sufi saint Hazrat Moinuddin Hasan Chisti who is believed to have retired into his quarters for meditating for 6 days at the end of which his body was discovered.

Muslims believe that if they cross "the door" through which that saint passed before retiring to his room, at least seven times, they are likely to earn a place in heaven after death. This door is referred to as the Janatti Darwaza and is opened for a few hours only on the 6th day of Urs every year.

The Urs festival begins with the hoisting of a white flag over the tomb of the Sufi Saints tomb by the Sajjada Nashin, who is a descendant of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. The ghusal ceremony is performed where the Sajjada Nashin washes the tomb with rosewater and anoints the tomb with sandalwood paste and offers flowers and incense sticks.

Pilgrims congregate from far and wide to offer flowers, incense, gilaph, neema and chadars on the grave of the departed saint.

A special milk pudding is cooked in massive cauldrons and offered to the pilgrims who pay homage at the Dargah. It is believed that the milk pudding is prepared with a recipe that was used by the saint himself.

The Fatiha and Salamati prayers are performed on the last day of the Urs festival and the Sajjada Nashin washes the tomb with rosewater to mark the end of the 6-day gala.

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