Author: Laxmi Dhaul
Photographer: Sanjay Singh Badnor
Publisher: Rupa
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 128
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8129104164
Description
Often when one visits an important or popular religious shrine or holy place in India, the mass of people, the heat, the dust, the traffic, and congestion overwhelm one. Invariably beggars and the poor get after you, and in the confusion and rush, one misses out on the spiritual and historical significance of the place. Often what started out as a pilgrimage, becomes an uncomfortable experience if done without some knowledge and background.
This book is dedicated to those who visit the Dargah for the first time and have heard about it but have no way of knowing about its significant and salient features. The daily rituals, the customs and what happens in the Urs are therefore written about in great detail. This book also contains a chapter on Sufism to give an introduction on the Islamic Mysticism prevalent at the time and describes the main tenets of the Chisti group of Sufis.
Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddhin Chisti's tomb lies in Ajmer in Rajasthan. He was one of the greatest Sufi saints and his Dargah is a centre of pilgrimage for thousands of people of all faiths. The Dargah complex is a conglomeration of various buildings, places of worship and tombs of various people built over the last 750 years revealing the spiritual and historic importance of the place.
Various Sufi rituals, the annual Urs and daily ceremonies held at the Dargah are a fascinating mix of different customs. The patronage of the Mughal, Rajput and Maratha emperors and kings have added tremendous variety and color to the shrine as it is today. This book though based on the life of a Saint of the thirteenth century is extremely relevant even today for it deals with mysticism, love, unity, sacrifice, spirituality and secularism. The Saint's preachings are vibrant, even today, as they strengthen the fabric of love and unity amongst diverse faiths.
Contents
From the Author
The Shrine of Khwaja Galib Nawaz
Sayings of Khwaja Galib Nawaz
Khwaja Sahib's Early Life and Arrival in India
Ajmer and its History
The Dargah Sharif
Ceremonies, rituals and the annual Urs
Sufism
Select Bibliography and References
Thank you
Glossary