Muslim Urs Festival 2013 by Rohit Gautam
Devotion at the annual death anniversary of Sufi Saint…
The 801st annual Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, commemorates the anniversary of the death of the Sufi saint. It is an annual festival held in Ajmer, a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan with the sighting of the moon. Lakhs devotees arrive to celebrate the festival at the Ajmer Sharif shrine. It is held over six days and features night-long qawwali singing. The anniversary is celebrated in the seventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine from all over India and abroad.
The Urs celebration continue for six days, commencing with the hoisting of a flag on the tomb by the Sajdanashin (successor-representative) of the Chishtia order. Over the days which follow, the tomb is ritually anointed with rosewater and sandalwood paste, qawwalis are sung and poetry recited in praise of the Almighty. Prayers are said and devotees offer nazranas or votive offerings. Outside the dargah precincts, two massive cauldrons cook sweet rice garnished with dry fruits and condiments to be served as ‘tabarukh’ or sanctified food. At the time of the Urs, a busy bazaar springs up at the foot of the dargah. Flowers, embroidered prayer rugs, prayer caps and decorative chadars are among the many things to be found in the bazaar, apart from the usual souvenirs.
Once a year Lakhs of Sufi believers from all over India come to the Dargah Shariff of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti in Ajmer for the annual festival of Urs. Sufi Kalandars perform an act of self-torture during devotion at the annual death anniversary of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. The Muslim Sufi devotees used a sharp object as a tool to show their tribute in Urs.
Vishram Sthali at Kayad in Ajmer is the temporary shelter for Urs pilgrims to visit Dargah Shariff of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti.
Many people are facing basic amenities problems of Water, Food and Electricity at the site. There is a scarcity and shortage of water for bathing, cooking and drinking. People are bound to pay high amounts of money to purchase daily necessary products.
Rohit Gautam has earned a BA in English, Political Science, Economics, and Journalism. He also has diplomas in Web Design, Hosting and Advertisement. Gautam’s work has been featured in international media such as The Telegraph (U.K), Yahoo-India, Popular Photography Magazine, Photojournale, and many others. He has won the Nikon Flickr Award, and been a finalist for The Hindu Shutterbug Contest. He feels lucky to be under the guidance of his teacher Mr. Nitin Rai and his mentor, Magnum Photographer Raghu Rai. Follow him here and here.