New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hand over a special “chaadar” on Thursday to be offered at Ajmer Sharif Dargah during 813th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. The chaadar will be presented to Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP Minority Morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui at a program scheduled for 6 pm. Following this, the chaadar will be handed over to the officials of the dargah and offered at Mazar-e-Akhdas, sacred tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah, one of India’s most renowned Sufi shrines, attracts millions of devotees from across the world during the annual Urs celebration. This festival commemorates Nirvana Day of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
A long tradition
Prime Minister Modi has been sending the ceremonial chaadar to Ajmer Sharif every year since he assumed office in 2014. This gesture follows a tradition that has been observed for many years. In 2024, during 812th Urs, Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Jamal Siddiqui presented the chaadar on behalf of the Prime Minister.
PM Modi has often shared his thoughts on this tradition. In 2024, he posted on X, saying that he met with a delegation from the Muslim community to hand over the holy chaadar.
Met a Muslim community delegation. During our interaction, I presented the sacred Chadar, which will be placed during the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at the esteemed Ajmer Sharif Dargah. pic.twitter.com/eqWIKy7VQ1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 11, 2024
Row over Ajmer Dargah ‘chaadar’
Amid preparations for Urs, Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta claimed that the dargah is built over a Shiva temple, which he referred to as “Sankat Mochak Mahadev Mandir.” He filed a petition in the Ajmer Civil Court on September 25, 2024, seeking recognition of the dargah as a temple. The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 24, 2025.
Vishnu Gupta also urged Prime Minister Modi not to send the chaadar this year, citing his belief in the site’s Hindu origins.
Significance of Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Ajmer Sharif Dargah holds immense significance for Sufi followers and believers of all faiths. It is considered as a place of peace and spirituality, and Urs is celebrated as a unifying event where people gather to honour the teachings of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
With thousands of pilgrims visiting the dargah during Urs, tight security arrangements have been made this year. Around 600 personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and CRPF are on standby, while 70 soldiers equipped with body-worn cameras will monitor crowded areas.
