Urs Festival

About the festival
Urs Fair is the largest Muslim fair held every year in India during the first six days of 'Rajab', the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. A unique picture of harmony and universal brotherhood, this festival celebrated with great enthusiasm where more than five lakh devotees belonging to different communities gather from all parts of the subcontinent to pay homage to the Khwaja on his Urs (death anniversary).

The Urs begins with the hoisting of a white flag on the dargah by the successor representative of Chishtis. It is done on the 25th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir (sixth lunar month), along with the music. It is considered that on the last day of the sixth month, the 'Jannati-Darwaza' (gateway of heaven) is flung open early in the morning and so people cross this gate seven times believing that they will be assured a place in heaven.

The splendid tomb of the Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti more popularly known as Khawaja Saheb or Khawaja Sharif is located in the foot of a barren hill in the city of Ajmer. It is customary to cover one’s head before entering the Dargah with a headgear or a piece of cloth. The shrine is a place of wish fulfillment for the devotees who pray with devout and pure hearts. Offerings called nazrana are made at the Durgah which consists of rose and jasmine flowers, sandalwood paste, perfumes and incense. Apart from these the chadar, ghilaph and neema are also offered. But these are given to the khadims inside the sanctum sanctorum who make offerings on behalf of the devotees.

Major events of the festival
Qawalis are sung in the praise of the saint.
» Duration : six days
» Time : Held each year during the first six days of 'Rajab', the seventh month of the Islamic calendar
» Venue : Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan