After a year of tedious and lifeless work schedule, was trying to find something which could be new, soothing to eyes, far from chaotic environment. I was planning to flee from this place full of people working endlessly like underdogs and the day end fall into the lap of that 4×5 ft size bed. Somehow I summed up courage to get free from the clutch of that tiring and boredom routine. I decided to fly to Goa , the place full of life where actually no one gives a damn care to whatsoever status you fall under, or what culture you relate to. It’s a place to live to the fullest, under water dives , the churches ( a must if you visit GOA) , dazzling shorelines, crazy parties, hip gatherings, beaches and many more.
But my entire travel fantasy turn into more alluring when I got a chance to visit Ajmer Sharif. First there’s only an impression of holy place where one goes as per his/her belief. I am not a kind of person who is keen on visting shrines, sacred places. However my complete perception changed after visiting the sufi shrine. Though this place doesn’t need any introduction but still I would like to make the readers to go on a virtual travel of this amazing sanctum.
Here my journey starts by boarding train from New Delhi station to the Ajmer. Landed on Ajmer railway station, it was sultry hot day and a busy road with a rowdy traffic. Travelling in a month of December we expected to have a pretty good season for the region which often gets dried up with incredible humidity. But we managed to get an auto rikshaw who straightaway bypassed the route to the holy shrine. An enormous crowd spotted at the entryway of Dargah. Me, my sister and a friend decided to have a nap at the hotel booked . The hotel was hardly 5 mins away from the sanctum.
In an evening around 4pm we headed towards dargah. The main gate to the shrine is Nizam gate followed by Buland darwaza. We saw people kissing on the door before stepping inside as it was way to show love or devotion towards their mentor. As we step in through Buland darwaza two huge Degs(cauldrons for cooking food) are located. On moving forward there stands a magnificent building of Samahkhana or Mahfilkhana where Qawwali is the chief item of programme commencing .
The focal point of the Dargah shrine is a tomb with a silver canopy inlaid with pieces of mother-of-pearl presented by Emperor Jahangir. Devotees here offer flowers and prayers over the tomb. The entire shrine was packed with devotees. In a late evening, post lunch we attended qawwali (Sufi devotional music) sung in the remembrance of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti who is also known by different names as, Khawaja Gharib Nawaz.
We attended the qawwali that commenced with evening prayers . It was, 2am crowd got much reduced, a cool breeze and a handful of people sitting and enjoying the soulful music. It was the moment I fell in love with that place, when a current ran throughout my skin by a humble touch of the music. After attending it we got to have a chai outside holy sanctum, it was a 3 am chai. The shrine is surrounded with many food places and all the basic amenities one needs.
In a morning, 11 we left for return visit. This holy visit of mine will be remembered for lifetime. This shrine deserves once a visit. Undeniably this place is enchanting and the most appealing thing is people from different culture irrespective of caste, religion, visit to get their prayers fulfilled.