pm-modi-sends-chadar-to-ajmer-sharif-on-813th-urs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuing his annual tradition of offering a ceremonial chadar to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, one of India’s most revered Sufi shrines. This year marks the eleventh time the Prime Minister has participated in this symbolic gesture since assuming office.

 

The ceremonial chadar will be handed over to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju and BJP Minority Morcha president Jamal Siddiqui. The two leaders will offer it at the shrine during the ongoing Urs festival of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

 

The event is scheduled to take place at 6 pm on Thursday, reinforcing a practice that has been upheld by the Prime Minister every year.

 

Last year, the chadar was presented on the Prime Minister’s behalf by then Union Minister Smriti Irani and Jamal Siddiqui. Their delegation, comprising representatives from the Muslim community, upheld the significance of this tradition during the 812th Urs.

 

This year’s gesture takes place amidst an ongoing controversy surrounding the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. A local Rajasthan court recently accepted a petition filed by the Hindu Sena, claiming that the revered site is actually a Shiva temple.

 

The civil suit led to the issuance of notices to multiple parties in November last year.

 

In response to these claims, the Ajmer Sharif Dargah Committee submitted a five-page application in December, urging the court to dismiss the petition. The committee refuted the allegations of a temple being located beneath the dargah.

 

The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for January 24, 2025.

 

The Urs festival, marking the death anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, holds great spiritual significance for millions of devotees. Offering a chadar during this period is considered a deeply meaningful act of worship, symbolising blessings and the fulfilment of prayers.

 

The 813th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, which commenced on December 28, 2024, has drawn large crowds of devotees from India and abroad. The event is observed with immense devotion and reverence, showcasing the unity and faith that the shrine inspires.

 

Ajmer Sharif Dargah, located in Rajasthan, has long been a site of pilgrimage and spiritual solace. The tradition of offering a chadar, upheld by Prime Minister Modi, further underscores the importance of preserving and respecting India’s diverse cultural and religious heritage.