The Bulawa at Garib Nawaz: A Visit to the Tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer

The story of Emperor Akbar being blessed with a son after walking barefoot to this place is quite popular. Although the birth of Jahangir, upon the blessings from the Garib Nawaz made Ajmer’s dargah famous, it is much more than that. The committee has made this place accessible for devotees to ask for their wishes.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti belonged to the early medieval era. This 13th-century Sufi saint and philosopher had Iranian roots. He travelled in search of knowledge and devotion and finally entered the Indian subcontinent during the reign of King Iltutmish. In Ajmer, the khwaja learnt the mechanism of reaching God via deeds of compassion and he lived his remaining life following this rule. His popularity grew after his death and his miraculous adventures were later jotted down by his pupils.

By the time Akbar paid his first visit to the dargah of Ajmer Sharif, the khwaja’s mausoleum was already a pilgrimage centre. On one particular night, when Akbar was hunting, he was captivated by the enchanted songs of a few minstrels glorifying the virtues of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. He could not help but visit the shrine of the great saint and vowed to visit it again on foot. He kept his vow, and later visited again after his victory over Chittor and also after the birth of his son, Salim. With this, Akbar showed his change of interest towards the Chishti silsilas and visited not only the Garib Nawaz but also the tombs of other Chishti teachers. The tradition was followed by other members of the royal families. Jahanara Begum wrote about her visit to the dargah:

“For several days ... I did not sleep on a leopard skin at night, I did not extend my feet in the direction of the blessed sanctuary of the revered saving master, and I did not turn my back towards him. I passed the days beneath the trees.

… From the doorway to the blessed tomb I went barefoot, kissing the ground. Having entered the dome, I went around the light-filled tomb of my master seven times … Finally, with my own hand I put the finest quality of itar on the perfumed tomb of the revered one, and having taken off the rose scarf that I had on my head, I placed it on the top of the blessed tomb ...”

The pristine white- and green-patterned mausoleum is just about 2 kilometres from the Ajmer railway station, and therefore, most devotees walk towards the Garib Nawaz. On nearing the mausoleum, the Nizam Gate comes first and the crowd marches through small lanes adorned with shops on both sides selling a wide range of products. This lane leads to the Shah Jahani Gate, the Buland Darwaza, and a big chandelier between them, donated by the Golden Temple Committee.

After crossing the shops selling flowers (mostly roses) and glittering chadars, one can be sure that they have almost reached the tomb of the great one. There are volunteers around the campus called khadims. They are considered to belong to the great Sheikh's family. They have taken it upon themselves to guide the thousands of pilgrims in their journey towards the tomb. The gate is flanked by two massive cauldrons, one each donated by Emperor Akbar and Jahangir. The degh ka khana (food from the cauldron) is the famous langar at the shrine of Ajmer Sharif.

Upon moving ahead with the help of the khadims, one sees the Akbari Mosque, where people will be seen seated reading prayers and counting date seeds. To its right, there is the space for the mazaar where Sheikh Moinuddin Chishti rests. In front of his tomb is the place that holds qawwali and the Bibi Nallam for the women to offer prayers.

One beautiful tradition that prevails in the dargah of Ajmer Sharif is the tying of the sacred red thread while chanting a wish. Devotees are often asked to visit the shrine once again upon fulfilment of the wish and untie one thread from the flood of many tied wishes. The most popular celebration at this shrine is the urs.

The committee is concerned with the privacy and protection of the place, and therefore, no professional photography is allowed in the divine place. Various security cameras and police patrols keep a check on the 20,000-strong crowd of devotees who visit the shrine every day. 

The bulawa or calling of the sheikh to visit his mausoleum is indeed a matter of wonder, and if one does get to pay homage to the Garib Nawaz, his adventure towards fulfilling his dreams would definitely end soon.