PM Modi To Offer Chadar At Ajmer Sharif Amid Shiva Temple Controversy

The chadar offering ceremony is scheduled for 11 AM on Saturday, January 4, at the Ajmer Dargah Sharif.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will send a ceremonial 'chadar' to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on Thursday, continuing his yearly tradition. The 'chadar' will be handed over to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and BJP Minority Morcha President Jamal Siddiqui at 6 PM. They will then offer it at the shrine during the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Since becoming Prime Minister, Modi has sent a 'chadar' to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah 10 times, with this year marking his 11th participation in the tradition.

Last year, during the 812th Urs, the 'chadar' was presented on Modi's behalf by Union Minister Smriti Irani and Jamal Siddiqui, along with a delegation from the Muslim community. The chadar, placed over the shrine of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, represents devotion and respect. During the Urs festival, offering a chadar is seen as a meaningful act of worship to seek blessings and fulfill wishes.

Devotees seek blessings

Offering a 'chadar' during the Urs festival is seen as a significant act of worship, believed to bring blessings and fulfill wishes. Ajmer Sharif Dargah, a highly revered Sufi shrine, attracts millions of devotees during the Urs, which commemorates the death anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan Chishti. The 813th Urs began on December 28, 2024, with devotees from across India and abroad visiting the shrine to pay their respects and seek blessings. The chadar, placed over the shrine of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz, represents devotion and respect. During the Urs festival, offering a chadar is seen as a meaningful act of worship to seek blessings and fulfill wishes.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti controversy

The Ajmer Sharif Dargah became a topic of controversy last year after an Ajmer court issued a notice on November 27 regarding a civil suit. The suit, filed by the Hindu Sena, claimed that the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti is actually a Shiva temple. On December 20, the Ajmer Sharif Dargah Committee submitted a five-page application to the Munsif Court in Ajmer, asking for the petition to be dismissed. The next hearing on this matter is set for January 24.