Since becoming Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has offered a ‘chadar’ to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah ten times. This year will mark his 11th participation.
Amid the ongoing Shiva temple controversy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to send a ceremonial ‘chadar’ to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on Thursday, continuing his yearly tradition.
The ‘chadar’ will be given to Union minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju and BJP Minority Morcha president Jamal Siddiqui at 6pm who will then offer it at the shrine during the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Since becoming prime minister, Narendra Modi has offered a ‘chadar’ to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah 10 times. This year will mark his 11th participation in this tradition.
Last year, during the 812th Urs, the ‘chadar’ was presented on his behalf by then Union minister Smriti Irani and Jamal Siddiqui, along with a delegation representing the Muslim community.
The gesture comes a month after a Rajasthan court accepted a petition from the Hindu Sena, claiming that the revered Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan is actually Lord Shiva’s temple.
The Ajmer Sharif Dargah became a bone of contention last year when a local court in Ajmer, on November 27, ordered a notice to be issued to three parties in a civil suit claiming that a Shiva temple exists within the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti, according to the plaintiff’s advocate.
On December 20, the Ajmer Sharif Dargah Committee filed a 5-page application in the Munsif Court in Ajmer, urging the dismissal of a petition alleging the existence of a temple beneath the Ajmer Dargah. The next hearing is scheduled for January 24.
During the Urs festival, offering the chadar is regarded as a powerful form of worship, believed to bring blessings and fulfill vows.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah, one of the most revered Sufi shrines in India, hosts millions of devotees annually during the Urs festival. The event marks the death anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan Chishty.
The 813th Urs of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti began on December 28, 2024, and is being observed with great reverence. Devotees from across India and beyond gather to pay respects and seek blessings.
