Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue his annual tradition of offering a ceremonial ‘chadar’ to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah during the 813th Urs of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. The ‘chadar’ will be handed over to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju and BJP Minority Morcha President Jamal Siddiqui, who will present it at the shrine on Thursday evening.
This marks the 11th consecutive year that PM Modi has participated in this gesture since assuming office. Last year, his offering was delivered by Smriti Irani and a delegation representing the Muslim community.
The offering comes amidst a contentious legal debate surrounding the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. A Rajasthan court is currently reviewing a petition by the Hindu Sena claiming the revered shrine was originally a Shiva temple. On December 20, the Dargah Committee filed a formal application urging the dismissal of the claim. The next hearing is scheduled for January 24, 2025.
The Urs festival, which began on December 28, commemorates the death anniversary of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan Chishti. It draws millions of devotees from India and beyond, who gather to seek blessings and offer prayers at one of India’s most iconic Sufi shrines.
Despite the ongoing controversy, the offering of the ‘chadar’ remains a symbolic act of unity and reverence, transcending religious and cultural boundaries.
