Urs

Urs is the famous festival celebrated every year at Ajmer city of Rajasthan state in India. The day is celebrated as the death anniversary of the Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, (founder of the Chishtiya Sufi order in India). The festival is celebrated over six days sporting night-long dhikr/zikr qawwali singing. The occasion is celebrated in the seventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Large number of worshippers visits the shrine in Ajmer from all over the world.

The Urs of Moinuddin Chishti started in 1212 A.D and is celebrated every year in the first week of Islamic month of Rajab. Drums are beaten on the day to celebrate the annual ceremony.

The word Urs is taken from “uroos”, which means “ultimate meeting of an individual with God”. The story behind the celebration of the day is said that Moinuddin Chishti spent the last six days of his life privately in a Huzra (room meant for prayers)  which followed with his death on the sixth day of the Rajab.

That is why the sixth day of the Urs is regarded as the most special and auspicious. It is called “Chhati Sharif”. The day is celebrated on the sixth day of Rajab between 10:00 A.M. and 1:30 p.m. inside the Mazaar Sharif. Shijra is read by duty bound Khadims of Moinuddin Chishti which is then followed with the Fariyad.

At the end of Chhati Shari (Qul), Badhaawa (a poem of praise) is sung at the main entrance of the shrine by Qawwals. During Bandhaawa the only other sound one can hear is of clapping and no any other musical instrument is played. The Bandhaawa was composed by Syed Behlol Chishty, an ancestor of the present day Khadim community. After that, Fatiha is recited and the ceremony comes to its with the firing sound from a cannon at 1:30 p.m.