Benefactor of the Poor…

This winter, when I was invited to be a guest of honor at a wonderful conference on Sufism in India and Central Asia at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, I had the opportunity to discuss my research and visit India’s most popular Sufi shrines. On my visit to the beautiful tomb of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (b. 1141) in Ajmer, I carried some roses with me to scatter in his shrine. It’s customary to bear gifts when visiting the revered Dargah Sharif–a peaceful place of remembrance for this beloved “benefactor of the poor.”

Earlier this week, a red chadar (cloth) with the message “Greeting of Peace” was sent by US President Barack Obama to the shrine of Moinuddin Chishti on the occasion of the Sufi saint’s 803rd urs. US Ambassador Richard Verma delivered the cloth to Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Director of the Chishti Foundation. Prime Minister Modi also sent a chadar to the shrine. Dergah Sharif, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India, is visited by people from all different religions. For example, when I visited the shrine, I was accompanied by a yogi and a Christian–both of whom draw inspiration from Chishti’s dedication to the poor. For the annual urs celebration, the tomb is ritually anointed with rose water and sandal wood paste, qawwali songs are sung, Sufi poetry is recited, and many prayers are offered from pilgrims around the world…