SSC
The dargah of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is situated in:
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Answer: Option A — Ajmer
Detailed Solution
The dargah (shrine and tomb) of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, called "Ajmer Sharif", is located in Ajmer, Rajasthan, at the foot of the Taragarh hill.
About Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti:
- He was born in about 1141-1143 CE in Sistan (present-day Iran-Afghanistan region).
- He travelled widely and came to India around 1192, at the time of the Second Battle of Tarain, in which Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan.
- He settled in Ajmer, where he preached love, tolerance, service to humanity and devotion to God.
- He is popularly known as "Gharib Nawaz" ("Benefactor of the Poor").
- He founded the "Chishti order" (Chishtiya silsila) of Sufism in India, the most influential Sufi order in the subcontinent.
- He died in 1236 CE.
About the Ajmer Sharif Dargah:
His tomb was first built in a simple form; the Delhi Sultan Iltutmish and later rulers improved it. The present structures were added mainly by the Mughals.
Akbar was a great devotee; he walked from Agra to Ajmer on foot, praying for a son. After the birth of Salim (Jahangir), Akbar visited often. The "Akbari Masjid" in the complex was built by him.
Shah Jahan built a white marble mosque in the complex.
Two huge cooking pots ("deg") in the courtyard are used to cook food for pilgrims; one was presented by Akbar.
The "Urs" (death anniversary) of the saint is held every year in the month of Rajab of the Islamic calendar; lakhs of people of all religions attend.
The Prime Minister of India traditionally sends a "chadar" (ceremonial cloth) for the Urs.
Famous saints of the Chishti order:
- Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (Delhi; the Qutub Minar is named after him).
- Baba Fariduddin Ganj-e-Shakar (in present-day Pakistan).
- Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (Delhi).
- Shaikh Salim Chishti (Fatehpur Sikri): Akbar named his son Salim after him.
- Shaikh Nasiruddin Chiragh-e-Dilli (Delhi).
Other Sufi orders in India:
- Suhrawardi order: Bahauddin Zakariya (Multan).
- Naqshbandi order: Khwaja Baqi Billah and Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
- Qadiri order.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Delhi has the dargahs of Nizamuddin Auliya and Bakhtiyar Kaki.
- ✗Fatehpur Sikri has the tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti.
- ✗Lahore has the shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh (Al-Hujwiri).
Quick tip
Remember: Moinuddin Chishti dargah = Ajmer ("Gharib Nawaz"; founded the Chishti order in India; died 1236; Akbar a devotee); Nizamuddin Auliya = Delhi; Salim Chishti = Fatehpur Sikri; Baba Farid = Pakpattan.
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Bhakti & Sufi Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Bhakti & Sufi Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Bhakti and Sufi movements emphasised personal devotion to God over ritual and caste. This topic covers Bhakti saints such as Ramanuja, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Chaitanya, Namdev and Tukaram, and the Sufi orders (silsilas) such as the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders and their saints. Questions usually link a saint to their region, language, teacher or ideas, or ask which Sufi order a saint belonged to. For example, Moinuddin Chishti brought the Chishti order to Ajmer, and Kabir was a disciple of Ramananda. A table of saint, region and key teaching makes these questions easy. Practise the Bhakti and Sufi movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.