India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [460]
Said to possess the ability to grant the wishes and desires of all those who visit it, the Dargah Sharif is the most sacred Islamic shrine in India, and a pilgrimage here is considered second in importance only to a visit to Mecca. After a living member of the Sufi sect, Sheikh Salim Chisti, blessed Akbar with the prophecy of a much-longed-for son (Emperor Jahangir, father of Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj), Emperor Akbar himself made the pilgrimage many times, traveling on foot from distant Fatehpur Sikri and presenting the shrine with cauldrons (near the entrance) large enough to cook food for 5,000 people. It was not only Akbar and his offspring who made the pilgrimage—even the Hindu Rajputs came to pay homage to “the divine soul” that lies within.
Today the shrine still attracts hundreds of pilgrims every day, swelling to thousands during special occasions such as Urs Mela (Oct/Nov), the anniversary of Akbar’s death. Leaving your shoes at the entrance (Rs 10/at exit), you pass through imposing Nizam Gate and smaller Shahjahani Gate; to the right is Akbar’s mosque, and opposite is the equally imposing Buland Darwaza. Climb the steps to take a peek into the two huge cauldrons (3m/10 ft. round) that flank the gates—they come into their own at Urs when they are filled to the brim with a rice dish that is then distributed to the poor. To the right is Mehfil Khana, built in 1888 by the Nizam of Hyderabad. From here you enter another gateway into the courtyard, where you will find another mosque on the right, this one built by Shah Jahan in his characteristic white marble. You’ll also see the great Chisti’s Tomb—the small building topped by a marble dome and enclosed by marble lattice screens. In front of the tomb, the qawwali singers are seated, every day repeating the same beautiful haunting melodies (praising the saint) that have been sung for centuries. Everywhere, people abase themselves and sing, their eyes closed, hands spread wide on the floor or clutching their chests, while others feverishly pray and knot bits of fabrics to the latticework of the tomb or shower it with flowers. The scene is moving, the sense of faith palpable and, unlike the Dargah in Delhi, the atmosphere welcoming (though it’s best to be discreet: no insensitive clicking of cameras or loud talking). Entry is free, but donations, paid to the office in the main courtyard, are welcome and are directly distributed to the poor. Entered off Dargah Bazaar, the Dargah is open daily, from 4 or 5am to 9 or 10pm (except during prayer times) depending on the season.
Having laid claim to Ajmer through a diplomatic marriage, Akbar built a red-sandstone fort he called Daulat Khana (Abode of Riches) in 1572. This was later renamed the Magazine by the British, who maintained a large garrison here, having also realized Ajmer’s strategic importance. In 1908 it was again transformed, this time into the largely missable Rajputana Museum (small fee; Sat–Thurs 10am–4:30pm). The fort is significant mostly from a historical perspective, for it is here in 1660 that the British got a toehold in India when Sir Thomas Roe, representative of the British East India Company, met Emperor Jahangir and gained his permission to establish the first British factory at Surat.
The British also established a number of first-rate educational institutions, particularly Mayo College , known as the Eton of the East. Originally designed to educate only the sons of the aristocracy, it opened its doors in 1875 to princes