Not allowed to enter Ajmer Dargah, its Deewan demands action

The Deewan of the Ajmer Dargah, Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, has written letter to the CEO of dargah demanding a probe on accused khadims (caretakers) for not allowing him to enter the dargah's sanctum sanctorum to perform a ritual on Saturday night.

Khan, who is the spiritual head of the 12th century shrine of Khwaja Moinddin Chisti, was allegedly not allowed to enter the shrine after some Khadims raised objections to his decision of declaring Nasiruddin Chisti -- Khan's elder son -- as his rightful successor.

The incident took place during the 806th Urs of Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, which concluded today.

It is a centuries old tradition which was broken by Khadims who illegally stopped me from performing the ritual. I have demanded a probe and action against Khadims by writing a letter to the CEO of the dargah, Khan said today.

Khan claimed that it was the second known occasion since 1943 when a Deewan was stopped from performing 'Gusl ki rasam'.

However, according to Wahid Hussain, the secretary of the Anjuman committee (body of khadims) Khan wanted to perform the ritual with his son, which was "unacceptable".

Deewan cannot declare his successor like this. He wanted to perform the ritual along with his son which was unacceptable. He should have gone alone, Hussain said.

Nazim of the Dargarh's CEO, I B Peerzada has confirmed about receiving the Deewan's letter and said that the matter will be probed.

On Saturday night the father-son duo was kept waiting outside the shrine for nearly two hours. And though the gates were opened after the intervention of District collector Gaurav Goyal, SP Rajendra Singh and CEO of the Dargah I B Peerzada, by then the the time for performing the ceremony had already passed.