Context:
A district court has admitted a petition which claims that a Shiva temple lies underneath the shrine of the revered Sufi saint in Ajmer.
Ajmer Dargah:
- Location – Rajasthan
- A Sufi tomb (dargah) dedicatedto Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
- Example of Indo Islamic Architectural style
- Chishti’s shrine is made of white marble dome
- Has a royal darbar, Mehfil Khana, that was constructed in 1888.
- The complex also has a Langar Khana (community kitchen)
- Jhalara is a natural tank of water that is used by pilgrims
- Jannati Darwaza is a door made of silver that is used only on rare occasions.
Moinuddin Chishti:
- A revered Sufi saint who settled in Ajmer in the early 13th century.
- Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti established the Chishti order of Sufism in India
- Chishti order was founded in the 10th century by Abu Ishaq Shami in the town of Chisht near Herat, Afghanistan
- Contemporary of Prithviraj III (Chauhan kingdom)
- Earned the title of ‘Gharib Nawaz’ (friend of the poor)
- Prominent disciples – Hamiduddin Nagauri and Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (1173-1235) who became the spiritual guru of Iltutmish, the 3rd Sultan of Delhi
- Kaki’s disciple Baba Fariduddin (1173-1265) spread the Chishti order’s teachings in Punjab. Baba Farid was given the name Ganj Shakr or ‘a treasure of sweetness’, by Moinuddin.
- Mughal emperors, Akbar in particular is said to have revered Moinuddin.
- Death anniversary of Moinuddin Chishti is called the Urs Sharif festival
Places of Worship Act, 1991:
- Aim – To freeze the status of religious places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947, and prohibits the conversion of any place of worship.
- Major Provisions of the Act –
- Prohibition of Conversion (Section 3) – Prevents the conversion of a place of worship, whether in full or part, from one religious’ denomination to another or within the same denomination.
- Maintenance of Religious Character (Section 4(1)) – Ensures that the religious identity of a place of worship remains the same as it was on August 15, 1947.
- Abatement of Pending Cases (Section 4(2)) – Any ongoing legal proceedings concerning the conversion of a place of worship’s religious character before August 15, 1947, will be terminated, and no new cases can be initiated.
- Exceptions to the Act (Section 5) – The Act does not apply to ancient and historical monuments, archaeological sites, and remains covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
- Excludes cases that have already been settled or resolved and disputes that have been resolved by mutual agreement or conversions that occurred before the Act came into effect.
- Does not extend to the specific place of worship known as Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya
Source: The Indian Express
Previous Year Question
With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements:
1. White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri.
2. Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza in Lucknow.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect. Buland Darwaza is made of red and buff sandstone.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza are mainly built using bricks and then coated with lime.