Be it a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Parsi, Buddhist or Jain, everyone is welcome at the dargah, Rijiju said.
"In celebration of the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in conjunction with 'Sewa Pakhwada', the historic and world-famous 'Big Shahi Deg' at Ajmer Dargah Sharif will once again be used to prepare and distribute 4000 kg of vegetarian 'Langar' food, continuing a tradition that has been upheld for over 550 years," an official statement from the Dargah authorities said.
Devotees at the dargah thronged around the actor and clicked selfies with her.
A local court in Ajmer has issued notices to the dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India on a plea seeking to declare the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti a temple. The petition, filed in September, has sparked a heated debate, with politicians and community leaders weighing in on the potentially volatile issue. The dargah committee has declined to comment, but the Anjuman Syed Zadgan, a body representing the caretakers of the dargah, described the petition as a deliberate attempt to fracture society along communal lines. The petition comes just days after four people were killed in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a local court ordering survey of a Mughal-era shrine. The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which fixed August 15, 1947, as the cut-off date for status quo on the character of religious places, is at the centre of much of the debate. Several politicians, including Union minister Giriraj Singh and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, have weighed in on the issue. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called the civil court's decision to entertain the petition unwarranted and has asked the Supreme Court to immediately intervene.
Anandiben Patel said students should study ancient Indian texts to appreciate the unparalleled research and discoveries made by their ancestors.
A body representing the 'Khadims' of the Ajmer dargah has condemned a plea in a local court that seeks to declare the shrine of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz as a temple, saying right-wing forces were trying to "isolate" Muslims and "disrupt" communal harmony in the country.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged a 'well-planned' conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, where a team of Congress MPs led by Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit on December 4 amid restrictions imposed by the district administration.
Can ordinary citizens counter this backward march? Can peace activists ensure that the two communities retain their bonds? Do they have a choice, asks Jyoti Punwani.
Claiming the mausoleum of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer was once a temple, a Hindu outfit has demanded a survey of the premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will be accompanied by a 40-member delegation when he arrives in New Delhi on a "private visit" during which he will have lunch with the prime minister and pay obeisance at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.
Reacting to media reports on the issue, Pakistan High Commission issued a brief statement terming them as "speculative" and said the "arrangements are in hand" to make the donation as announced.
Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf on Saturday offered prayers at the historic dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti during his private visit to Ajmer that was marked by protests.
No official meeting is scheduled during the visit of Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, who is arriving on Saturday in Jaipur on a pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif.
Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf will visit India on Saturday to offer prayers at the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer though no official meetings have been lined up so far, sources said on Tuesday.
Describing Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's India visit as a trip "heavy on symbolism if not on substance", the United States media on Monday said his pilgrimage to the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer sent a message against Islamist extremism.
Rediff.com's Tahir Ali reads behind the lines on Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's private pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif and analyses the decline of Sufism in Pakistan
Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the high-profile visit of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, who is scheduled to pay obeisance at the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti on Sunday.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's decision to visit Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's Dargah at Ajmer Sharif with his family members on April 8 indicates his willingness to walk the extra mile to normalise relations with India. But is his timing wrong? Alok Bansal wonders.
Pakistani TV channels reported that Zardari's two daughters Asifa and Bakhtawar were also accompanying him, but there was no official word on it
Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian on death row in Pakistan following his conviction for alleged involvement in bomb attacks, has reached Jaipur in her endavour to meet visiting Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
Ahead of Asif Ali Zardari's pilgrimage to the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on nThursday took a dig at the Pakistan President, wondering how could the prayers of those who have an "evil eye" on India could be answered.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is likely to visit Ajmer on April 8 to pay obeisance at the famous Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Hina Rabbani Khar, who is in India on her maiden visit as Pakistan foreign minister, will pay a visit to the revered Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer on Thursday before going back home.
Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi, who is on an official visit to India as the head of the Pakistani delegation taking part in the Urs celebrations during June 14-24, said only 500 Pakistanis had been granted visas for the event in Ajmer. On the other hand, Pakistan grants visas to thousands of Indian Sikhs and Hindus to visit their holy places in Pakistan, he said.
Despite the shrine being equipped with close circuit televisions, Additional Director General of Police A K Jain said the police will not have the benefit of visuals as no recording facility was available from the CCTVs.
It's travel time for everyone, including Bollywood's celebrities.
Here's a recap of the events from the past 24 hours.
He was awarded the Amir Amanullah Khan Award by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani after the inauguration of the landmark Afghan-India Friendship Dam.
Pakistan on Friday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gopal Baghlay to lodge a protest over denial of visas to some 500 Pakistani pilgrims to visit the famed shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer.
Several FIRs were lodged against Devgan for using a derogatory term for the Sufi saint in the news debate show called '"Aar Paar'" on his channel on June 15.
The two Indian journalists posted in Islamabad today left for home after their abrupt expulsion even as India has taken up the issue with Pakistan. Press Trust of India's Snehesh Alex Philip and Hindu newspaper's Meena Menon left early on Monday for India after they were given time till May 20 to leave Pakistan.
Members of the RSS, VHP and BJP were also part of the crowd welcoming Bhavesh Patel.
It was alleged that the journalist in his news show on June 15 had used the term 'Lootera Chishti' for the Sufi saint, inviting reactions from the Muslim community.
This week's collection of unbelievably unusual images from across the world.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf speaks to Haji Syed Salman Chisti, Gaddi Nashi, Dargah Ajmer Sharif, the hereditary custodian of the dargah and the 26th generation descendant of Khwaja Garib Nawaz (as the Pir is known) to understand the meaning and significance of the gesture.
Catch up on all the events that shaped the world last week.
Where the most popular camel fair in the world is on...
True, Azam Khan is being targeted rather disproportionately and also because of his Muslim identity. That must be protested and resisted. But to say that he is a big messiah, and his profit-making educational enterprise is an issue concerning all Muslims of India, is absolutely unjustified, assert Mohammad Sajjad and Md Mohammad Zeeshan Ahmad.
A lot of people only associate him with his music. And, obviously, he's a great musician. But Rahman, above all else, is a living example of spiritual equilibrium and intrinsic human goodness. A fascinating excerpt from Krishna Trilok's Notes Of A Dream: The Authorized Biography Of A R Rahman.