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The chhat sharif of Khawaja Garib Nawaz is celebrated every month on 6 th day of Islamic calendar |
The chhat sharif of Khawaja Garib Nawaz is celebrated every month on 6 th day of Islamic calendar. |
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pilgrims and all kinds of other visitors are banned from entering |
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the dargah. The khadims, dressed in their best clothes, approach |
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the shrine carrying flowers, essence of flowers (atr) and sweets, |
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etc. After laying chiras or dastars (small turbans) on each other’s |
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heads, they start performing the rites laid down by tradition |
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for this special occasion. |
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After the recitation of shajara-i Chishtiya (spiritual pedigree |
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of Chishti order) by a khadim, and of some other verses |
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composed in the form of a faryad (petition), they announce their |
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allegiance to Khwaja Sahib and humbly ask for the gift to repent |
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of their sins and shortcomings. They pray for all the devotees, |
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and for the peace and prosperity of mankind, and remain |
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engaged in the recitation of verses of Quran prayers and darud |
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till the arrival of the diwan from the mahfil-khana, normally at |
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about 1 p.m. At the mahfil-khana the mahfil-i sama starts at about |
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11 a.m., and only the qawwals of the dargah are entitled to sing |
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on that day. Then golas are blown and drums beaten to mark |
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the end of gul and urs. After this the diwan, with one or two of |
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his closest relatives for whose presence prior permission has |
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been taken from the khadims, leaves for the shrine. At the Jannati- |
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darwaza the baridar checks the diwan’s companions and then |
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allows them to enter the shrine. Soon after his entry into the |
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shrine the Jannati-darwaza is closed. On his arrival in the shrine |
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the diwan kisses the tomb and offers flowers, and then one of |
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the khadims, who happens to be his wakil, like the other pilgrims, |
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ties a dastar (turban) over his head, spreads the cloth sheet over |
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his bowed head, prays for him, and then gives him tabarruk, |
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consisting of flowers, sandal and sweets. |
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On every sixth of the lunar month the khadims also arrange |
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a function called chatti sharif. At about 9 a.m. at the same |
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courtyard in front of the shrine, first of all, Quran-khwani— |
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recitation of the whole Quran by a large number of people takes |
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place, and then one of the khadims starts reciting the shajara-i |
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Chishtiyya (spiritual pedigree of the Chishti order) as well as |
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other verses composed by Khwaja Sahib’s ancestors. |
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Thus, during the whole year one kind of ceremony or the |
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other takes place at the shrine, and religious activities and rituals |
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are carried on in a manner which may, in one sense, tend to |
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overshadow the true spirit which underlies the philosophy and |
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thought of Khwaja Sahib. But, at the same time, all these |
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activities keep the pilgrims and people busy in devotional |
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activities and, in another sense, keep alive the Sufi spirit. |
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On the night which falls between Sth and 6th Rajab, the |
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celebration attains its peak of excitement and exultation. The |
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sacred precincts of the shrine are crowded with thousands and |
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thousands of people, all occupied with performing rites and |
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prayers, reciting the Quran, listening to qawwalis arranged by |
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the khadims at their respective gaddis and hujras (cells) within |
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the compound of the dargah. On 6th Rajab, at about 11 a.m., |