A body of Khadims have been awarded the contract to cook food for devotees during the annual urs in two big cauldrons gifted by the Mughal emperors at the Moinuddin Chishti Dargah in Ajmer. This year the highest bidder offered Rs 55 crores. It is the highest bid offered for the 25 days of urs.
The degs (cauldrons) were presented by Mughal emperor Akbar and Jahangir during their visit to the shrine. “During the urs, the devotees offer cooking as per their ability and generosity and it is to be distributed as prasad to the pilgrims,” says Anjuman’s chief Ghulam Kibriya. The annual urs of the great mystic saint will be begin from June 9.
According to the Anjuman, the tradition to distribute food cooked in two huge vessels is 400-year-old.
Pure vegetarian food is cooked with rice, ghee, sugar, nuts, saffron, almonds and other ingredients. The two degs are located on right and left side of the dargah’s Buland Darwaja.
“The big deg can cook upto 4,800 kg of food while the smaller pot has capacity to cook 2,400 kg of food,” says Mr Kibriya.
“It is a daily routine when the pilgrims offer food cooked in the cauldrons and serve to the people. Emperor Akbar introduced it while he visited Ajmer Sharif on foot,” says Ajnuman’s Sarwar Chishti. The dargah management also serves food every day twice to the destitute and pilgrims at its Langarkhana.