1,640-metre long chadar offered on last day of Urs at Taj
A special 1,640m ‘Satrangi Hindustani Chadar’ was offered at Shah Jahan's grave during Urs, while Hindu activists protested outside Taj Mahal.
A special 1,640 metre long ‘Satrangi Hindustani Chadar’ was offered at ‘mazar’ (grave) of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan on the concluding day of annual three-day Urs at the Taj Mahal on Tuesday.
However, amidst the last day proceedings, the activists of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha tried to enter the Taj Mahal premises to lodge protest against organising the Urs. They were stopped by women cops of UP police at the barricade 100 metres before the western gate of Taj Mahal.
Meanwhile, as per the tradition, entry remained free for the full day and proceedings took place till sunset, the time when the Taj Mahal closes for visitors. The events of the day included ‘Quran Khwani’ (recital of Quran), ‘gul poshi’ and ‘fateha’. The highlight was offering of 1,640 metre long ‘Satrangi Hindustani Chadar’ by Khuddam-e-Roza committee like past years.
On the second day on Monday, customary ritual of ‘sandal’ was performed at original grave of the Mughal emperor. ‘Dua’ (prayers) were offered and entry to monument remained free after 2pm on both Sunday and Monday.
Three-day Úrs’ of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan began on Sunday, with the opening of the passage leading to the basement of the monument, which houses the original graves of the emperor and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The passage to the basement remains locked all through the year, barring these three days - a tradition believed to be continuing since Mughal era after the demise of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. Various committees join hands and organise this ‘Úrs’ on dates decided on the basis of the Islamic calendar.
The original graves are out of bounds for tourists for all other days and the passage covered by mesh iron grill within the main mausoleum remains locked.
“The proceedings began with opening of the locked passage on Sunday. The devotees offered prayers and the important ritual on the first day was of ‘gusl’ (bathing) of the graves in basement lying closed for nearly a year,” said Tahiruddin ‘Tahir’, who leads the Khuddam-e-Roza committee involved in observing the ‘Urs’.
“The graves were bathed with ‘gulab jal’ (rose water) and ‘kewda’ (perfumed water) and then ‘gul-poshi’ (offering of flower petals) took place on Sunday,” he said.
District president of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM), Meera Rathore was stopped by alert police at barricade before western gate of Taj Mahal when she was planning to wave saffron flag at Taj Mahal. She raised question on permission granted to committees involved in organising the ‘Urs’ at the Taj Mahal, but Hindu activists were denied entry.
It may be recalled that various right wing organisations claim that Taj Mahal is ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ – a Shiv temple and have filed a petition in Agra Court challenging the Urs at Taj Mahal.
“Police did injustice by not allowing us to enter the Taj Mahal and wave saffron flag while they helped committees in organising the Urs at Taj Mahal which is in fact a Shiv Temple,” said Meera Rathore.
Earlier the ABHM had staged a protest at the gate of Archaeological Survey of India office on Mall road of Agra against the permission granted for holding the Urs at Taj Mahal. A memorandum was handed over to ASI official and the activists of ABHM, led by Sanjay Jat, sat on protest there on Monday and raised slogans.
The dispute stems from a petition filed by ABHM in February 2024, seeking an injunction to stop the Urs at the Taj Mahal. The petition argued against the event being held at the monument and the free entry granted on the occasion. The Urs is an annual event organised by local committees to commemorate the death of Shah Jahan, which also includes opening the passage to the basement where the emperor and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, are buried.
The court had been scheduled to hear the case on January 22, but it was adjourned, pushing the date to February 18, 2025, said Sanjay Jat, spokesperson for ABHM.
The Urs, a tradition rooted in Sufism, commemorates the death of a saint, faqir or someone revered, at their mausoleum, often observed with celebrations rather than mourning. At the Taj Mahal, the event is marked by the offering of a long “chadar” (shawl) on the final day of the Urs.
This practice, which has continued for centuries, is defended by local organisers, including Tahiruddin ‘Tahir,’ who heads the Khuddam-e-Roza Committee. “Let them take the matter to court, but this event will continue because we firmly believe in its significance. Traditions like these cannot be bound by laws or regulations. This practice has been going on since the death of Shah Jahan (1592-1666),” he asserted.
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