Manmohan Singh sends his offerings to Sufi saint's shrine

New Delhi, June 15 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday sent a 'Chadar' as his offering to the revered shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti in Rajasthan's Ajmer city.

Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan will present the sacred cloth on Dr Singh's behalf on the occasion for Urs.rs marks the death anniversary of Moin-ud-din Chishti, who is popularly referred to as 'Gharib Nawaz', or the 'messiah of the poor'.

Devotees from all over India converge at the shrine on the occasion.

Chishti, who is believed to have been born in 1142 AD, preached tolerance and unity of all religions.

In 1236 AD, the saint entered his cell to pray in seclusion for six days, at the end of which he died. Since then Urs has been celebrated for six days every year.

It is believed that praying at the tomb of the saint fulfils a person's wishes. Devotees visiting the shrine offer fresh flowers as a symbol of their devotion. Some even go up to the extent of offering large amounts of money and expensive jewels.

Devotional music and recitations from Chishti's own works and other Sufi saints are presented in traditional Qawwali (chorus singing) style.

The annual event culminates with readings from the holy Quran and special prayers. (ANI)