It is four in the morning on Eid, and the lanes around Ajmer Dargah are already full. Old men in white caps, mothers holding sleepy children, families who have travelled all night from Kashmir and the Thar desert stand pressed together in the cold. They are not waiting for a sermon or a meal. They are waiting for a small door to open.
That door is the Jannati Darwaza (Gate of Paradise), a silver-covered doorway beside the tomb of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA). It stays locked for almost the whole year and opens on only four occasions: the six days of the Urs, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, and the Urs of his spiritual master. For the 815th Urs, it is expected to open on the night the Rajab moon is sighted, around 9 or 10 December 2026.
Quick facts: the Jannati Darwaza
| Name | Jannati Darwaza, also called the Bihishti Darwaza. Both mean “Gate of Paradise” |
| Where | On the western side of the tomb of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA), inside the marble-screened enclosure |
| Made of | Door panels covered in silver |
| Neighbour | It stands next to the small tomb of Gaiti Ara, a daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan who died young |
| Opens | Four times a year (see the table below) |
| Urs 2026 | Expected to open on the Rajab moon night (9 or 10 December) and close after the Qul on Chhati Sharif (15 or 16 December) |
When does the Jannati Darwaza open?
Shrine guides and Ajmer newspapers agree on the same four occasions. On the single-day openings, the gate usually opens around 4 am and closes in the early afternoon, around 2 to 2:30 pm.
| Occasion | Islamic date | How long it stays open |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Urs of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA) | 1 to 6 Rajab | About six days, from the moon night until the Qul on 6 Rajab |
| Eid ul-Fitr | 1 Shawwal | From early morning to early afternoon |
| Urs of Hazrat Khwaja Usman Harooni (RA), his Pir-o-Murshid (spiritual guide) | 6 Shawwal | From early morning to early afternoon |
| Eid ul-Adha | 10 Dhul Hijjah | From early morning, closing after Zuhr Namaz |
This year showed how strong the pull is. On Eid ul-Adha, 28 May 2026, the gate was opened at 4 am, and a Khadim (traditional servant of the shrine), Daulat Chishti, told reporters that devotees had come from across India and abroad. Many had travelled from border districts such as Barmer and Jaisalmer.
Where exactly is it, and what does it look like?
Pilgrims enter the Dargah through the grand Nizam Gate, then pass the Shahjahani Gate and the tall Buland Darwaza, where the Urs flag is raised each year. You can read that story in our article on the flag that opens the Ajmer Urs.
Deeper inside, the white marble dome of the tomb rises over the courtyard. The Jannati Darwaza is a small doorway on the west side of the tomb chamber. It is not grand or tall. What catches the eye is the metal: its shutters are covered in silver, which shines under the lamps and the morning light. Just beside it lies the grave of Gaiti Ara, a young daughter of Shah Jahan, a quiet reminder of how close the Mughal family felt to this shrine.
Nearby, according to travel writers, are the tomb of the Khwaja’s daughter, Bibi Hafiz Jamal, and the grave of Nizam Sikka, the water-carrier who, the story goes, once saved Emperor Humayun from drowning.
Why do pilgrims walk through it seven times?
Watch the crowd on an opening day and you will see people going round and round. Shrine guides describe the custom like this:
- Enter through the Jannati Darwaza towards the blessed tomb.
- Walk along the side of the marble screen.
- Leave by the exit door on the south into the open courtyard.
- Keep to the right until you are back at the Jannati Darwaza.
- Repeat, so that you pass through the gate seven times in one go.
Where does the custom come from? A tradition told at Ajmer links it to Hazrat Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (RA), the Khwaja’s chief Khalifa (spiritual successor), who later carried the Chishti path to Delhi. He is said to have regarded his master’s threshold as a door to Paradise itself, and in a moment of deep love he prayed that the gate would bring blessings to whoever passed through it. Guides add that the custom is open to everyone, whatever their community or faith.
Many pilgrims also recite Durood Sharif (blessings on the Prophet ﷺ) and make Dua as they walk.
Does walking through it guarantee Paradise?
Popular belief at Ajmer says that whoever crosses the gate seven times will be granted Jannah, and some say it brings the blessing of Hajj to those who cannot travel to Makkah. These beliefs are sincerely held, but they need to be understood carefully.
Islamic teaching is clear that entry into Jannah depends on Iman (faith), good deeds and, above all, the mercy of Allah. In a well-known hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet ﷺ taught that no one enters Paradise by deeds alone, but only through Allah’s mercy. Hajj, too, is a pillar of Islam for everyone who is able to go. No visit to any shrine replaces it.
So the best way to see the Jannati Darwaza is as many devotees do: a doorway of love, respect and Dua. People walk through it hoping for Allah’s mercy, remembering a man whose whole life was about serving others. That hope is beautiful. It is not a ticket.
Did you know? When the gate is locked, devotees still come to it. Ajmer reporters have described people tying threads and leaving written petitions, called arzi, at the closed door, and returning later to give thanks when their prayers are answered.
What happens to the gate during the Urs?
The Urs is the busiest time of all. The gate opens in the early hours as the Urs begins. In past years, Ajmer newspapers reported it opening at about 4:30 am, with Khadims announcing it would stay open for the whole Urs. For about six days, a steady river of pilgrims flows through it, day and night, while qawwali rises from the Mehfil Khana nearby.
It closes on 6 Rajab, Chhati Sharif, the anniversary of the Khwaja’s passing in 633 AH (1236 CE). At the end of the Qul ceremony, the Dewan (the hereditary spiritual head of the shrine) comes from the Mehfil Khana to the tomb, the Jannati Darwaza is shut, a cannon is fired from the hill above the Dargah, and Fatiha is recited. For many pilgrims, the closing of the silver door is the moment the Urs truly ends.
Expected dates for the 815th Urs (2026)
| Event | Expected date (India) |
|---|---|
| Flag ceremony on the Buland Darwaza | Saturday, 5 December 2026 |
| Rajab moon night: Urs begins, Jannati Darwaza opens | 9 or 10 December 2026 (depends on moon sighting) |
| Chhati Sharif, Qul: Jannati Darwaza closes | 15 or 16 December 2026 |
| Badi Qul (9 Rajab) | 18 or 19 December 2026 |
| Dates depend on the Rajab moon. We update the Ajmer Urs 2026 dates page as soon as they are confirmed. | |
Tips if you want to pass through the gate
- Go early. Queues form well before the gate opens, especially on the first morning of the Urs and on Eid.
- Cover your head and dress modestly. Shoes are left outside the inner area.
- Keep children and elders close. The passage is narrow and the crowd pushes forward. Follow the Khadims and volunteers.
- Do not rush the seven rounds. If the crowd is too heavy, one calm visit with sincere Dua is better than being crushed.
- Leave valuables at your hotel and keep your phone in an inside pocket.
- Plan for the cold. December mornings in Ajmer are chilly.
The lesson of a door
Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA) spent his life keeping a different kind of door open. His Khanqah (Sufi lodge) at Ajmer welcomed the hungry, the poor and the stranger, whoever they were. That open door is why people still call him Gharib Nawaz, the one who cares for the poor.
The silver gate opens only four times a year. The doors of our homes, our hearts and our help can open every day. Feeding someone, forgiving someone, standing by someone in trouble: these are the deeds that, by Allah’s mercy, lead to the real Jannah. That is perhaps the truest way to honour the man buried beside the Jannati Darwaza.
Frequently asked questions
How many times a year does the Jannati Darwaza open?
Four times: for about six days during the Urs (1 to 6 Rajab), on Eid ul-Fitr, on 6 Shawwal for the Urs of Khwaja Usman Harooni (RA), and on Eid ul-Adha.
When will the Jannati Darwaza open for the Ajmer Urs 2026?
It is expected to open on the night the Rajab moon is sighted, around 9 or 10 December 2026, and close after the Qul on Chhati Sharif, around 15 or 16 December 2026.
What is the Jannati Darwaza made of?
It is a small doorway whose door panels are covered in silver. It is on the western side of the tomb of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (RA).
Can non-Muslims pass through the Jannati Darwaza?
Yes. People of all faiths visit Ajmer Dargah, and shrine guides say the gate is open to everyone on its opening days. Visitors are expected to dress modestly and cover their heads.
Related: Ajmer Urs 2026 dates · The flag that opens the Ajmer Urs · Khwaja Gharib Nawaz: life and teachings · Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya · Great Sufi saints of India · Important events in Rajab
Sources: Jannati Darwaza opening days (khawajagharibnawaz.com); Live History India: Dargah Ajmer Sharif; Asianet Newsable / ANI, Eid ul-Adha 2026; Outlook Traveller: The Ajmer Urs; Shrine of Mu’in al-Din Chishti (Wikipedia); Rajasthan Patrika, Ajmer reports.
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