AJMER: A large group of malangs and kalanders on Thursday were seen holding the national flag as they came to attend the 807th annual Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty in Ajmer , and offered prayers for the country. Malangs are an attraction for the devotees, as they exhibit mind boggling tricks and stunts like piercing their mouth and tongue with knives and needles and popping out their eyeballs, using a knife.Large numbers of kalanders and malangs on Thursday afternoon staged a march from chilla of Gudari Shah Baba at Ghati and marched to Delhi Gate, Dhan Mandi and Dargah Bazaar and offered their ‘sticks’ at the dargah, a ritual known as the ‘Chadi Rasam’.Malangs from across the country, including those from Assam, Gujarat , West Bengal and Bihar, marched in black clothes, with long beard and hair falling down on their shoulders. They showcased their ‘skills’ of piercing their tongue and cheeks with sharp objects. For the first time, they were seen carrying the tricolour and some of them also shouted slogans of ‘Jai Hind’. One of the old malangs said that the young malangs may have renounced worldly things, but are patriotic. Sabana (20) from Bhopal said that it was amazing how a man stabs his cheek and not a single drop of blood comes out.The devotees came in large numbers to attend the prayers of Urs as the ‘Jannati Darwaza’ was opened and every devotee wanted to offer prayers there. There were also chantings of ‘Ya Garib Nawaj’. Malangs and kalanders are known as friends of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisty. Ali Raza of Patna said that he came to attend the Urs with his family and that his children were fascinated with the malangs.With special prayers to be held on Friday, large numbers of devotees have started to throng the town, via buses and trains, and Kayar Vishram Sthali is full of the devotees. The dargah is resounding with qawwalis and the scent of roses, as devotees make a beeline to offer a ‘chadar’ and flowers at the shrine.

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