AJMER DARGAH

In 2007, a bomb went off inside the Dargah complex killing three devotees and injuring many. Security was beefed up after the incident.

Though devotees flock to the Dargah throughout the year, it’s only during the annual Urs gatherings — when an estimated two to three lakh pilgrims throng the complex on the day — that the chances of accidents like stampede go up . “We have 2000-plus trained disaster management volunteers available at our call and those include doctors, engineers, and other trained technical members,” said Sunita Verma Assistant collector and magistrate Ajmer and Incharge of Disaster management Cell. During annual Urs at dargah a sufficient number of police and sector magistrates are deployed for the smooth movement of the crowd to the sanctorum, said Vaibhav Galaria, collector, Ajmer. “We do not let the dargah premises get over crowded by erecting four to five barricades en-route dargah. If at any given point of time it appears that the Dargah is getting crowded we stop the entry of pilgrims inside the Dargah by lowering the barriers unless ascertaining that sufficient numbers of people have left the Dargah,” he added.

However, locals differ. They say that the area is vulnerable to accidents like fire. Also, open electric wires hanging in the area add to the danger.