Salman Ahmad performs at Ajmer Sharif

The Junoon singer attends the 800th year of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz’s urs celebration.

KARACHI:

Sufi rock star Salman Ahmad may have performed in various places around the world but his most recent stop was a unique one. The Junoon member got the rare chance of performing at the Dargah Sharif of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty in Ajmer Sharif, India.

“It was an honour to pay tribute to Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty in Ajmer Sharif,” said Ahmad via e-mail. “This is the 800th year of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz’s urs celebration. Thousands of people flocked to the Dargah Sharif and they were in a state of fana while listening to the Sufi songs of love and devotion,” added the Sufi musician.

Ahmad was invited to the memorable event by Syed Salman Chishty, who is also the Gaddi Nashin (heir apparent), Khadim-i-Khawaja sahib (Khwaja’s servant) and the Director of Chishty Foundation. “It was really nice to have Junoon here in Ajmer Sharif,” Chishty said about Ahmad’s visit. Ahmad has now joined the league of Pakistani Sufi musicians Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen who have also had the privilege to perform at Ajmer Sharif.

Recently, Ahmad made headlines when he announced that he will be making his Bollywood debut in Vicky Kumar’s musical love story Rhythm, according to timesofindia.com.

Hindustan Times reports that Ahmad’s Indian fan following started strengthening from 1997, when his song “Sayonee” created a rage in India. Currently, Junoon, spearheaded by Ahmad, are in India, for a series of concerts in different cities of the country. Their next performance will be at the Bluefrog in Delhi on May 10. “A Junooni time is guaranteed for all,” Ahmad tweeted. Junoon’s last concert in India was on February 6, 2010.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2012.