Location: North India in the state of Rajasthan
Famous for: The Dargah of Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti
Fairs and Festivals: Pushkar Fair
Ideal Time to Visit: September to April
Temerature: Summer Mean Max. 42.2, Mean Min. 36.6, Winter Mean Max.
27.5, Mean Min. 15.5
Language Spoken: Rajasthani, Hindi, English, Urdu, Sindhi
An Over All View of Ajmer
Ajmer a green arcadia amidst the vast deserts of Rajasthan was established
by Aijpal Chauhan in the year 1100 AD. Located in the foothills of `Ajaya
Meru', an impregnable hill, Ajmer was dominated and ruled by Chauhan dynasty
till 1193 AD.
Today, Ajmer is a famous pilgrimage center for the Hindus as well as
Muslims. It is a celestial home to most holy Dragon Sharif a tomb of the
Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, which is equally worshiped by all
religions specially the Hindus and Muslims.
Historic Perspective
Prithviraj Chauhan a legendary king much known for his power and valor lost
his regime to Mohammed Ghauri, since then, Ajmer was ruled by many
successive dynasties leaving behind ineradicable culture and traditions. The
city enjoys the splendid amalgam of various cultures and a magnificent blend
of Hindu, Islamic edification is exhibited in its rich heritage.
Ajmer also facilitates an excellent trip to Pushkar lying at a distance of
11 km from Ajmer. Pushkar is a sacred spot for Hindus and is famous for its
scenic lake known as the Pushkar lake and the world famous Pushkar Fair.
Charms of Ajmer City
The Dargah
Crowned on the foot of a barren mountain, Dargah is a marble mosque. It is
India's most important pilgrimage center for people from all faiths. The
Dargah is most prestigious shrine of Muslims and innumerable number of
devotee's pay their worship in this holy mosque through out the year.
This sanctified mausoleum is the tomb of the Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin
Chisti more popularly known as Khawaja Saheb or Khawaja Sharif. The shrine
is equally prestigious like Mecca or Median for the Muslims of south Asia.
According to legend Akbar the Mughal Emperor pays the holy visit to the
Dargah in the 16th century and was blessed with a child since then the king
used to come every year to pay his devotion to the Dargah from Agra.
Shahjahan's
Mosque
The most awe-inspiring mausoleum constructed in white stone is situated
inside the premises of Dargah. It has remarkable arcade festooned with
enchanting carving with precious trelliswork. The arcade is extended to
almost 30.5m in length and is considered as most conspicuous of the entire
sanctum inside the mosque.
Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra
The structure is a 'magnum opus' representing blend of Indo-Islamic
architecture splendor situated near the holy Dargah. After conquering Ajmer
in 1193 AD, Mohammed Ghauri concerted the edifice into a mosque by
fabricating a 7-curvilinear, surrounding the pillared hall in just half day
(adhai-din) as its name signifies.
Mayo College
One of the most renowned educational institutes located in Ana Sagar is
transformed into a Circuit House. The Other attraction of the place is the
shrines of the great Hindu reformer Swami Dayanand, founder of the Arya
Samaj movement in India, quite a noteworthy sight.
Taragarh Fort
By taking up a thrilling one and a half-hour steep climb one can visit the
magnificent ruins of the Taragarh Fort. Initially the fort was constructed
for Mughals military purposes. A panoramic view of the whole city down is
just fabulous and much a captivating sights.
Excursion
Pushkar
Pushkar 11km forms the most popular excursion from Ajmer. The city is
famous for some of the beautiful temples dedicated to Brahma the Creator of
Universe. The town is very popular for its scenic Pushkar Lake and Pushkar
Fair and become a center of attraction for 10 days attracting thousand of
tourist from all the country and abroad.
Pushkar Lake
The holy lake in Pushkar is separated from Ajmer by 'Nag Pahar' -the Snake
Mountain. During the month of Kartik in Oct-Nov the pilgrims from all over
the country throngs the Pushkar City to take a dip in this divine lake.
The 'Nag Pahar' hold the attractions of Panchkund and some marvelous caves
of the holy saint Agastya. Legend has it that the great poet of Sanskrit
'Kalidas' wrote his world-renowned chef d'oeuvre 'Shakuntaalam' on this
mountain in 4th century.
Pushkar Fair
(Comes in November) Another attraction of Pushkar Town is the world famous
Pushkar Fair. The fair is embellished with kaleidoscopic events, besides
trading of horses, camels, cows and bulls, the stimulating camel-cart races
and cultural events are also organized. The camels are festooned with motley
of colors and ornaments, this unique race is cherished by thousands of
visitors coming from all over the world. Pushkar felicitate a unique
accommodation in form of tents on the cool sand which itself a diverse
attraction for its visitors. The accommodation is equipped with all kind of
comfortable facilities added with an extra charm of bonfire during nights
under the open sky. Colorful cloths, household items and leather goods can
be purchased during the fair.
Man Mahal
Man Mahal is the erstwhile residence of Maharaja Man Singh of Amer perched
on the bank of Pushkar Lake. Later on it was transfigured to RTDC Sarover
Tourist Bungalow facilitating a comfortable resort for the tourist. Visitor
will finds them surrounded by the rich ancient culture of bygone era inside
the premises of the mahal.
Shopping
Shopping in Ajmer is rejuvenating experience. Ajmer is an abode to diverse
antique items, to acquire them is definitely a passion of the shopper. It
offers bewitching gold and silver jewelry in their unique designs,
resplendent tie-and-dye textiles and embroidered jodhpuri 'Jutis' (shoes).
Especially during the annual Urs fair, a range of resplendent items and
amazing creations of conventional folk maestros are on sale.
Getting Around
Air: Nearest Airport is Sanganer airport in Jaipur-138 kms. The
airport is well connected by Indian airlines and a host of other airlines,
too. One can take the tourist cabs from the airport run by the government
and also private coaches to Ajmer.
Rail: The city is well connected by rail to Agra, Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Bharatpur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and to Mumbai via Ahmedabad. Some important
train connections are: Gujrat Mail (Mumbai-Ajmer-Delhi Sarai Rohilla);
Jodhpur Mail (Marwar-Ajmer-Jaipur): Delhi Express (Ahmedabad-Ajmer-Jaipur);
Shatabadi Express (New Delhi-Ajmer-New Delhi).
Road: Ajmer lies on NH8, which connects Delhi to Mumbai. Rajasthan
STC buses and some private operators connect the city with various places in
the country. Agra -370 km, Bharatpur-312 km, Delhi-444 km and Jaipur-138 km.
