Ajmer

The Land of Composite Culture
Ajmer situated in the green oasis wrapped in the barren hills has been a witness to an interesting past. The city was founded by Raja Ajay Pal Chauhan in the 7th Century A.D. and continued to be a major center of the Chauhan power till 1193 A.D,. when Prithviraj Chauhan lost it to Mohammed Ghauri. Since then, Ajmer became home to many dynasties, which came and left leaving behind incredible marks of their culture and traditions on the city’s history, converting it to an melting point of various cultures and blend of Hinduism and Islam. Today, Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage center for the Hindus as well as Muslims. Especially famous is the Dargah Sharif-tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti,which is equally revered by the Hindus and Muslims.


The Dargah
At the foot of a barren hill, is situated India’s most important pilgrimage center for people from all faiths. It is the splendid tomb of the Sufi saint Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti more popularly known as Khawaja Saheb or Khawaja Sharif. The shrine is next only to Mecca or Median for the Muslims of south Asia.

Shahjahan’s Mosque
In the corner of the inner court of the Dargah, is a magnificent building in white marble with a long (30.5m) and narrow court having low arcade and delicate carvings with trellis-work.It is the most marvelous of all the sanctums within the sanctuary of the Dargah.

The Museum
Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar ,the museum houses a rich repository of the Mughal and Rajput armour and exquisite sculptures.

Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra
A remarkable structure, this is a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture located on the outskirts, of the city, just beyond the Dargah. As the legend goes, its construction took two and a half days (Adhai-Din) to complete. It was originally a Sanskrit college, built within a temple. In 1193 A.D. Mohhamed Ghauri conquered Ajmer and converted the building into a mosque by adding a sevenarched wall in front of the pillared hall in just two-and-half days(adhai-din) and hence the name.


Pushkar Lake
Is 11 km from Ajmer. The lake is situated on the edge of the desert and surrounded by hills on three sides, is separated from Ajmer by ‘Nag Pahar’-the snake mountain. It is believed that, this lake was created by Brahma, one of the three Trinities of Hindu religion.

Pushkar Fair
It is one of the most colorful fairs of India. Millions of pilgrims gather at the lake during the annual cattle fair. Besides trading of horses, camels, cows and bulls, there are exciting camel-cart races and cultural events. Cloths, household items and leather goods are for sale during the fair. On the full moon of Kartik(Nov.) pilgrims take a holy dip in the lake.

Man Mahal
By the banks of the Pushkar Lake is the former residence of Raja Man Singh of Amer, Man Mahal. Presently it is converted to RTDC Sarover Tourist Bungalow ensuring convenient accommodation to travellers.Pushakar palace ( Kishangarh House) adjoining it is a heritage hotel.

Foy Sagar(5km)
A picturesque artificial lake named after the engineer for who created it under a famine relief project.

Location - In the north Indian state of Rajasthan.
Language : Rajasthani, Hindi, Urdu, English, Sindhi.
Climate : Moderate
Speciality : Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti's Dargah
Getting There
By Air : Jaipur 132 km is the nearest airport.
By Rail : Regular train services link Ajmer with important cities.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).
By Road : A good network of bus services operate from Ajmer to key destinations around.
Check In the Accommodations at Ajmer
There are numerous hotels in Ajmer to make your stay in Ajmer a comfortable and satisfying. Select from the wide range of luxury, deluxe and budgets hotels.
Excursion : Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura & Vrindavan

Traveler's Storie(s)
Akshardham Temple - Memorial To Peace- By Eric Chord
Rajasthan- The Royal State Of Rajasthan- By Shahnawaj Ahmed Ansari