Turn your mindscape to the 7th Century A.D. and discover how Raja Ajai Pal Chauhan founded the historic city of Ajmer - a green oasis, wrapped by barren hills. It continued to be the power center of the Chauhan clan until 1193 A.D. through times of war and peace. Through serenity and sacrifice.
Then came the legend that is still narrated, albeit sometimes, word of mouth. The chivalry of Prithviraj Chauhan.
This Rajput prince lost, after a mighty battle to Mohammed Ghauri. And after that Ajmer changed hands to become a home to many dynasties.
They came. They left. But each one of them left behind indelible marks of their culture and their traditions. And this became the beginning of a near perfect bonding between two faiths Hinduism and Islam.
Today, hundreds of years later, Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage center for the Hindus as well as the Muslims.
The famous Dargah Sharif, tomb of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is equally revered by the Hindus and the Muslims.
As an aside, Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar about 11 kms away. The abode of Lord Brahma the Pushkar lake is a' sacred spot for the Hindus, where they take a dip in the month of Kartik (Oct. - Nov)
Places of interest:-
The Dargah: At the foot of a barren hill Dargah, is situated, India's most important pilgrimage centre for people from all faiths. It is the splendid tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, more popularly known as Khwaja Saheb or Khwaja Sharif.The shrine is next only to Mecca or Medina for the Muslims of South Asia. Akbar used to make a pilgrimage to the Dargah from Agra once a year. The mausoleum has a gigantic gate, which was built by the Nizam of Hyderabad. The two massive cauldrons in the courtyard are of particular interest and on the right side of the courtyard is the Akbari Masjid built in white marble. There is another mosque in the courtyard built by Shahjahan.
The saint's tomb with a splendid marble dome is in the centre of the second courtyard, which is surrounded by a silver platform.
The shrine attracts thousands of pilgrims during the Urs-commemorating the death anniversary of the Saint, held from the 1" to 6th day of the Islamic month of Rajab. A colourful fair that springs up during this time is the major attraction. 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 marvellous of all the sanctums within the sanctuary of the Dargah.
Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra : A remarkable structure, this is a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic mosque by adding a seven-arched wall in front of the pillared hall. The distinct pillars-and arched 'screen' with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural masterpiece.
Taragarh Fort: A steep half an hour climb beyond the Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra leads to the ruins of the Taragarh Fort, perched on a hill. One can have an excellent view of the city from here. The fort was the site of the military activity during the Mughal period, later used as a sanatorium by the British. It is now connected with a motorable road.
The Museum: Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar, the museum houses a rich repository of the Mughal and Rajput armour and exquisite sculptures.
Mayo College: One of India's best public schools, located in the south-east of the city. It was founded in 1875 A.D. only for the princes. Each prince along with his entire retinue and an English tutor had his own house within the spacious college grounds covering 81 hectares. Now it is a Public School open to all.
The Circuit House: The former British Residency, overlooking the artificial lake, Ana Sagar, has now been converted into the Circuit House. The lake and the cenotaph and the shrine of the Hindu reformer Swami Dayanand, founder of the Arya Samaj movement in India, can be viewed from here. Jain Temple Soniji ki Nasiya, Sai Baba Temple, Prithvi Raj Chouhan Smarak are other attractions.
Excursions
Pushkar Lake (11 Km): The lake, situated on the edge of the desert and surrounded by hills on the three sides, is separated from Ajmer by 'Nag Pahar' the snake mountain. On this mountain the Panchkund and the cave of saint Agastya are located. It is believed that Kalidasa the 4th century Sanskrit poet and playwright, chose the setting for his masterpiece 'Abhigyana Shakuntalam' in this forest heritage. According to legend, the origin of Pushkar dates back to the time when Lord Brahma was-on his way in search of tranquil land to perform a 'Yajna'. A lotus fell from the hand of the Lord into this valley. A lake sprang up on this spot and was dedicated to him. The Brahma temple located here is a popular place of pilgrimage. Among other important temples are old & new Rangji Temple,Varaha Temple, Atmateshwar Mahadeo Temple & Savitri Temple etc.
Pushkar Fair: It is one of the most colourful fairs of India. Lakhs of pilgrims throng the lake during the annual cattle fair. Besides trading of horses, camels, cows and bulls, there are exciting camel cart races and cultural events. Clothes, household items and leather goods are for sale during the fair. On the full moon of Kartik (Oct. - Nov.) pilgrims take a holy dip in the lake.
Manmahal : Along the banks of the Pushkar Lake is the former residence of Raja Man Singh of Amer, Man Mahal, presently converted into RTDC Hotel Sarovar ensuring convenient accommodation to travellers.
Foy Sagar (5 Km): A picturesque artificial lake named after the engineer Foy who created it under a famine relief project.
Kishangarh 27 kms., Ajaypal historical Nasiya picnic place 15 kms, Kalpvriksha, Mangliyawas-30 kms are other important excursions
Shopping: Shopping in Ajmer is an enjoyable experience. One can shop for antiques, curios and fascinating gold and silver jewellery in contemporary designs, colourful tie-and-dye saris and embroidered Jodhpuri 'Jutis'. Especially during the annual Urs fair, a range of colourful items and marvellous creations of traditional folk artisans are for sale.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
HOW TO REACH AJMER
Air: Jaipur 132 Km is the nearest airport.
Rail: Regular train services link Ajmer with important cities. Some important train connections are: Delhi Mail (Ahmedabad-Ajmer-Delhi) ; Shatabdi Express (New Delhi-Ajmer-New Delhi).
Road: A good network of bus services operate from Ajmer to key destinations around.
Local Transport: City bus service operates in the city and to Pushkar un-metered taxis, auto-rickshaws, tongas and cycle-rickshaws are also available.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Area: 55.76 sq. km.
Altitude: 486 metres
Climate: Mean Max. Mean Min.
Summer: 43.1°C 37.7°C
Winter: 23.3°C 5.5°C
Rainfall: 38 to 51 Cms.
Clothing: Summer - Light Tropical,
Winter - Woollen
Best Season: July-March
Languages: Rajasthani, Hindi, Urdu, English, Sindhi.
Then came the legend that is still narrated, albeit sometimes, word of mouth. The chivalry of Prithviraj Chauhan.
This Rajput prince lost, after a mighty battle to Mohammed Ghauri. And after that Ajmer changed hands to become a home to many dynasties.
They came. They left. But each one of them left behind indelible marks of their culture and their traditions. And this became the beginning of a near perfect bonding between two faiths Hinduism and Islam.
Today, hundreds of years later, Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage center for the Hindus as well as the Muslims.
The famous Dargah Sharif, tomb of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is equally revered by the Hindus and the Muslims.
As an aside, Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar about 11 kms away. The abode of Lord Brahma the Pushkar lake is a' sacred spot for the Hindus, where they take a dip in the month of Kartik (Oct. - Nov)
Places of interest:-
The Dargah: At the foot of a barren hill Dargah, is situated, India's most important pilgrimage centre for people from all faiths. It is the splendid tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, more popularly known as Khwaja Saheb or Khwaja Sharif.The shrine is next only to Mecca or Medina for the Muslims of South Asia. Akbar used to make a pilgrimage to the Dargah from Agra once a year. The mausoleum has a gigantic gate, which was built by the Nizam of Hyderabad. The two massive cauldrons in the courtyard are of particular interest and on the right side of the courtyard is the Akbari Masjid built in white marble. There is another mosque in the courtyard built by Shahjahan.
The saint's tomb with a splendid marble dome is in the centre of the second courtyard, which is surrounded by a silver platform.
The shrine attracts thousands of pilgrims during the Urs-commemorating the death anniversary of the Saint, held from the 1" to 6th day of the Islamic month of Rajab. A colourful fair that springs up during this time is the major attraction. 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 marvellous of all the sanctums within the sanctuary of the Dargah.
Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra : A remarkable structure, this is a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic mosque by adding a seven-arched wall in front of the pillared hall. The distinct pillars-and arched 'screen' with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural masterpiece.
Taragarh Fort: A steep half an hour climb beyond the Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra leads to the ruins of the Taragarh Fort, perched on a hill. One can have an excellent view of the city from here. The fort was the site of the military activity during the Mughal period, later used as a sanatorium by the British. It is now connected with a motorable road.
The Museum: Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar, the museum houses a rich repository of the Mughal and Rajput armour and exquisite sculptures.
Mayo College: One of India's best public schools, located in the south-east of the city. It was founded in 1875 A.D. only for the princes. Each prince along with his entire retinue and an English tutor had his own house within the spacious college grounds covering 81 hectares. Now it is a Public School open to all.
The Circuit House: The former British Residency, overlooking the artificial lake, Ana Sagar, has now been converted into the Circuit House. The lake and the cenotaph and the shrine of the Hindu reformer Swami Dayanand, founder of the Arya Samaj movement in India, can be viewed from here. Jain Temple Soniji ki Nasiya, Sai Baba Temple, Prithvi Raj Chouhan Smarak are other attractions.
Excursions
Pushkar Lake (11 Km): The lake, situated on the edge of the desert and surrounded by hills on the three sides, is separated from Ajmer by 'Nag Pahar' the snake mountain. On this mountain the Panchkund and the cave of saint Agastya are located. It is believed that Kalidasa the 4th century Sanskrit poet and playwright, chose the setting for his masterpiece 'Abhigyana Shakuntalam' in this forest heritage. According to legend, the origin of Pushkar dates back to the time when Lord Brahma was-on his way in search of tranquil land to perform a 'Yajna'. A lotus fell from the hand of the Lord into this valley. A lake sprang up on this spot and was dedicated to him. The Brahma temple located here is a popular place of pilgrimage. Among other important temples are old & new Rangji Temple,Varaha Temple, Atmateshwar Mahadeo Temple & Savitri Temple etc.
Pushkar Fair: It is one of the most colourful fairs of India. Lakhs of pilgrims throng the lake during the annual cattle fair. Besides trading of horses, camels, cows and bulls, there are exciting camel cart races and cultural events. Clothes, household items and leather goods are for sale during the fair. On the full moon of Kartik (Oct. - Nov.) pilgrims take a holy dip in the lake.
Manmahal : Along the banks of the Pushkar Lake is the former residence of Raja Man Singh of Amer, Man Mahal, presently converted into RTDC Hotel Sarovar ensuring convenient accommodation to travellers.
Foy Sagar (5 Km): A picturesque artificial lake named after the engineer Foy who created it under a famine relief project.
Kishangarh 27 kms., Ajaypal historical Nasiya picnic place 15 kms, Kalpvriksha, Mangliyawas-30 kms are other important excursions
Shopping: Shopping in Ajmer is an enjoyable experience. One can shop for antiques, curios and fascinating gold and silver jewellery in contemporary designs, colourful tie-and-dye saris and embroidered Jodhpuri 'Jutis'. Especially during the annual Urs fair, a range of colourful items and marvellous creations of traditional folk artisans are for sale.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
HOW TO REACH AJMER
Air: Jaipur 132 Km is the nearest airport.
Rail: Regular train services link Ajmer with important cities. Some important train connections are: Delhi Mail (Ahmedabad-Ajmer-Delhi) ; Shatabdi Express (New Delhi-Ajmer-New Delhi).
Road: A good network of bus services operate from Ajmer to key destinations around.
Local Transport: City bus service operates in the city and to Pushkar un-metered taxis, auto-rickshaws, tongas and cycle-rickshaws are also available.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Area: 55.76 sq. km.
Altitude: 486 metres
Climate: Mean Max. Mean Min.
Summer: 43.1°C 37.7°C
Winter: 23.3°C 5.5°C
Rainfall: 38 to 51 Cms.
Clothing: Summer - Light Tropical,
Winter - Woollen
Best Season: July-March
Languages: Rajasthani, Hindi, Urdu, English, Sindhi.