Ajmer
The Ajmer district is situated in the central part of Rajasthan. Ajmer is
only 132 kilometers from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. It encompasses
a total area of 55.76 sq. km. The city has a religious and historical importance.
It is a holy place for the Hindus and the Muslims as well. The district
earns a large chunk of the revenue through the tourism industry. The place is sacred to the Hindus because of the famous Pushkar Temple. While for the Muslims, Ajmer has significance because of the tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.The Ajmer district is situated in the central part of Rajasthan. Ajmer is only 132 kilometers from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. It encompasses a total area of 55.76 sq. km. Ajmer has a religious and historical importance. It is a holy place for the Hindus and the Muslims as well. The district earns a large chunk of the revenue through the tourism industry. The place is sacred to the Hindus because of the famous Pushkar Temple. While for the Muslims, Ajmer has significance because of the tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.
Founded in the tenth century CE by Raja Ajay Pal Chauhan, who established the Chauhan dynasty that continued to rule the country while repeated waves of Muslim invasion swept across India, the holy city was conquered by Muhammad of Ghor, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1193.
Ghor or Ghowr is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in central Afghanistan, towards the north-west. The capital of Ghor is Chaghcharan.Ghor, which was part of Persia for many centuries in the past history, was one of the regions which participated in the Persian Cultural Revival after the Arab invasion of Persia. The name Ghor is
a dialectal
version of the Middle-Persian word gar meaning mountain. The same word is
spelled as ghar in Pashto language.Ghor was also the centre of the Ghurid dynasty in the 12th and 13th century. The remains of their capital Firuzkuh, including UNESCO World Heritage site the Minaret of Jam, are located in the province. Its internal government, however, was handed over to the Chauhan rulers upon the payment of a heavy tribute to the conquerors.
Ajmer then remained feudatory to Delhi until 1365, when it was captured by the ruler of Mewar. In 1509 Ajmer became a source of contention between the maharajas of Mewar and Marwar, and was ultimately conquered by the Marwar ruler in 1532. The city was lost to the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1559. It continued to be in the hands of the Mughals, with occasional revolts, till 1770, when it was ceded to the Marathas. From that time up to 1818 Ajmer was the scene of an ongoing struggle, being seized at different times by the Mewar and the Marwar maharajas, from whom it was often regained by the Marathas. In 1818 the Marathas sold Ajmer to the British for 50,000 rupees. Since then Ajmer has enjoyed unbroken peace and stable governance.
Then onwards, Ajmer became home to many dynasties which came and left leaving behind indelible marks of their culture and traditions on the city's history converting it to an amalgam of various cultures and blend of Hinduism and Islam. The city gives its name to a district and also to a former province of British India called Ajmer-Merwara which after India's independence became the state of Ajmer until November 1, 1956 when it was merged into Rajasthan state.
The city of Ajmer found its recognition the world over as a pilgrimage
site. The Dargah or tomb of the popular 13th-century Sufi Saint, Hazrat
Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti is located in the city. Pilgrims from all
over the world throng the site in Ajmer to attend the death anniversary
of this great saint every year. The city also is a storehouse of a number
of monuments dating back to the Mughal era. The city is also well known
for its traditional handicrafts.Sultan-ul-Hind Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Sanjari (radi Allahu anhu) popularly known as Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaaz (The Benefactor of the Poor) was the founder of the Chistiya Order of Sufis in India. He is one of the most outstanding figures in the history of Islamic Mysticism.
The Chistiya Silsila is one of the most popular and influential mystic orders in Islam. It derives its name from Chist, a village near Herat, where the real founder of the Order, Khwaja Abu Ishaq (radi Allahu anhu) of Syria, settled. Hazrat Khwaja Moiinuddin Chisti (radi Allahu anhu) brought the Silsila to India at the close of the 11th century A.D. and established its centre in Ajmer, whence the order spread far and wide in India and became a force in the spiritual life of the Muslims.
Naturally the most important tourist spot in Ajmer is the Dargah or tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. The Ana Sagar Lake and Daulat Bagh Garden are other important sites in the city. Ajmer also has an imposing fort built by Akbar which is the present address of Government Museum.
Ajmer is ideally conceived with wide streets and handsome houses. Ajmer also serves as an important railway junction. The city is a trade center and has cotton mills and railroad shops. Manufactures include wool textiles, hosiery, shoes, soap, and pharmaceuticals.
Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar(11 km.), the abode of Lord Brahma lying to its west with a temple and a picturesque lake. The Pushkar lake is a sacred spot for Hindus. During the month of Kartik devotees throng in large numbers here to take a dip in the sacred lake and offer tributes to their forefathers and pinddan an offering made to Brahmadeb to free their soul from the repeated cycle of life.
Reaching Ajmer
Ajmer has convenient connection with the rest of the nation by rail, road and air.
By Air: Though the city does not has a air port within the city but the city of Jaipur just 135 kms from the city has an air port and Jaipur is connected with good motorable roads with Ajmer.
By Train: Ajmer is on the Delhi-Jaipur-Marwar-Ahmedabad-Mumbai line and most trains stops at Ajmer the station being a junction.
By Road: The city is connected with convenient bus services from cities and places like Jaipur, Agra, Aligarh, Abu Road, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Barmar, Haridwar, Chittourgarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Nagpur.
Best season to visit:
The best season to visit is July to March.
Places of interest in Ajmer:
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. Akbar used
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 Shahjhan.
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 is thronged by thousands of pilgrims during the Urs-commemorating the death anniversary of the Saint, held from the 1st to 6th day of the Islamic month of Rajab. A colourful fair that springs up during this time is the major attraction.
Shahjhan'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 mostmarvelous of all the sanctums within
Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra:
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 seven arched wall in front of the pillared hall in just two-and-half days (adhai-din) and hence the name. The distinct pillars-and arched "Screen" with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural masterpiece.
Taragarh Fort:
A steep one and a half hour climb beyond the
Adhai-din-ka-jhopra 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.The Museum:
Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar ,the museum showcases a rich repository of the Mughal and Rajput armour and exquisite sculptures.
Mayo College:
Mayo College has been called the "Eton Of India" since its foundation in 1870 AD. This is best expressed in the words of Lord Lytton, Viceroy of India on his visit to Mayo as the Chief Guest on the Annual Prize Giving day on 5th Dec. 1879.
Nearby spots:
Pushkar Lake (11km.) :
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. On this mountain the Panchkund and the cave of the saint Agastya are located. It is believed that Kalidas-the 4th century Sanskrit poet and playwright, chose the setting for his masterpiece Abhigyanam Shakuntalam in this forest heritage.
According to legend, the origin of Pushkar dates aback to the time when lord Brahma was on his way in search of a tranquil land to perform a Yagna. A lotus fell from the hands of the lord into this valley. A lake sprang up on this spot and was dedicated to him. A Brahma temple located here is a popular place of pilgrimage.
Pushkar Fair :
It is one of the most colorful 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.
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 :
Along the banks of the Pushkar Lake is the former residence of Raja Man Singh of Ajmer, Man Mahal. Presently it is converted to RTDC Sarovar 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.
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