|
|
|
RAJASTHAN
:: AJMER
CITY GUIDE |
|
|
|
|
Ajmer
General Information |
|
Area |
55.76 Sq. Km. |
|
Altitude |
486 mtrs. |
|
Temperature |
|
|
Summer |
38.700C
- 27.700C |
|
Winter |
23.300C
- 5.500C |
|
Clothing |
|
|
Summer |
Tropical |
|
Winter |
Woollens |
|
Languages |
Hindi, Rajasthani, Urdu, Sindhi, English |
|
|
|
|
|
Ajmer
History |
|
Ajmer was
established in the early seventh century by Ajaipal
Chauhan. Ajaipal Chauhan constructed a tall fort here
and named the place Ajaimeru means invincible hill. Here
he built India,s first hill fort Taragah. Ajmer was a
Chauhan's Stronghold till 1194. The Only remains of
their times are the fort and the beautiful Anasagar lake
built in 1150 by Anaji. The legendary Prithviraj, last
of the Chauhans, is the inspiration for many heroic
ballads sung even today in the villages of Rajasthan.
It was during the regime of Prithviraj, in 1191, that
Muhammad of Ghori invaded India. Prithviraj died
fighting the sultan's army, and with the establishment
of the Sultanate in Delhi, a new era began.
Ajmer remained under the Sultanate till 1326.
Thereafter, it became a bone of contention between the
Sultans of Delhi, the Ranas of Mewar, the Rathors of
Marwar and the Sultans of Gujarat. Peace was restored
with the accession of Akbar to the Mughal throne in
1556. He made Ajmer a full fledged province and the base
for his operations in Rajputana.
He fortified the city, but only parts of the 4045-yard
(3735-m) long wall remain. His palace, the Daulat Khana,
houses the Government Museum.Akbar's son, Jahangir,
lived in Ajmer from 1613 to 1616. His palace, the Daulat
Bagh, is now in ruins. The celebrated English ambassador
during to the Mughal court, Sir Thomas Roe, was received
here by the emperor.
During the course of his extended stay, Roe met the
emperor several times and showered him with gifts
varying from maps to a coach. But he failed to conclude
a commercial treaty between England and the Mughal
empire.
In 1659 a battle was fought in Ajmer between the Mughal
princes, Aurangzeb and Dara Sukoh, during which Taragarh
was greatly damaged. In the first half of the 18th
century, Ajmer was affected by the political chaos in
Delhi. At times it was the Rathors who reigned here, at
others the emperors of Delhi.
In 1755, the situation became more complex with the
involvement of the Marathas. In 1818, finally the
Marathas ceded Ajmer to Sir David Ochterlony and, as
part of the British empire, it remained under the care
of successive superintendents.
In 1947, with the reorganization of the princely states
Ajmer became a part of Rajasthan. |
|
|
|
|
|
How to
reach Ajmer ? |
|
Air |
Nearest Airport,
Jaipur (132 Kms) |
|
Rail |
Well Connected with
Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Abu Road, Ahemdabad,
Mumbai, Bangeore etc. |
|
Bus |
Regular Bus Services
for all inportant Tourist centers in the state and other major
towns outside the state. |
|
|
 |
| |
| AJMER
SIGHT SEEING |
| |
|
Dargah Khwaja Sahib |
|
 The
Dargah is the Tomb of a Sufi saint, Khwaja Muinud
- din Chishti, who came to Ajmer from Persia in
1192. Construction of the shrine was completed
by Humayun and the gate was added by the Nizam
of Hyderabad. Akbar used to make the piligrimage
to the Dargah from Agra once a year. The saint's
tomb is in the centre of the second court. It
has a marble dome and the actual tomb inside is
surrounded by a silver platform. The tomb attaracts
hundred of thousands of piligrims every year on
the anniversary of the lunar calendar. |
| |
|
Adhai - din - ka - jhonpra |
|
 According
to legend, its construction, in 1153, took two
and half days, as its name imdicates. It was built
as a Jain college, but in 1198, Muhammad Ghori
took Ajmer and converted the building into a mosque
by adding a seven - arched wall in the front of
the pillared hall. |
| |
|
Akbar Palace |
|
Back in the city, near the railway station, this
fort was built by Akbar in 1570 and today houses
the Ajmer Museum. The collection has some fine
sculpture and a rather poor collection of Moghul
and Rajput armour. The museum is closed on Friday
and charges a small admission fee. |
| |
|
Nasiyan Temple |
|
 The
'Red Temple' on Prithviraj Marg is a Jain Temple
built last century. Its double - storey hall contains
a series of large, gilt wooden figures from Jain
mythology which depict the Jain concept of the
ancient world. It's certainly worth a visit. |
| |
|
Taragarh |
|
 Three
km and a steep one and half hour climb beyond
the mosque in Adhai - din - ka - jhonpra, Taragarh,
or 'Star Fort' commands an excellent view over
the city. The fort was the site of much military
activity during Moghul times and was later used
as a sansation by the British. |
| |
| AJMER
FAIRS & FESTIVALS |
| |
|
Urs Ajmer Sharif |
|
 About
the Fair
Held in the holy town of Ajmer in honour of the
Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, special
prayers are offered at the mosque, and huge amounts
of consecrated food offered from the large, steaming
cauldrons that were a gift from Akbar. While quwwallis
are sung at night, the celebrations unite people
of all faiths, and the complete town is decorated
with buntings, and wears the spirit of festivity.
Activities
It is an occasion for thousands of believers to
congregate at the shrine and offer their prayers.
All of Ajmer seems to take on a festive air and
several programmes are organized to mark the festivals. |
| |
| OTHER
USEFUL LINKS |
Hotels in Ajmer |
|
Tour Packages for Ajmer |
| |
| |
| |
|
 |
|
