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Introduction of Ajmer
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Ajmer, an ancient pilgrimage town is situated on the banks of the
Ana Sagar Lake at an altitude of 486 meters above sea level. Ajmer
which is about 130 kms from Jaipur, covers a total area of 55.76
square km. Historically, Ajmer had considerable strategic importance
and was sacked by Mohammed Ghori on one of his periodic forays from
Afghanistan. Later it became a favorite residence of the mighty
Mughal. Ajmer is a major center for Muslim pilgrims during the fast
of Ramzaan, and has some impressive Muslim architecture. It houses
the Dargah or tomb of the popular 13th century Sufi saint, Hazrat
Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. The city also boasts of a number of
monuments dating back to the Mughal era.The city is also well known
for its traditional handicrafts industry. |
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In Summers, the temperature is around 38.1º Celsius and in winters
it is around 5.5º Celsius. Hindi, Rajasthani, Sindhi, Urdu and
English are the common languages which are spoken here. |
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History
of Ajmer |
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The
small town of Ajmer played a surprisingly important role in
India's history. Set at the point where the rocky Aravalli Hills
end and the Thar Desert begins, this was originally the stronghold
of the powerful Chauhan Dynasty of Rajputs, who built India's
first ever hill fort here in the 7th century. Ajmer was founded by
a Rajput chieftain Raja Ajaipal Chauhan, who also built first hill
fort in India, the Tara Garh. As the fort was supposed to be
invincible, it was named Ajai Meru (the Invincible Hill). Ajmer
was brought under the control of Delhi Sultanate in 1193, when
Ajaipal Chauhan was defeated by Mohammed Ghori. It was later
returned to the local chieftains as a small tribute. Ajmer also
played an important role in paving the way for British East India
Company in India. In 1616, Jahangir met ambassador of King James,
Sir Thomas Roe. That was the first meeting between any Mughal
Emperor and representatives of Britain. |
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In the 17th century,
Shah Jahan built marble pavilions around the Ana Sagar Lake. The
Taragarh Fort was damaged badly during the Mughal war of
succession between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh. The Scindia rulers
of Gwalior took over Ajmer in the mid 18th century, to be handed
over to the British in 1818. |
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Tourist Attractions of Ajmer
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The main
tourist attraction of Ajmer is Dargah of Garib Nawaz. Ajmer
houses the Dargah or tomb of the popular 13th century Sufi
saint, Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. The other tourist
attraction of Ajmer are Adhai din ka Jhonpara, Mayo College, Ana
Sagar Lake and Nasiyan. |
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How to get here |
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By Air
From Ajmer the nearest airport is Jaipur which is about 130 km.
By Rail
Ajmer is connected by rail to Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Barmer, Bharatpur,
Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mount Abu and Mumbai.
By Road
Ajmer is well connected by road with Agra, Bharatpur,
Bikaner, Chittorgarh,
Jaipur and Delhi.
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Map
of Ajmer |
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Ajmer Tour
3
Days / 2 Nights
Jaipur -
Ajmer - Jaipur
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Major
Tourist Attractions in Ajmer
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Dargah
Sharif
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Ajmer
was a major center for Muslim pilgrims during the
fast of Ramzaan and has some impressive Muslim
architecture. It houses the Dargah or tomb of the
popular 13th century Sufi saint, Hazrat Khwaja
Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. The Dargah Sharif is the
place where the famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin
Hasan Chisti mortal lie buried and is the site of
the largest Muslim fair in India. The Dargah Sharif
draws pilgrims and devotees not only from the
Islamic world but the people visit this place from
all religions as the Dargah Sharif is considered a
shrine where all the wishes are fulfilled. Khwaja
Moinuddin Hasan Chisti lived in Ajmer from 1190
until his death in 1232.He was referred as the benefactor of the
poor and was popularly known as Gareeb Nawaz.
Chaddar, Ghilaph and Neema are the various offerings
which are made by several devotees inside the tomb. Mehfils and
Qawwalis are held and mass prayer calls for the eternal peace of
the mankind. More than five lakh devotees belonging to different
communities gather from all parts of the subcontinent to pay
homage to the Khwaja on his Urs (death anniversary) during the
first six days of Rajab (seventh month of the Islamic calendar).
The pilgrims who come to seek the blessings of the
Khwaja make rich offerings called nazrana at the holy spot
where the saint has been entombed. The offerings of rose and
jasmine flowers, sandalwood paste, perfumes and incense contribute
to the fragrance that floats in the air inside the shrine. |
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Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra |
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It is a remarkable structure, 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. |
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Other Attractions |
Ajmer also has a Jain Temple, Nasiyan Temple in red
color built in 1865. The wooden gilt in the double storeyed hall
exhibits images from the Jain mythology, describing the ancient
Jain concepts.
Ajmer is blessed with lakes - Ana Sagar Lake, built between
1135-1150 AD by damming the river Luni. This artificial lake is
bounded by hills and on its bank is a beautiful park - the Dault
Bagh, making this place one fine spot for strolling in the morning
and evening. Foy Sagar is just 5 kms from the town and 3
kms further up the valley from Ana Sagar Lake. Built during a
famine relief programme it is named after the engineer responsible
for its construction, the picturesque lake offers
spectacular views form the hill. |
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Museums
in Ajmer |
Government
Museum:
Government Museum, situated in the heart of the old city of
Ajmer is housed in the beautiful palace built by the Mughal
Emperor Akbar in 1570. It was here that the British General Sir
Thomas Roe met Emperor Jahangir in 1616. In the museum are the
palace quarters where the emperors lived. After the British rule
in 1818 and during the first war of Independence in 1857 these
palace quarters were used as the Rajputana Arsenal by the
British. |
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Archaeological
Museum:
Archaeological Museum is located in the Dil-e-Aaram Gardens of
Ajmer and established in 1949. An Art Gallery was inaugurated in
1992 in this complex. This museum is divided into three
sections. This museum has the collection of sculptures and some
excavated material of earlier civilizations. |
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Festival
in Ajmer |
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Ajmer
Urs - Ajmer Urs is held in the memory of the Sufi saint Khwaja
Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer. The date of this Urs is not fixed, and it
is held according to the moon. The Urs commemorates the symbolic union
of the saint with God. During this festival thousands of pilgrims from
all over the world gather at the shrine and offer their prayers to the
holy saint. This festival is celebrated for almost six days with
continuous music and other programmes and Qawaalis (poems) are sung in
the honour of the saint. On the final day, women wash the tomb with
their hair then squeeze the rose water into bottles as medicine for
the sick. The complete town of Ajmer is decorated with buntings, and
wears the spirit of festivity. |
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Standard
Rooms on twin sharing basis.