AJMER-    The Land of composite culture   

Ajmer situated in the green  oasis wrapped in the barren hillls witnessing  an interesting  past. Ajmer is about  132 km from Jaipur city.The city was founded by  Raja  Ajay Pal Chauhan   in the 7^th  century   A.D and continued to be a major center of the Chauhan  power till 1193A.D  when Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated  by  Mohammed Ghori. 

Today , Ajmer is a populer 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 reverred by the hindus and muslims. Ajmer is also the base for  visiting pushkar [11km] ,the abode of lord  Brahma . The pushkar lake is a sacred spot   for the hindus.During   month of kartik[oct/nov], devotees throng in large numbers here to take a dip in the sacred lake.

PRIME SITES

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 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 ins the Akbari Masjid built in white marble. There is another mosque in the courtyard built by Shahjhan.

A view of the Dargah of   Khwaja Muinuddin Hasan Chishti, a sufi saint.

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^st to 6^th 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 most marvelous of all the sanctums within  the sanctuary of the Dargah.

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. 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   
 

   Adhal-din-ka-Jhonpra

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 the India’s best public schools, located in the south-east of the Ana Sagar, has now been converted to 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.

   Mayo College, Ajmer

EXCURSIONS

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 Panch kund and the cave of the saint Agastya are located. It is believed that Kalidas-the 4^th century sanskrit poet and playright , chose the setting for his masterpiece Abhigyanam

Shakuntalam in this forest heritage. 

Pushkar lake

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. Lakes 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 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.

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