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Ajmer, Rajasthan



 
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To the north of the city is a large artificial lake, called Anasagar, adorned with a marble structure called Baradari. The Dargah Sharif of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was visited by Emperor Akbar, with his queen, used to come here by foot on pilgrimage from Agra every year in observance of a vow he had made when praying for a son.

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 (Oct/Nov) devotee’s throng in large numbers here to take a dip in the sacred lake.

Mayo College was established in 1875 by Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India. The Nasiyan is an architecturally rich Digambara Jain temple. a Jain temple constructed in 1153 and converted into a mosque by Qutubuddin Aybak after 1193, is situated on the lower slope of the Taragah hill.

Taragarh Fort, the fort of Ajmer is one of the oldest hill forts of the world.


How to reach

By Air - Jaipur is the nearest airport.
By rail - Ajmer Railway Station is also present
By Road - There are regular trains and bus services connecting Ajmer to Jaipur (132 kms), Delhi (389 kms), Agra, Ahmedabad, Udaipur(274 kms), Pushkar(13 kms) and Jodhpur



Excursions

Kishangarh (27 kms)
On the Jaipur-Ajmer road lies the former princely state of Kishangarh, known for exquisite miniature paintings and school of art which flourished under the former princely rulers. These paintings today are mostly with either private collectors , museums or with the royal family of Kishangarh. Kishangarh is also a large market for the marble industry due to which one can find a variety of marble curios. 

Beawar (54 kms)
Gopeshwar temple and the 7 storeyed palace are worth watching,  3 kms from here is Sonagiri which is a sacred place for Jains, there are 77 temples on this hill top which has been traced back to the 17th century.

Pushkar (11 kms)
The town curls around a holy lake, said to have appeared when Brahma dropped a lotus fl ower. It also has one of the world’s few Brahma temples. With 52 bathing ghats and 400 milky-blue temples, the town literally hums with regular pujas (prayers) generating an episodic soundtrack of chanting, drums and gongs, and devotional songs.

Mangliyawas (26 kms)
This village is famous for two 800 year old trees known as 'Kalpa-Vrikhsha', people come from far and wide to worship these trees.

Sambhar lake (81 kms)
Sambhar lake is India's largest inland salt lake with a  temple dedicated to Shakambhari Devi. This place produces about 8% of India's total salt production and the wetlands attracts flamingos and other birds that migrate from northern Asia.

Kuchaman (89 kms)
Comes in the route of the palace on wheels, Kuchaman is famous for it beautiful fort, the Meera mahal which has the paintings of Meera Bhai, the Jal Mahal and its unique architecture of underground swimming pool. China pole built by a chinese traveller are also worth watching.

Bhilwara (140 kms)
Harni Mahadev temple, Bijoliyan Mandakini Temple, Madalgarh menal waterfall etc are the attractions of Bhilwara

Jaipur (143 kms)
Jaipur pink city has lots of forts, palaces and attarctions to offer.








 
 
 
Places to see

The Dargah
Ajmer has a rich Hindu and Islamic heritage. The tomb of the great Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din-Chisti is a revered place for both Hindus and Muslims. The shrine was built by Humayun. There are various mosques built by Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan. There is a Dargah Bazaar which is at the entrance of the Dargah.

The shrine is next only to Mecca or Medina for the Muslims of south Asia.Akbar used 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 1St to 6 th day of the Islamic month of Rajab.A colorful fair that springs up during this time is the major attraction.


Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra
Close to the dargah is the mosque built by Mohammed Ghori,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 ,Mohammed 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-a-half days(adhai-din) and hence the name.) using the remains of almost thirty neighbouring temples, destroyed during his invasion.

The Museum
Akbar's royal residence has been converted into a museum.

Taragarh Fort
A steep one and a half-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.

Mayo College
One of the India's best public schools,located in the southeast 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 its 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 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.


Delhi - Ajmer Road drive
Highway - NH 48
Time - 5.5 hrs
Distance - 382 kms


Road drive  Delhi - Ajmer
Destination
Distance
Delhi
00
Jaipur
247 kms
Ajmer
134 kms


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How to reach      Places to see      Excursions      Drive Delhi - Ajmer         Read travelogue
 
Rajasthan - Land of Maharajas
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Capital - Jaipur
Ideal time to Visit - July to October
Road trip summary Rajasthan
Road trip summary, time, kms and tolls and other information required to plan your road trip.

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Tour Itineries to Rajasthan
Planning a visit to MP have a check at the various itineries the varied state can offer :
Winters are the best time to visit, the sand kissed land as summers are scorchingly hot.

Oct Ranthambhore National Park reopens for tiger safaris.

Oct/Nov Don’t miss the Pushkar Camel Festival, featuring camels  and the traditional Rajasthani culture.
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