Ajmer
Ajmer
situated in the green oasis wrapped in the barren hills has been a witness to
an interesting past. The city was founded by Raja Ajai Pal Chauhan in the 7th
century A.D. and continued to be a major centre of Chauhan power. When Prithviraj
Chauhan lost it to Mohammed Ghauri leaving behind indelible marks of their culture
and traditions on the cities history, converting it to an amalgam of various
cultures and a blend of Hinduism and Islam.
Click
Here for Ajmer City Map
Places to Visit
The Dargah:
At the foot of a barren hill, is situated India's most important Piligrimage
centre for people from all faith. It is the splendid tomb of the Sufi saint
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, more popularly known as Khwaja Sharif.
Mayo College:
One of Indian's best public schools located in the south east 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 his own house in the spacious college grounds
covering 81 hectares. Now it is a public school open to all.
Shahjahan's Mosque:
In the corner of the inner court of the Dargah, is a magnificent building in
white marble with a long (30.5) and narrow court having low arcade and delicate
carvings with trellis work. It is the most marvellous 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. Mohammad 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. The district pillars and arched "screen with its ruined minarets
make it a splendid architectural masterpiece.
Taragarh Fort:
A steep one and 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.
The Museum:
Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar, the museum houses a rich repository
of the Mughal and Rajput armor and exquisite sculptures.
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.
Click
Here for Reservation/More Information
![Click Here for Ajmer City Map](javascript:openchild("gifs/ajmer-city-map-rajasthan.gif");){kind=link}