Historically, Ajmer always had great strategic importance and was sacked by Mehmood of Ghazni on one of his periodic forays from Afghanistan. Later it became a favorite residence of the great Mugals. One of the first contacts between the Mugal and the British occurred in Ajmer when Sir Thomas Roe met with Jahangir here in 1616. The city was subsequently taken by the Scindhias and, in 1818, it was handed over to the British, becoming one of the few places in Rajasthan controlled directly by British rather than being part of a princely state.

Today, Ajmer is one of the most significant pilgrimage destination equally important for Hindus as well as Muslims. Especially famous is the Dargah Sharif - tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.

Ajmer is very close to Pushkar (11 kms) which is significant for the famous fair held normally in the month of October/November. Pushkar, 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), devotes throng in large numbers here to take a dip in the sacred lake.

Fair & Festivals in Ajmer

Urs Ajmer Sharif(According to Lunar Calendar)
Held in the memory of the revered Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, 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 programs are organized to mark the festivals.

Places to See in Ajmer

Dargah Sharif
The Dargah is the Tomb of a Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, 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 pilgrimage 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 attracts hundred of thousands of pilgrims every year on the anniversary of the lunar calendar.

Taragarh Fort
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 Mugal times and was later used as a sensation by the British.

Adhai - din - ka - jhonpra
According to legend, its construction, in 1153, took two and half days, as its name indicates. 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 Mugal 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.

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 m) and narrow court having low arcade and delicate carvings with trelliswork it is the most marvelous of all the sanctums within the sanctuary of the Darragh.

Ana Sagar Lake
Ana Sagar is an artificial lake created in 12h century by damming the river Luni. This lake is flanked by hills. It has two fine parks on its bank with a series of marble pavilions that were erected by Emperor Shah Jahan.

Shah Jahan's Mosque
This mosque is the most beautiful of all the structures, in the Dargah precinct. It is made of white marble, delicately carved with trellis-work.

The Museum
Emperor Akbar's royal residence, now serves as a museum, which houses an excellent collection of Mughal and Rajput armour, and some fine sculpture.

Excursions near Ajmer

Pushkar Lake(11km)
The lake, situated on the edge of desert and surrounded by hills on the three sides is separated from Ajmer by Nag Pahar-the snake mountain. On this mountain the Panchkund and the cave of saint Agastya are located. It is believed that Kalidasa the 4th century Sanskrit poet and playwright, choose the setting for its masterpiece "Abhigyana Shakuntalam" in this forest heritage. According to legend, the origin of Pushkar dates back 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 hand of the Lord into this valley. A lake spring upon this spot and was dedicate to him. A Brahma temple located here is a popular place of pilgrimage.

Puskhar Fair
It is one of the most colourful fairs of India. Lakhs of pilgrims throng the lake during the annual cattle fair. Beside trading of horse camels, cows and bulls, there are exciting camel-cart races and culturalecents, clothes 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 Ajmer, Man Mahal. Presently it is covered to RTDC sarvour Tourist Bunglow ensuring convenient accommodation to travelers. Pushkar palace (Kishagarh House) adjoining it is a heritage hotel.

Foy Sagar (5km)
A picturesque artificial lake named after the engineer foy who created it under a famine relief project.

How to Reach Ajmer

Air: Nearest Airport Jaipur is Jaipur (138 kms).
Rail: Ajmer is connected by rail to Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Barmer, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mount Abu and to Bombay Via Ahmedabad.
Road: Ajmer is well connected by road with Agra (370 km), Bharatpur (312 km), Bikaner (234 km), Bundi (139 km), Chittorgarh (182 km), Delhi (444 km), Jaipur (138 km), Jaisalmer (458 km), Jodhpur (205 km), Kota (178 km), Mount Abu (371 km) and Udaipur (269 km).

Shopping in Ajmer

Shopping is fun in Ajmer. One can go on a buying spree for various kinds of items representing Rajasthani culture and style, Silver and gold ornaments, jewellery, tie & dye textiles, embroidered Jodhpuri shoes (Mojari) are some of the specialities available on the shelf.

Hotels in Ajmer

- Mansingh Palace - Hotel Regency

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