Ajmer

South west of Jaipur, Ajmer is an oasis wrapped in the green hills. The city was founded by Raja Ajay Pal Chauhan in the 7th Century A.D. and continued to be a major centre of the Chauhan power till 1193 A.D. When Prithviraj Chauhan lost it to Mohammed Gaure. Since then, Ajmer became home to many dynasties. Today, Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage centre for the Hindus as well as Muslims. Especially famous is the Dargah Sharif-tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, which is equally revered by the Hindus and Muslims. It is a centre of culture and education, the British chose Ajmer for its prestigious Mayo College a school exclusively for Indian nobility. Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar (14 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.), devotees throng in large numbers here to take a dip in the sacred lake.

Ajaipal Chauhan founded Ajmer in the seventh century. He constructed a hill fort "Ajaimeur" or the invincible hill. The Chauhans ruled Ajmer till the 12th century when Prithviraj Chauhan lost Mohammed Ghauri. Thereafter it became a part of the sultanate of Delhi. Ajmer was also favourite residence for the great  Mughals. One of the first contacts between the Mughal King Jahangir and Sir Thomas Roe took place here in 1616. The Scindias took over the city in 1818 and then handed it over to the British and it became one of the only part of Rajasthan controlled directly by the East Indian Co.

The bus stand in Ajmer is located near the RTDC hotel Khadim. And the railway is further north and most of the hotels are west of the stations. Northeast is the main post office and most of the cities market is located behind and up to Agra Gate. Further north is a large artificial lake called the Anna Sagar.

Nasiyan Temple

This red coloured Jain temple was built in the late 19th century consisting of two parts, the first is the worship area for Jain community with the idol of Lord Adinath and the second is the museum section where the five stages (Panch Kalyanak) in the life of Lord Adinath have been depicted in the form of statues. The 40 x 80 feet hall is exquisitely done up in pure gold, Belgium stain glass, mineral colour paintings and stain glasswork.

TARAGARH FORT

The giant fort stands guarding the city. It has six gates. The  fort also has Miran Saheb ki Dargah who was the governor of the  fort and laid down his life in an encounter. It gives a panoramic view of the city situated in Nagpahari of Aravalli ranges, this fort has immense archaeological and historical importance.

Adhai-din ka Jhonpra

Adhai-Din-Ka-Jhonpra is a remarkable structure of Indo-Islamic architecture said to have been built in two and a half days flat. This mosque was a Sanskrit college in the 12th century but in 1193 AD Mohammad Ghori destroyed the college and built a mosque in its place. It is built on pillars and surprisingly no two pillars are alike.

ANA SAGAR

It is an artificial lake named after Anaji Chauhan. The catchments were built with the help of local populace. The 'Baradari' pavilions was built by Shah Jahan, to facilitate his long stays in Ajmer. the Baradari and the adjoining parks are the lungs of city and favourite outing spot.

Akbars Fort

Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar, this museum is housed in the beautiful fort and palace built by Emperor Akbar in 1570. It is centrally located and close to the railway station housing a rich repository of exquisite sculptures.

Baghera (107km from Ajmer)

Situated in the Kekri subdivision of Ajmer district about 107 kms south east of Ajmer, this village is known for its treasure trove of archaeological and antiquarian relics. The most renowned of them all is the temple of Varaha Avtar.

Edward Memorial Hall

Other monuments, which stand as reminders of Ajmer’s colonial past are the Edward Memorial hall. Near the railway station is Edward Memorial Hall.

Foy saggar

A picturesque artificial lake named after the engineer who created it under a famine relief project. It has enhanced the beauty of the area.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti s Dargah

Rajasthan is famous for Dargah's and the Dargah is the tomb of a Sufi saint, Khwaja Muin-uddin Chisti, popularly known as “Khwaja Gharib Nawaaz” (the Benefactor of the Poor). He is one of the most outstanding figures in the history of Islamic mysticism and the annual Urs at Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is held on a grand scale attracting pilgrims from all over the world irrespective of their caste and religion.

Kishangarh (27km from Ajmer)

Situated on the National Highway No. 8 linking Jaipur and Ajmer, this small town was the capital of a princely state ruled by the rathores. Today it is a treasure house of art & craft and is best known for the popular Bani Thani paintings and is also very famous for its marble products. Kishangarh.

Makrana (110 Kms from Ajmer)

The world famous marble has immortalized the name of this town. It was from here that the marble used for building the amazing Taj Mahal and Victoria Memorial in Calcutta was quarried. Taj Mahal is an outstanding example testifying to the excellent quality of the Makrana marble.

Mayo College

One of India’s best public schools, located in the southeast of the Ana Sagar, has now been converted to the Circuit House. One can view the lake and the cenotaph and the shrine of Swami Dayanand, founder of the Arya Samaj movement in India.

Pushkar (11kms from Ajmer)

Pushkar is sacred to the Hindus and the lake is believed to have been created by Lord Brahma himself and has the same sanctity for Hindus as Mansarover in Tibet. No pilgrimage is complete without a visit to Pushkar. For most believers it is essential to visit Pushkar at least once in their lifetime.

Pushkar is a much loved tourist destination, many who visit there just fall in love with the place and overstay. Situated on the edge on the desert it is separated from Ajmer by the Nag Parbat (the snake hill). The town has very distinct tourist excitement with narrow lanes lined with shops selling various accessories and rooftop restaurants. Despite its high tourist profile the town maintains some mystical charm

Shah Jahan s mosque (Jami Masjid)

In the corner of the inner court of the Dargah, is a magnificent building in white marble with a long 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 Dargah.

Sola Khamba

As the name suggest, Sola Khamba means 16 pillars. This monument has 16 pillars that support its roof.

Near Ajmer

Kishangarh

Kishangarh is 27 Kms north east of Ajmer and was founded by Kishan Singh a Rathore Prince. In the 18th century it acclaimed fame as one of the finest schools of miniatures paintings. Though a smaller school with a much shorter duration it had a more refined style. It peaked under the patronage of Savant Singh an heir to the throne, who later became a hermit. It is said that Savant Singh modeled as Krishna while his mistress nicknamed as Bani Thani modelled for Radha. Paintings of Bani Thani are it most celebrated. The artist of this school favoured evening lights and grey skies with fine colours. This outstanding school lasted only a few decades. Today the artists still create duplicates of the work. The town is now an industrial town for marble and textiles. Kishangarh is connected by train and bus.

Tilonia

Tilonia is a small town 25 kms from Kishangarh near Ajmer and 7 kms off Jaipur-Ajmer highway. Barefoot college inspires this town, which began in 1972 with the conviction that solutions to rural problems lie within the community. The College, officially known as Social Work and Research Centre, addresses problems of drinking water, girl education, health & sanitation, rural unemployment, income generation, electricity and power, as well as social awareness and the conservation of ecological systems in rural communities.

Climate

Pretty hot in summers and becomes green with first rain as all its small mountains become green, in winters temperature is chilled.

How to Reach Ajmer

Air :The nearest airport is Jaipur which is 135kms away.

Train :Ajmer is on the Delhi-Jaipur-Marwar-Ahmedabad-Mumbai line and most trains stops at Ajmer.

Road : It is connected with bus from all places like Jaipur, Agra, Aligarh, Abu road, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Barmer, Haridwar, Chittourgarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Nagaur.