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Information about Ajmer
Ajmer, an ancient pilgrimage town is situated on the
banks of the Ana Sagar Lake at an altitude of 486 meters
above sea level. Ajmer which is about 130 kms from
Jaipur, covers a total area of 55.76 square km.
Historically, Ajmer had considerable strategic
importance and was sacked by Mohammed Ghori on one of
his periodic forays from Afghanistan. Later it became a
favorite residence of the mighty Mughal. Ajmer is a
major center for Muslim pilgrims during the fast of
Ramzaan, and has some impressive Muslim architecture. It
houses the Dargah or tomb of the popular 13th century
Sufi saint, Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. The
city also boasts of a number of monuments dating back to
the Mughal era. The city is also well known for its
traditional handicrafts industry. In Summers, the
temperature is around 38.1º Celsius and in winters it is
around 5.5º Celsius. Hindi, Rajasthani, Sindhi, Urdu and
English are the common languages which are spoken here. |
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History of Ajmer
The small town of Ajmer played a surprisingly important role
in India's history. Set at the point where the rocky Aravalli
Hills end and the Thar Desert begins, this was originally the
stronghold of the powerful Chauhan Dynasty of Rajputs, who
built India's first ever hill fort here in the 7th century.
Ajmer was founded by a Rajput chieftain Raja Ajaipal Chauhan,
who also built first hill fort in India, the Tara Garh. As the
fort was supposed to be invincible, it was named Ajai Meru
(the Invincible Hill). Ajmer was brought under the control of
Delhi Sultanate in 1193, when Ajaipal Chauhan was defeated by
Mohammed Ghori. It was later returned to the local chieftains
as a small tribute. Ajmer also played an important role in
paving the way for British East India Company in India. In
1616, Jahangir met ambassador of King James, Sir Thomas Roe.
That was the first meeting between any Mughal Emperor and
representatives of Britain. In the 17th century, Shah Jahan
built marble pavilions around the Ana Sagar Lake. The Taragarh
Fort was damaged badly during the Mughal war of succession
between Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh. The Scindia rulers of
Gwalior took over Ajmer in the mid 18th century, to be handed
over to the British in 1818.
Tourist Attractions of Ajmer
The main tourist attraction of Ajmer is Dargah of Garib Nawaz.
Ajmer houses the Dargah or tomb of the popular 13th century
Sufi saint, Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. The other
tourist attraction of Ajmer are Taragarh Fort, Adhai din ka
Jhonpara, Mayo College, Ana Sagar Lake and Nasiyan.
More...
Festivals in Ajmer
Ajmer Urs is held in the memory of the Sufi saint Khwaja
Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer. The date of this Urs is not fixed,
and it is held according to the moon. The Urs commemorates the
symbolic union of the saint with God. During this festival
thousands of pilgrims from all over the world gather at the
shrine and offer their prayers to the holy saint. This
festival is celebrated for almost six days with continuous
music and other programmes and Qawaalis (poems) are sung in
the honour of the saint. On the final day, women wash the tomb
with their hair then squeeze the rose water into bottles as
medicine for the sick. The complete town of Ajmer is decorated
with buntings, and wears the spirit of festivity.
How to reach Ajmer
By Air
From Ajmer the nearest airport is Jaipur which is about 130
km.
By Rail
Ajmer is connected by rail to Delhi, Agra, Ahmedabad, Barmer,
Bharatpur, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mount Abu and Mumbai.
By Road
Ajmer is well connected by road with Agra, Bharatpur, Bikaner,
Chittorgarh, Jaipur and Delhi. |
