Ajmer India Tourist Attractions

Ajmer is the 5th largest city in Rajasthan and is the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. Ajmer has a population of around 551,360 in its urban agglomeration and 542,580 for the city (2011 census), and is located 135 kilometres (84 mi) west of Jaipur, the state capital, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from Delhi.

Ajmer is surrounded by the Aravalli Mountains. It is a pilgrimage centre for the shrine of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and is also the base for visiting Pushkar (11 km), an ancient Hindu pilgrimage city, famous for the temple of Brahma.

 Ajmer is surrounded by the Aravalli Mountains. The city is sied on the lower slopes of the Taragarh Hill in the Aravalli Range. It is situated almost in the centre of Rajasthan. To the north of the city is a large artificial lake, called Anasagar with a marble structure known as Baradari. Ajmer is protected from the Thar desert by the massive rocks of Nagpathar range.

History

According to Rajputana Gazetteer, Ajmer was held by Chechi Gurjars until about 700 years ago. Ajmer (Sanskrit Ajayameru) was founded in the late 7th century A.D. by Ajayraj singh Chauhan. Chauhan clan is a branch of Chechi Gurjars. The Chauhan dynasty ruled Ajmer in spite of repeated invasions by Turkic marauders from Central Asia across the north of India. Ajmer was conquered by Muhammad of Ghor, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1193. However, the Chauhan rulers were allowed autonomy upon the payment of a heavy tribute to the conquerors. Ajmer remained subject to Delhi until 1365 when it was captured by the ruler of Mewar. In 1509, control of Ajmer was disputed between the Maharajas of Mewar and Marwar unitil it was conquered by the Marwar in 1532. In 1553, the state was captured by the Hindu Emperor Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, popularly known as Hemu, who was killed in 1556 in the Second Battle of Panipat. The city was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1559. In the 18th century, control passed to the Marathas.

In 1818 the British forced the Marathas to cede the city for 50,000 rupees whereupon it became part of the province of Ajmer-Merwara, which consisted of the districts of Ajmer and Merwara and were physically separated by the territory of the Rajputana Agency. Ajmer-Merwara was directly administered by the British Raj, by a commissioner who was subordinate to the Governor-General's agent for Rajputana. Ajmer-Merwara remained a province of India until 1950, when it became the Ajmer State.

Ajmer state became part of Rajasthan state on 1 November 1956.

Transportation

Air
An airport near Ajmer(KISHANGARH) has been proposed by the Government of Rajasthan. At present the nearest airport is the Jaipur International Airport, about 132 km away, with daily flights to the major cities in India.

Rail
Ajmer is at an important railway junction with Broad gauge lines to Jaipur Marwar, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Mumbai and then onwards to Bangalore. It is well connected with Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Ujjain, Howrah, Bhopal, Mumbai, Jammu, Indore and all other major cities.There is a major technical and repair railway workshop in the city. Ajmer Railway Station has been earmarked for investment under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

Road
The city lies on the Golden Quadrilateral National Highway (NH) 8, midway between Delhi and Mumbai and is located about 400 km from Delhi and 135 km from Jaipur. The Ajmer - Jaipur expressway is a 6 lane highway. There are air conditioned bus services from Delhi, Jaipur and other important cities to Ajmer.
Inter-city transport

Buses are available for travel within the city and to nearby towns such as Pushkar and Kishangarh. Taxis and rickshaws also run throughout the city.



Tourism

Nareli is a Jain place located on the outskirts (Kishangarh bypass). This is a good place to visit, has a very big temple and offer authentic jain food (You have to check the meal hours in advance, they are strict in serving meals in those hours only)

Ana Sagar is the tank (manmade lake) in Ajmer. Daulat Bag is a garden on the near side of Ana Sagar and is a nice place to relax. there are marble monuments by the shore and plenty of ice cream and papad-wallahs selling snacks. There is apparently boat rental, though other than a bumper boats tank.

The Dargah is a major pilgrimage centre for Muslims (and some Hindus). Entry is free, but you should give the people watching your shoes a couple of rupees. Be careful inside -- pickpocketing has been known to occur, particularly in the entrance to the shrine where people are packed very close together. Priests are available to act as guides and to perform ceremonies at the shrine. Men and women must cover their heads, and women must cover their shoulders. The beggars in the Dargah Bazaar can be quite persistent.

There is a Jain temple on the way to Ana Sagar which is quite beautiful from the outside. You can also enter, but usual temple protocols apply.

Must go to Pushkar(specially for Hindus) -visit the amazing Brahma Temple, go shopping in the narrow but ethnic and colourful lanes of the marketplace, eat traditional foods as well as international delicasies in the numerous eateries.

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.

Ajmer Photo Gallary

 

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