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Surrounded by the Aravali hills and located in
the heart of Rajasthan, Ajmer is 130 Kms west of Jaipur. The
city has seen the rise and fall of many kingdoms. Established
in early 7th century by Ajai pal Chauhan and named
Ajaimeru- the invincible hill, Ajmer is today a very important
pilgrimage centre for the Muslims. The Chauhans dominated
Ajmer for many years and it was only towards the end of the
12th century that Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the last of the great
Chauhan rulers was killed in battle with Mohammad Ghori. Ajmer
then passed under the Delhi Sultanate. The Rajputs, The
Mughals, The Mrathas and British were all involved on it at
some point in history and left their marks. From 1818 onwards,
it passed in to the British Empire and remained under the care
of the British behind a lasting legacy.
The harmonious blend of Hinduism and Islam
has given a unique character to this pious land, this truly
secular city is an ideal example of religious tolerance and
brotherhood.
PRIME SITES
Dargah Khwaja Sahib
Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti - probably
the most important Muslim shrine in the Indian sub-continent
with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flocking here
especially during the Urs celebrations. b
During the celebrations, the devotees' food
is cooked in two enormous degs (cauldrons), one of
them nearly 10 feet in diameter, and then follows the ritual
of "looting the degs". After emptying them at
lightning speed, attendants jump inside the steaming hot
interiors to scrape out the dregs - all in just 3-4 minutes
flat!
Adhai din ka Jhonpra
Literally meaning "the hut of
two-and-a-half days", it was originally a Sanskrit college
which was destroyed by Mohammad Ghauri and converted into a
mosque in just two-and-a-half days. Built in 1193 AD, It is
the finest and the largest specimen of the early Muslim
mosque that now exists, and a great example of Indo-Muslim
architecture.
Narsiyan Jain temple
Taragarh Fort
A steep one and a half hour climb beyond the
Adhai-din-ka-jhopra 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 Mueum
Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar
,the museum houses a rich repository of the Mughal and
Rajput armour and exquisite sculptures.
Mayo College
One of the India’s best public schools,
located in the south-east of the 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.
Foy Sagar
A picturesque artificial lake named after
the engineer for who created it under a famine relief
project.
According to legend , the origin of Pushkar
dates aback 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 hands of the lord into this valley. A lake sprang up
on this spot and was dedicated to him. A Brahma temple located
here is a popular place of pilgrimage.
Pushkar is built around a picturesque lake
with broad ghaats leading down to the water.
Pushkar Lake
The lake is situated on the edge of the
desert and surrounded by hills on three sides, is separated
from Ajmer by ‘Nag Pahar’-the snake mountain. On this
mountain the Panchkund and the cave of the saint Agastya are
located. It is believed that Kalidas-the 4th
century sanskrit poet and playright , chose the setting for
his masterpiece Abhigyanam Shakuntalam in this forest
heritage.
Rajasthani song and dance programme at Pushkar giving a feel
of what Pushkar must be like during the Fair.
Pushkar Fair
It is one of the most colorful fairs of
India. Lakes of pilgrims throng the lake during the annual
cattle fair. Besides trading of horses, camels, cows and
bulls, there are exciting camel-cart races and cultural
events. Cloths, 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.
Annual Camel Fair
It is the largest camel fair in the world.
Man Mahal
Along the banks of the Pushkar Lake is the
former residence of Raja Man Singh of Amer, Man Mahal.
Presently it is converted to RTDC Sarover Tourist Bungalow
ensuring convenient accommodation to travellers. Pushakar
palace ( Kishangarh House) adjoining it is a heritage hotel.
There are some 500 tamples in Pushkar
including the famed Brahma temple with its
coin-studded floor.
It's really amazing that just 11 kms separate the holiest
pilgrimage centres of Muslims and Hindus - Ajmer's Dargah
and Pushkar's holy lake & temples.
Pushkar's colourful bazaars are one
of the best places in Rajasthan to buy vivid embroidered and
painted textiles, as well as old silver jewellery.
Kishangarh is famous for
its miniature paintings (especially "Bani-Thani" - the "Mona
Lisa of Rajasthan") and Tilonia famed for
its embroidered leather and other cottage craft industry.
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