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Home » Rajasthan Travel
Guide » Ajmer Travel Guide
Ajmer Travel Guide The
city of Ajmer, south west of Jaipur, is situated in the heart of Rajasthan. It
is a green oasis wrapped in the barren hills has been a witness to an interesting
past. 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 Ghauri. Since then, Ajmer became home to many dynasties and
thereafter it became a part of the sultanate of Delhi. Ajmer was also favourite
residence for the great Mughals. Today, Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage centre for
the Hindus as well as Muslims. This city is an amalgam of various cultures and
a blend of Hinduism & Islam. Especially famous for the Dargah Sharif-tomb
of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, which is equally venerated by the Hindus
and Muslims.
It is a centre of culture and education, the British chose
Ajmer for its prestigious Mayo College, a prestigious school opened in 1875 exclusively
for the Indian nobility but today it is to all those who can afford the fees.
Ajmer is also important for visiting for Pushkar(11km), the abode of
Lord Brahma, lying to its west and a picturesque lake. The Pushkar Lake is a holy
spot for Hindus. During the month of Kartik(oct./Nov.),a large numbers of devotes
come here to take a holy dip in this lake.
One of the first contacts
between the Mughals and the British took place in Ajmer, when King Jahangir and
Sir Thomas Roe met 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 parts of Rajasthan
controlled directly by the East Indian Co.
The bus stand in Ajmer is
located near the RTDC hotel Khadim. And the railway station 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.
How
to Reach Ajmer
Air : The nearest airport is Jaipur which
is 135 kms 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, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur,
Jaisalmer and Nagaur.
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