Auspicious Ajmer, the sacred secular town, nestles amidst the Ajayameru (the invincible hill) of Aravali hills. It was founded in the 7th century by Raja Ajaipal Chauhan and become the famous bastion of the Chauhan, dominated the region till the end of the 12th century. After the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan, the most distinguished Chauhan ruler, at the hands of Muhammad Ghauri in 1193, the glory of Chauhans waned. Later on, the town was seized by Rana Kumbha of Mewar, who was followed by the Muslim rulers of Malwa. Maldeo Rathore of Marwar, seized Ajmer from Malwa rulers and finally, Akabar annexed it to the Mughal empire in 1556. He made it the headquarters for the operations in Rajputana and Gujarat. Since 1818, the town remained under the domain of the British, who left behind a legacy of excellent educational institutions as they found Ajmer to be an ideal location. It is associated with many important historical events. Sir Thomas, Roe, the ambassador of King James I of England, presented his credentials to Jehangir here on 10th Jan. 1616. Dara Shikoh, the eldesr son of between the sons of Shah Jahan was born here, and the war of succession between the sons of Shah Jahan was won in 1659 by Aurangzeb in the battle of Dorai near Ajmer.

Getting there

Airways : The Nearest airport is at Jaipur (138Km.).
Railways: Ajmer is well connected by rail with Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Abu Road, Ahmadabad, Mubai, Bangalore etc.
Roadways: Ajmer is well connected by road with Agra (370 km), Bharatpur (312 km), Bikaner (234 km), Bundi (139 km), Chittaurgarh (182 km), Delhi (444 km), Jaipur (138 km), Jaisalmer (458 km).


Facts About Ajmer
Area : 55.3sq. km.
Altitude : 486 metres
Languages : Rajasthani, Hindi, Urdu, English, Sindhi.
Temperature : Summer 43.7C-37.7c Winter 23.3C - 5.5C
Rainfall : 38 to 51 cms.
Clothing : Summer Tropical Winter Woollens.

Exploring Ajmer!


Dargah of Khawaja Moin-Ud-Din- Chisti
The 13th century shrine is the most famous landmark of Ajmer. It is the final resting place of the great Sufi saint- Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the 'Bestower of Boons', popularly known as Garib Nawaz' or the protector of the poor'. It is believed that the Khwaja was a descendent of Prophet Mohammed and received this land during the rule of Prithviraj Chauhan.

Adhain-Din-Ka Jhonpra or "Two and a Half Day Shed"
This interesting relic of an old mosque lies to the west of Dargah. It was originally a Sanskrit college, which was built in 1155, within a temple enclosure and was destroyed by Mohammad Ghauri in 1193.it is said that he ordered, the mosque to be made ready on this site for his prayer within two and a half days. Thus remains of surrounding temples were utilized to built this magnificent monument. It is interesting to note that no two pillars are alike and retain the Hindu stylistic elements. The screen and arches were later added in 1266. The archways are adorned with intricate carvings depicting Kufi and Jughra inscriptions from the holy Korn. The quadrangular structure cloistered on all the four sides, with a front screen wall of seven pointes arches is perhaps the finest and the largest specimen of the early Muslim mosque that now exists and a great example of Indo - Islamic architecture.

Taragarh Fort or the 'Star Fort'
The fortress nestles on a crest of a hill and looks star adorned when viewed in night from the valley down below. It was earlier known as Ajaya - Meru - Durg and is about one and a half hour climb beyond the Adhai -din - ka -Jhonpra. The fort held an important position during the rule of Mughals. A fine view of the city can be enjoyed from here.

Magazine
This innermost portion of the fort constructed by Akbar, is the most important relic of Mughal history in the city. The main entrance to the building faces Naya Bazar and is provided with balconies (jharkhas) on both the sides, Sir Thomas Roe, the British envoy, presented his credentials to Jahangir over here on 10th Jan. 1616. The British occupied the place in 1818 and extensively fortified site during the 1857 uprising.

Rajputana Museum
It was established by the Government of India for preservation and study of unique and rare relics collected from the various states of Rajputana. The are various sections and galleries, which have exhibits from all the principalities of the erstwhile Rajputana.

Nasiyan (Red Temple)
The Digambar Jain temple, also known as the Sidhkut Chaitalaya, was constructed in 1865. Just behind the temple is Svarna Nagari Hall, which exhibits gilt wooden representations of scenes from Jain mythology. The representations were manufactured in Jaipur and decorated, its roofs are covered with excellent glass mosaic work, which illustrates the birth and life of Rishabhdeva or Adinath the first Tirthankar.

Abdullh Khan's Tomb
Abdullah Khan was the father of Hussain Ali Khan, a minister of King Farrukh Siyar. His tomb is set near the railway station. It was built in 1710. Just opposite to it is the tomb of Abdullah Khan's wife.

Ana Sagar
This beautiful lake was built in the 12th century and is named after Anaji Chauhan. The huge embankment erected with people's help is a fine example of the corporate life in Ajmer at that time. The 'Baradari' or pavilions were built by Shah Jahan and the Daulat Bagh gardens was laid by Jehangir.

Mayo College
It was established in 1875, for providing education to the children of the royal families in the country. The school was named after Lord Mayo, the then Governor General of India. Today, it is one of the premiere educational institutions of India and is open to everybody. There is a museum displaying historical objects of interest and biological preservation.

Circuit House
The magnificent building Circuit House was formerly the British Residency. It overlooks the Ana Sagar lake and commands a panoramic view of the surroundings. The cenotaph and shrine of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the Hindu reformer and founder of Arya Samaj movement is located nearby.

Khobra Bheroon Temple
It is located on the southern embankment of Ana Sagar, amidst scenic surroundings. The picturesque spot affords an excellent view of the lake in the Daulat Bagh.

Visal Sar
The pristine lake amidst surroundings was once the most beautiful jewel of Ajmer. It was built by king Visaldeva (1152 - 1163 AD.) and is designed like the sacred Pushkar lake.