The beautiful town of Ajmer is surrounded by hills and is
located on the banks of Anna Sagar amidst beautiful natural
surroundings. Ajmer is the melting pot of religion, history
and sculpture.
Earliest records indicate that in the year 1193 Gajni Muhammed
Ghori took possession of Ajmer by defeating Prithiviraj Chahuan.
Many a battles were fought in Ajmer between Mughals and Rajputs.
Ajmer at one point of time was under the possession of Akbar
the great. Akbar built a fort in 1556, which is one of the
best specimen of the grand Mughal architecture. Memorials
of Shah Jahan can also be seen at the fort. The peerless Mayo
College is one of Ajmer's great landmarks.
What is so unique about Ajmer is that both the Hindus and
Muslims consider Ajmer to be an important place of pilgrimage.
There is a popular Muslim belief that seven trips to Ajmer
is equivalent of one trip to Mecca.
Akbar's teacher-Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti had come to India
in 1192 with Muhammed Ghori and ever since then he stayed
rooted in Ajmer till his death. His cemetry is made of marble.
The cemetries of Shah Jahan's daughter Chimni Begum and Chisti's
daughter Bibi Hafiz Jamal are also found in the same place.
Around the graveyard, there are two mosques and a silver-plated
Buland Darwaza. They were constructed by Iltutmish in 1236
and were completed by Mughal emperor Humayun. Legend has it
that Akbar used to visit this darga every year and come barefoot
from Agra. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan too built a mosque in
1650, which is known as the Juma mosque and is renowned for
its 11 bow shaped arches, which are made of marble. The spire
of the dome is gold plated.
The best time to visit Ajmer is during the festival of Uras.
The caretaker of the mosque is appointed during this festival
and he remains in office for one year. There is huge rush
for the holy "Tararukh" or prasad.
To the north of the darga is the Arai - Din - Ka - Jhopra
which was built by Muhammed Ghori. Legend has it that Vishal
Dev Bigraha Raj built this edifice for a Sanskrit college
which also housed a Saraswati temple. Ghori ordered to remodel
the building as a Muslim prayer hall within 2½ days.
In the rectangular courtyard there are five rows of pillars
and amazingly the pillars have statues of Hindu Gods and goddesses.
There are 10 domes and bow shaped doors and windows add up
to the charm.
For the adventurous lot Taragarh hills at a height of 2055
feet high is where Akbar Ka Daulat Khana is located. This
800 feet high fort has witnessed many bitterly fought warfares.
The fort is conspicuous for its enormous gate and there are
two octagonal minars as well. On either side of the fort there
are balconies.
Do visit the central hall of the fort which has been converted
into a museum. On display at the museum are rare Brahmi scripts.
Seals and coins of Mohenjodaro are also on display.Soniji
Ki Nasiya on Subhas Bag is an exquisite Jain temple which
is dedicated to the 1st Jain tirthankar Rishvadeva. In one
area of the temple a staggering 1000 kg gold carved models
artistically depict the evolution of human life and the corresponding
Jain mythology related to life on earth.
Don't miss out on Akbar's palace at the city center, which
has now been converted into a museum. The palace is a living
testimony of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.
For nature lovers, the magnificently landscaped Daulatbag
gardens on the banks of a shimmering lake makes for a truly
ethereal spectacle especially during sunrise and sunset.
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