9 Days Kenya Ultimate Safari Odyssey with Kibera Holiday Safaris
Â
Ajmer
1. P R E S E N T E D B Y :
R A J N I B A L A ( 1 5 P B A 0 6 1 )
AJMER
(city of Rajasthan)
2. INTRODUCTION
ï Ajmer is the fifth largest city
in the Indian state of
Rajasthan and is the centre of
the eponymous Ajmer District
ï According to the 2011 census,
Ajmer has a population of
around 551,360 in its urban
agglomeration and 542,580 in
the city.
ï The city is located at a
distance of 135 km from the
state capital Jaipur and
391 km from the national
capital New Delhi.
3. CONTâDâŠ
ï Ajmer is surrounded by
the Aravalli Mountains. It is a
pilgrimage centre for the shrine
of
the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddi
n Chishtiand is also the base for
visiting Pushkar (11 km), an
ancient Hindu pilgrimage city,
famous for the temple
of Brahma.
ï It is a centre of culture and
education, the British chose
Ajmer for its prestigious Mayo
College a school exclusively for
Indian nobility.
4. HISTORY
ï The city of Ajmer was founded in the 7th
century by Raja Ajaipal Chauhan who
named it âAjaimeruâ or âThe Invincible
Hillâ. Close by the king built Taragarh,
the very first hill fort in India. It
remained an important Chauhan
stronghold till 1193, when the Afghan
Mohammed Ghori defeated the last
Hindu ruler, Prithviraj Chauhan.
ï For over three centuries thereafter,
Ajmer faced turbulent times changing
hands over and over again as one
warlord succeeded another. Finally, a
part of the great Mughal Empire,
Emperor Akbar accorded it the status of
a province in 1556, and used it as the
headquarters for his campaigns in
Rajasthan.
5. CONTâD
ï After the decline of the Mughals, control of Ajmer
passed into the hands of the new power brokers, the
Marathas, particularly the Scindias of Gwalior. By
1818, Ajmer had come under the influence of the
British who left their legacy in the form of some
excellent academic institutions like the King George
Military School and the prestigious Mayo College, a
public school for the young Rajput Princess.
ï Ajmer - Marwar remained a province of India until
1950, when it became the Ajmer State. Ajmer state
became part of Rajasthan state on 1 November 1956.
6. GEOGRAPHY
ï 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
7. TRANSPORTATION
ï By Air : Nearest Airport Jaipur is Jaipur
(138 kms).
ï By Rail: Ajmer is connected by rail to Delhi,
Agra, Ahmedabad, Barmer, Bharatpur,
Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mount Abu and to
Bombay Via Ahmedabad.
ï By Road: 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),
Jodhpur (205 km), Kota (178 km), Mount
Abu (371 km) and Udaipur (269
km). Rajasthan State Trans. Corpn. Buses
connect Ajmer with the above places
8. PLACES TO VISIT
The Ajmer Sharif Dargah
ï It is a shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti which
is situated at the foot of the Taragarh hill, and
consists of several white marble buildings
arranged around two courtyards, including a
massive gate donated by
the Nizamof Hyderabad and the Akbari Mosque,
built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
ï It contains the domed tomb of the
saint. Akbar and his queen used to come here by
foot on pilgrimage from Agra every year in
observance of a vow when he prayed for a son.
ï The large pillars called "Kose ('Mile') Minar",
erected at intervals of two miles (3 km) along the
entire way between Agra and Ajmer mark the
places where the royal pilgrims halted every day.
It has been estimated that around 125,000
pilgrims visit the site every day
9. Taragarh Fort Adhai Din Ka Jhonpda
ï Built in the 7th century by
Ajaipal Chauhan, the fort gives
a bird's eye view of the city.
Taragarh Fort or the 'Star fort'
is situated on a hill
ï It is of the oldest mosques in
India, and the oldest surviving
monument in Ajmer
CONTâD
10. Mayo College Anasagar Lake
ï College was founded in 1875
by Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India.
The architecture of the school
buildings is in the same style as
royal Rajasthani architecture.
ï This lake was built by Anaji during
1135-1150 AD. Later the Mughal
Emperors made additional
constructions to beautify the lake.
This lake is located towards the north
of Ajmer city
CONTâD
11. Soniji Ki Nasiyan Lake Foy Sagar
ï It is an architecturally
rich Digambara Jain temple. It
was built in the late nineteenth
century. The main chamber,
known as the Swarna Nagari "City
of Gold"
ï It is an artificial lake situated
near Ajmer in the state
of Rajasthan, India. It is named
after the engineer Mr. Foy, an
Englishman, who created it under
a famine relief project in 1892
CONTâD
13. SHOPPING
ï Ajmer is home to antiques
and silver jewelry. One can
purchase here amazing old
silver jewellery with designs of
a totally different era.
ï Some of the famous markets
are Naya Bazaar, Madar Gate,
Churi Bazaar, Ajaymeru
Udyog Crafts Mela