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Ajmer Information
Ajmer is about 135 kilometers southwest of Jaipur. It is the most sacred of all Muslim places of pilgrimage in India. The revered Sufi saint, Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chisti, who came to Ajmer from Persia in 1192, died in 1236 and was buried here. His tomb, the Dargah is visited by thousands of devout Muslims every year. The shrine was erected by Humayun. The Dargah also has mosques which were built by rulers such as Shah Jahan, Jahangir and Akbar. Akbar used to make a pilgrimage to Ajmer every year from Agra.
The entrance to the complex is from the Dargah Bazaar which leads to the first courtyard. This courtyard has a mosque built by Akbar and two cauldrons known as degs in which donations are made. These donations are later divided among the poor. The saints's tomb is in the centre of the second court. It is enshrined in a domed marble chamber and is surrounded by silver railings. The tomb attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year on the anniversary of the saint's death, which falls in the seventh month of the lunar calendar. It is also the venue for the famous Urs festival.
What To See
Shahjahan's Mosque:
In the corner of the inner court of the Dargah, is a magnificent building in white marble with a long (30.5) and narrow court having low arcade and delicate carvings with trellis work. It is the most marvellous all the sanctums within the sanctuary of the Dargah.
The Dargah
At the foot of a barren hill, is situated India's most important Piligrimage centre for people from all faith. It is the splendid tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, more popularly known as Khwaja Sharif.
Adhai-Din-Ka-Jhonpra
A remarkable structure, this is a masterpiece of Indo Islamic architecture located on the outskirts of the city. Just beyond the Dargah. As the legend goes, its construction took two and a half days. (Adhai-Din) to complete.It was originally a Sanskrit college, built within a temple. In 1193 A.D. Mohammad Ghauri conquered Ajmer and converted the building into a mosque by adding a seven arched wall in front of the pillared hall in just two-and-a-half days (adhai-din) and hence the name. The district pillars and arched "screen with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural masterpiece.
Taragarh Fort
A steep one and half hour climb beyond the Adhai-Din-ka-Jhonpra 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 Museum
Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar, the museum houses a rich repository of the Mughal and Rajput armor and exquisite sculptures.
The Circuit House
The former British Residency, overlooking the artificial lake, 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.
Source: Indian Tourism Information |
