Ajmer, Pushkar & Kishangarh

AJMER

Surrounded by the Aravali hills and located in the heart of Rajasthan, Ajmer is 130 Kms west of Jaipur. The city has seen the rise and fall of many kingdoms.Established in early 7th century by Ajai pal Chauhan and named Ajaimeru- the invincible hill, Ajmer is today a very important pilgrimage centre for the Muslims. The Chauhans dominated Ajmer for many years and it was only towards the end of the 12th century that Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the last of the great Chauhan rulers was killed in battle with Mohammad Ghori.Ajmer then passed under the Delhi Sultanate. The Rajputs, The Mughals, The Mrathas and British were all involved on it at some point in history and left their marks. From 1818 onwards, it passed in to the British Empire and remained under the care of the British behind a lasting legacy.

The harmonious blend of Hinduism and Islam has given a unique character to this pious land, this truly secular city is an ideal example of religious tolerance and brotherhood.

PRIME SITES

• Dargah Khwaja Sahib

Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti - probably the most important Muslim shrine in the Indian sub-continent with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flocking here especially during the Urs celebrations. b

During the celebrations, the devotees' food is cooked in two enormous degs (cauldrons), one of them nearly 10 feet in diameter, and then follows the ritual of "looting the degs". After emptying them at lightning speed, attendants jump inside the steaming hot interiors to scrape out the dregs - all in just 3-4 minutes flat!

• Adhai din ka Jhonpra

Literally meaning "the hut of two-and-a-half days", it was originally a Sanskrit college which was destroyed by Mohammad Ghauri and converted into a mosque in just two-and-a-half days. Built in 1193 AD, It is the finest and the largest specimen of the early Muslim mosque that now exists, and a great example of Indo-Muslim architecture.

• Narsiyan Jain temple

• Taragarh Fort

A steep one and a half hour climb beyond the Adhai-din-ka-jhopra 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 Mueum

Once the royal residence of Emperor Akbar ,the museum houses a rich repository of the Mughal and Rajput armour and exquisite sculptures.

• Mayo College

One of the India’s best public schools, located in the south-east of the 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.

• Foy Sagar

A picturesque artificial lake named after the engineer for who created it under a famine relief project.

How To Get There

• Air: Jaipur (132 km) is the nearest airport.

• Rail: Regular train services link Ajmer with important cities.
  Some important train connections are:

  
  Arawali Express (Mumbai-Ajmer-Jaipur);
  Super Fast (Ahemdabad-Ajmer-Jaipur-Delhi):
  Delhi Express(Ahmedabad-Ajmer-Jaipur-Delhi);
  Shatabadi Express(New Delhi-Ajmer-New Delhi)

  Railway Enquiry 131
  Railway Reservation 431965
  Rail reservation time : 8 am. To 8 pm. (Sunday 8 am. To 2 pm.)

• Road: A dense network of bus services operates from Ajmer to key destinations around.
  Enquiry : Main Bus Stand 429398

• Local Transport : City bus service operate in the city and to Pushkar. Unmetered taxis, auto-rickshaws, tongas, and cycle-rickshaws are also available.

Where To Stay

• Luxury Hotels:
  

  • Hotel Man Singh Palace 425857, 425859
    
  • Hotel Regency 30296
    
  • Merwara Estate Hotel 420691
    
  • Hotel Ambassador 428479, 425095
    
  • Hotel Khadim
    
  • Hotel Ajaymeru

• Budget Hotels: 

  • Shobraj Hotel,
  • Hindu Hotel,
  • Hotel Anand,
  • Hotel Malwa,
  • Hotel Payal,
  • Hotel Prithviraj,
  • Hotel Surya.

Restaurants

• Honey Dew 32498
  

• Elite 429544

Shopping :

Shopping in Ajmer is an enjoyable experience. One can shop for antiques, curios, fascinating gold and silver jewelry in contemporary designs, colorful tie-and-dye sarees and embroidered jodhpuri ‘Jutis’. Especially during the annual Urs fair, a range of colourful items and marvellous creations of traditional folk aristsans are for sale.

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Banks/Money Changers :


• Bank of Baroda,Prithviraj Marg, Tel.;22575;
  
• Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur,Station Road, Tel.:429646;
  
• Bank of India,Kaisarganj, Tel.:432153,
  
• Bank of Rajasthan,Mayo College,Tel.:431424;
  
• Central Bank of India,Tel.:32496;
  
• Punjab National Bank, Prithviraj Marg,Tel.:429696;
  
• State Bank of India,near Collectorate,Tel.:52048.
  
• Authorized money changers are available in the leading hotels.

ROAD DISTANCES TO SOME IMPORTANT TOURIST CENTRES

• Mt. Abu : 377 km. Via Barr, Pali, Sirohi
  

• Ahmedabad : 570 km. Via Pali, Sirohi
  
• Agra : 360 km. Via Jaipur, Bharatpur
  
• Bundi : 142 km. Via Kekri, Devli
  
• Chittaurgarh : 190 km. Via Nasirabad, Bhilwlara
  
• Delhi : 395 km. Via Jaipur, Behror
  
• Jaipur : 131 km. Via Kishangarh, Bilara
  
• Jodhpur : 198 km.Via Barr, Jaitran, Bilara
  
• Kishangarh : 27 km. direct
  
• Nagaur : 162 km. Via Pushkar, Merta
  
• Udaipur : 302 km. Via Chittaurgarh

^Top ^

PUSHKAR

According to legend , the origin of Pushkar dates aback to the time when lord Brahma was on his way in search of a tranquil land to perform a Yagna. A lotus fell from the hands of the lord into this valley. A lake sprang up on this spot and was dedicated to him. A Brahma temple located here is a popular place of pilgrimage.

Pushkar is built around a picturesque lake with broad ghaats leading down to the water.

• Pushkar Lake

The lake is situated on the edge of the desert and surrounded by hills on three sides, is separated from Ajmer by ‘Nag Pahar’-the snake mountain. On this mountain the Panchkund and the cave of the saint Agastya are located. It is believed that Kalidas-the 4^th century sanskrit poet and playright , chose the setting for his masterpiece Abhigyanam Shakuntalam in this forest heritage.
Rajasthani song and dance programme at Pushkar giving a feel of what Pushkar must be like during the Fair.

• Pushkar Fair

It is one of the most colorful fairs of India. Lakes of pilgrims throng the lake during the annual cattle fair. Besides trading of horses, camels, cows and bulls, there are exciting camel-cart races and cultural events. Cloths, household items and leather goods are for sale during the fair. On the full moon of Kartik(Nov.) pilgrims take a holy dip in the lake.

• Annual Camel Fair

It is the largest camel fair in the world.

• Man Mahal

Along the banks of the Pushkar Lake is the former residence of Raja Man Singh of Amer, Man Mahal. Presently it is converted to RTDC Sarover Tourist Bungalow ensuring convenient accommodation to travellers.Pushakar palace ( Kishangarh House) adjoining it is a heritage hotel.

There are some 500 tamples in Pushkar including the famed Brahma temple with its coin-studded floor.
It's really amazing that just 11 kms separate the holiest pilgrimage centres of Muslims and Hindus - Ajmer's Dargah and Pushkar's holy lake & temples.

Pushkar's colourful bazaars are one of the best places in Rajasthan to buy vivid embroidered and painted textiles, as well as old silver jewellery.

How to Get There

• Air: Jaipur (146 km) is the nearest airport.
  
• Rail: Ajmer (11 km) is the nearest railhead.

Where to Stay

• RTDC Hotel Sarovar, Peacock Holiday Resort (Tel : 72093),
  Hotel Pushkar Palace (Tel : 72001)

^Top ^

 

KISHANGRAH

Kishangarh is famous for its miniature paintings (especially "Bani-Thani" - the "Mona Lisa of Rajasthan") and Tilonia famed for its embroidered leather and other cottage craft industry.

You can know more about Rajasthani Painting and Leatherware by clicking these links.

^Top ^

 

Complete information about Rajasthan