South west of Jaipur, Ajmer is an oasis wrapped in
the green hills. The city was founded by Raja Ajay
Pal Chauhan in the 7th Century A.D. and continued
to be a major centre of the Chauhan power till 1193
A.D. When Prithviraj Chauhan lost it to Mohammed Ghauri.
Since then, Ajmer became home to many dynasties. Today,
Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage centre for the Hindus
as well as Muslims. Especially famous is the Dargah
Sharif-tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti,
which is equally revered by the Hindus and Muslims.
It is a centre of culture and education, the British
chose Ajmer for its prestigious Mayo College a school
exclusively for Indian nobility.
Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar (11 km.),
the abode of Lord Brahma, lying to its west with a temple
and a picturesque lake. The Pushkar Lake is a sacred
spot for Hindus. During the month of Kartik (Oct./Nov.),
devotes throng in large numbers here to take a dip in
the sacred lake.
Ajaipal Chauhan founded Ajmer in the seventh century.
He constructed a hill fort "Ajaimeur" or the
invincible hill. The Chauhans ruled Ajmer till the 12th
century when Prithviraj Chauhan lost Mohammed Ghauri.
Thereafter it became a part of the sultanate of Delhi.
Ajmer was also favourite residence for the great Mughals.
One of the first contacts between the Mughal King Jahangir
and Sir Thomas Roe took place here in 1616. The Scindias
took over the city in 1818 andthen handed it over to
the British and it became one of the only part of Rajasthan
controlled directly by the East Indian Co. The bus stand
in Ajmer is located near the RTDC hotel Khadim. And
the railway is further north and most of the hotels
are west of the stations. Northeast is the main post
office and most of the cities market is located behind
and up to Agra Gate. Further north is a large artificial
lake called the Anna Sagar.
11 km from Ajmer on the edge of the desert lies the
tiny tranquil town of Pushkar along the bank of the
picturesque pushkar lake an important pilgrimage spot
for the Hindus. The 'Nag pahar' or the snake mountain
forms a natural boundary between Ajmer and Pushkar.
The lake has a mythological significance associated
with it. According to myth, Lord Brahma was on his way
to serch for a suitable place to perform a "Yagna'
(a fire sacrifice) while contemplating, a lotus fell
from his hand on the warth and water sprouted from three
palce. One of them was Pushkar where Lord brahma performed
his yagna. Surrounded by hills on three sides, pushkar
abounds in temples.
Of these the most famous is the Brahma temple- the only
temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the country. The
holy lake has 52 ghats and piligrim taking a ritual
dip in the lake is a common sight. Although a serene
town, Pushkar bustles with life during the joyous celebration
held on Kartik Purnima. Every year thousand of devotees
throng the lake around the full moon day of Kartik Purnima
in October-November to take a holy dip in the lake.
A huge and co;lourful cattle fair-the pushkar fair,
is also held during this time. Dance music and colourful
shops spring up during this fair. Also on sale are mouth-watering
traditional delicacies. Colourfully attired village
folk enhance the fun of the occasion. A host of cultural
event against the backdrop of this pretty setting are
also organised including attractive puppet shows. Cattle
auction and camel races are also a part of the festivities
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