Ajmer, the city of the great Indian hero, Prithviraj Chauhan, is one of the well known historic cities across the nation. Its old name, Ajeyameri, or Ajaimeru, literally translated as an unconquerable mountain, came from the Aravali Mountains that surround it from all sides. It may also have come due to the Taragadh Fort. Perched atop a very high mountain, the Taragadh Fort is the oldest hill fort in Asia, and one of the oldest in India. Ajmer is also a city of two wonderful manmade lakes. However, today, Ajmer is a famous and highly visited religious place. It is home to the tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti situated at Dargah Sharif.

The famous Dargah, Dargah Sharif, is the major tourist attraction of Ajmer. All along the history of over previous five centuries, Dargah Sharif has been an important Muslim religious place of India. It is where the mightiest of Mughal kings had come and bowed, in return of the blessings of the Khawaja. Right from Akbar, who famously used to walk to Ajmer from Agra every year as he had promised he would do if the Khawaja blessed him with a son, to Shah Jahan and then the later Nizam Kings, all had piously come to the Ajmer Dargah seeking solutions for their troubles. Even to date, Ajmer remains the place visited by thousands of devotees every day along with famous personalities from all over the world.

Dargah Sharif is situated in the heart of Ajmer. You have to park your vehicles well before the Dargah and take a walk through the narrow and crowded markets which offer interesting articles and a festive atmosphere. You see people from all religions walk along with chaddars and offerings brought for the Khawaja held atop their heads. Though the Dargah has many gates, the one that is considered to be the main gate was donated by the Nizam of Hyderabad. Inside the mosque there is another mosque donated by Shah Jahan. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti’s tomb lies inside a dome.

Adhai Din ka Zopda is another historical monument in Ajmer. It is believed that this was originally a Hindu Vaishnav temple converted into a mosque by Qutubuddin Aybak during the late 12th century. A unique design, this building is not in the best of the state due to negligence.

Taragadh Hill, where the ruins of Taragadh Fort lie, can make an interesting ride. The precipitous and sharply zigzagging road instantly reminds of some of the thrilling mountain passes from the Himalayas. It is believed that this fort was built when the Aravali Mountains still had snow clad tops.  Though the fort is mostly ruined and there is hardly anything left of it to see, there is another Dargah on the top, where a large number of people come to prey. The Prithviraj Chauhan Memorial is en route to Taragadh.

Anasagar and Foy Sagar are the two majestic manmade lakes of Ajmer. While Anasagar is much larger Foy Sagar, named after the British who constructed, is situated at a beautiful location and makes quite a good view. Both these lakes play an important role in water provision for the city of Ajmer regularly as well as during famines, which are not so rare in this part of India.

Though Ajmer is an interesting town, it’s mostly a religious destination. However, irrespective of your religion, a visit to Dargah Sharif can be memorable. On your way to Pushkar, you can certainly spare a few hours to visit the important tourist spots of Ajmer.

Quick Reference

The popular Dargah situated in the heart of Ajmer, Dargah Sharif is the main tourist attraction of this religious city. Millions of devotees come here every year. This historically important Dargah has blessed great Mughal emperors such as Akbar and Shah Jahan. Another important place of Ajmer is the historical monument, Adhai Din ka Zhopda. Taragadh Hill is where there was Taragdh Fort, the highest and one of the oldest forts of Asia. Going up this hill can be a thrilling experience. Anasagar and Foy Sagar are the manmade lakes of Ajmer worth a visit.