Ajmer

The Dargah

At the foot of a barren hill Dargah, is situated, India’s most important pilgrimage entre for people from all faiths. It is the splendid tomb of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, more popularly known as Khwoja Saheb or Khwaja Sharif. The shrine is next only to Mecca or Medina for the Muslims of South Asia. Akbar used to make a pilgrimage to the Dargah from Agra once a year.

The mausoleum has a gigantic gate, which was built by the Nizam of Hyderabad.

The two massive cauldrons in the courtyard are of particular interest and on the right side of the courtyard is the Akbari Masjid built in white marble. There is another mosque in the courtyard built by Shahjahan. The saint’s tomb with a splendid marble dome is in the centre of the second courtyard, which is surrounded by a silver platform.

The shrine attracts thousands of pilgrims during the Urs-commemorating the death anniversary of the Saint, held from the 1st to 6th day of the Islamic month of Rajab. A colorful fair that springs up during this time is the major attraction. In the corner of the inner court of the Dargah, is a magnificent building

in white marble with a long (30.5m) and narrow court having low arcade and delicate carvings with trellis work. It is the most marvelous of all the sanctums within the sanctuary of the Dargah.

Adhai Din Ka JhonpraAdhai-din-ka-Jhonpra

remarkable structure, this is a masterpiece of lndo-lslamic architecture located on the outskirts of the city, just beyond the Dargab. 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 AD., Mohammad Ghauri conquered Ajmer and converted the building into a mosque by adding a seven-arched wall in front of the pillared hall. The distinct pillars-and arched screen with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural masterpiece.

Taragarh Fort

steep half an 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. It is now connected with a motorable road.

The Museum

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

Mayo College

One of India’s best public schools, located in the south-east of the city. It was founded in 1875 A.D. only for the princes. Each prince along with his entire retinue and on English tutor had his own house within the spacious college grounds covering 81 hectares. Now it is a Public School open to all.

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. Jam Temple Sonii ki Nasiyo, Sai Baba Temple, Prithvi Raj Chouhan Smarak are other attractions.