Ajmer, formerly written Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in India's Rajasthan state. Surrounded by the Aravalli Mountains, Ajmer, also known as Ajaymeru, was the city once ruled by Prithviraj Chauhan. Its population was approximately 500,000 in 2001. The city gives its name to Ajmer district, and also to a former province of British India called Ajmer-Merwara, which, after India's independence, became the state of Ajmer. On November 1, 1956, it was merged into Rajasthan state.
Ajmer | |||||||
| Coordinates | 26°16′N 74°25′E / 26.27°N 74.42°E | ||||||
| Country | India | ||||||
| State | Rajasthan | ||||||
| District(s) | Ajmer | ||||||
| Population | 485197 (2001) | ||||||
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) | ||||||
| • Elevation | • 486 m (1,594 ft) | ||||||
Codes
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| Official Website | http://www.ajmer.nic.in | ||||||
Geography
It is situated in 26° 27, N. lat. and 74° 44, E. long., on the lower slopes of Taraga?h Hill, in the Aravalli Range. It is situated almost in the heart of the state of Rajasthan. To the north of the city is a large artificial lake, called Anasagar, adorned with a marble structure called Baradari. Ajmer is an ancient crowded city with modern developments in the outskirts.
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. Ajmer 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.
History
Ajaipal Chauhan founded Ajmer in the seventh century. He constructed a hill fort "Ajaimeur" or the " Invincible Hill ". He established the Chauhan dynasty which continued to rule the country while repeated waves of Turkish invasions swept across India. Ajmer was conquered by Muhammad of Ghor, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1193. Its internal government, however, was handed over to the Chauhan rulers upon the payment of a heavy tribute to the conquerors. Ajmer then remained feudatory to Delhi until 1365, when it was captured by the ruler of Mewar. In 1509 Ajmer became a source of contention between the Maharajas of Mewar and Marwar, and was ultimately conquered by the Marwar ruler in 1532. Ajmer was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1559. It continued to be in the hands of the Mughals, with occasional revolts, until 1770, when it was ceded to the Marathas. From that time up to 1818 Ajmer was the scene of an ongoing struggle, being seized at different times by the Mewar and the Marwar maharajas, from whom it was often retaken by the Marathas. In 1818 the Marathas sold Ajmer to the East India Company for 50,000 rupees. Since then Ajmer has enjoyed stable governance, although during the 1857 War of Independence some Indian sepoys at the garrison in the nearby town of Nasirabad joined the revolt. Under the British Raj, Ajmer was governed by an Agent to the Governor General overseeing Rajputana. After independence in 1947, Ajmer retained its position as a centrally administrated state under a Chief Commissioner for some time. Ajmer was eventually merged with the State of Rajasthan.
Hotels & Market
RTDC hotel Khadim is located near the bus stand in Ajmer. The Railway Station is situated in the heart of the city and most of the hotels are west of the stations. Most of the cities market is located in front of the Station and up to Agra Gate.
Transportation
Ajmer is at an important railway junction with Broad gauge lines to Jaipur and Marwar, Ahmedabad and Mumbai onwards to Banglaore and a Metre gauge line subject to conversion under Project Unigauge to Udaipur. The railway complex includes a major workshop. The railway has helped the city to connect it with major Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hydrabad, Bangalore, Ahemedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Nagpur, Pune, Patna, Lucknow etc. The station is the origin for many far distance trains like Ajmer - Bhopal Express, Ajmer - Indore Link Express, Ajmer - Ratlam Express, Ajmer - Amritsar Pooja Express etc.
It is situated in 26° 27, N. lat. and 74° 44, E. long., on the lower slopes of Taraga?h Hill, in the Aravalli Range. It is situated almost in the heart of the state of Rajasthan. To the north of the city is a large artificial lake, called Anasagar, adorned with a marble structure called Baradari. Ajmer is an ancient crowded city with modern developments in the outskirts.
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. Ajmer 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.
History
Ajaipal Chauhan founded Ajmer in the seventh century. He constructed a hill fort "Ajaimeur" or the " Invincible Hill ". He established the Chauhan dynasty which continued to rule the country while repeated waves of Turkish invasions swept across India. Ajmer was conquered by Muhammad of Ghor, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1193. Its internal government, however, was handed over to the Chauhan rulers upon the payment of a heavy tribute to the conquerors. Ajmer then remained feudatory to Delhi until 1365, when it was captured by the ruler of Mewar. In 1509 Ajmer became a source of contention between the Maharajas of Mewar and Marwar, and was ultimately conquered by the Marwar ruler in 1532. Ajmer was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1559. It continued to be in the hands of the Mughals, with occasional revolts, until 1770, when it was ceded to the Marathas. From that time up to 1818 Ajmer was the scene of an ongoing struggle, being seized at different times by the Mewar and the Marwar maharajas, from whom it was often retaken by the Marathas. In 1818 the Marathas sold Ajmer to the East India Company for 50,000 rupees. Since then Ajmer has enjoyed stable governance, although during the 1857 War of Independence some Indian sepoys at the garrison in the nearby town of Nasirabad joined the revolt. Under the British Raj, Ajmer was governed by an Agent to the Governor General overseeing Rajputana. After independence in 1947, Ajmer retained its position as a centrally administrated state under a Chief Commissioner for some time. Ajmer was eventually merged with the State of Rajasthan.
Hotels & Market
RTDC hotel Khadim is located near the bus stand in Ajmer. The Railway Station is situated in the heart of the city and most of the hotels are west of the stations. Most of the cities market is located in front of the Station and up to Agra Gate.
Transportation
Ajmer is at an important railway junction with Broad gauge lines to Jaipur and Marwar, Ahmedabad and Mumbai onwards to Banglaore and a Metre gauge line subject to conversion under Project Unigauge to Udaipur. The railway complex includes a major workshop. The railway has helped the city to connect it with major Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hydrabad, Bangalore, Ahemedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Nagpur, Pune, Patna, Lucknow etc. The station is the origin for many far distance trains like Ajmer - Bhopal Express, Ajmer - Indore Link Express, Ajmer - Ratlam Express, Ajmer - Amritsar Pooja Express etc.
PUSHKAR FAIR.
Every November, the sleepy little township of Pushkar in Rajasthan, India comes alive with a riot of colors and a frenzied burst of activity.
The occasion: PUSHKAR FAIR.
Very few, if at all any, fairs in the world can match the liveliness of Pushkar. Most people associate the Pushkar Fair with the world's largest camel fair. But it is much more than that. It is an occasion for villagers from far and near to gather together and enjoy a welcome break from their harsh life of the arid desert. And enjoy they do! In dazzling style and colors.
It is an occasion for Hindu pilgrims to converge for a holy dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake to "wash away the sins of a lifetime" and pay obeisance at the ONLY Brahma temple in the world.
For the visitor, it is an unparalleled and unforgettable experience to capture the vibrancy of the entire state of Rajasthan in one place. This website attempts to give you a glimpse of the magic of Pushkar. Of course, you have to be there to truly understand it.
In the month of Kartik each year, a staggering number of camels amble their way across the golden sands of Rajasthan to congregate at Pushkar for the week-long fair devoted to them. Coming in from all directions, their masters astride them, they flick the sand at every step with casuals' ease. The horses that march to this site find the sand-trot an exacting exercise. Numerous cows and sheep all come to the animal fair. Completing the scene are thousands of men, women and children, come with their beasts, suddenly inhabiting the barren plain. Providing a backdrop, the camels in the distance camouflaged, scarcely discernable. The contrast to the blank desert is the riot of Colours - the large gaudy turbans of the native males arriving here to trade their animals or to set up the stalls to cater to the booming captive market, and the loud hues of the pleated ghagaras (ankle-length skirts) of the belles bangled by the armful, bejewelled from head to toe- adding charm and zest to the massive affair. At Mela time, Pushkar is Rajasthan under one roof, a complete exhibition of its culture.
The Ttrading:
Over the first five days of the fair, camels, horses, cows, goats, and sheep are sold and purchased. There may be protracted negotiations, or sometimes, a quick transaction. Hard bargains are struck, the vendor extolling the long list of virtues of his camel to the prospective buyer.
Over the first five days of the fair, camels, horses, cows, goats, and sheep are sold and purchased. There may be protracted negotiations, or sometimes, a quick transaction. Hard bargains are struck, the vendor extolling the long list of virtues of his camel to the prospective buyer.
Fashionable Women:
Womenfolk seem to have little interest in the business of animals. They are more attracted to the glittering wares in the stalls under awnings. The large variety of intricate silver ornaments - hairpins and chains, nose rings and neckbands, cummerbunds, anklets, toe rings and the ivory bangles worn from wrist to shoulder - would send any woman on a buying spree. The garments stalls, in no way less colourful, sell high fashion upper garments of patchwork and tie 'n' die. Tattoo stalls give many women beauty marks that last a lifetime. Whoever said that the unsophisticated are not fashionable!
Womenfolk seem to have little interest in the business of animals. They are more attracted to the glittering wares in the stalls under awnings. The large variety of intricate silver ornaments - hairpins and chains, nose rings and neckbands, cummerbunds, anklets, toe rings and the ivory bangles worn from wrist to shoulder - would send any woman on a buying spree. The garments stalls, in no way less colourful, sell high fashion upper garments of patchwork and tie 'n' die. Tattoo stalls give many women beauty marks that last a lifetime. Whoever said that the unsophisticated are not fashionable!
And there are lots n lots of Camels too:
In Rajasthan even the camels are fashion-conscious, and that too to a high degree, for they are soon to be part of a beauty parade! The proud owner of a newly acquired camel promptly goes to the stalls which the women bypassed. At these stalls all the crafts of Rajasthan have been pressed into the service of the camel community. Handmade saddles to fit every hump; long strings of cowries, bes and beads; colourful, woven saddle-straps, and embroidered back-covers to boot. After a shearing and a scrub, the camel is costumed and even perfumed! Surely the Marwari man loves his camel-and his wife!
In Rajasthan even the camels are fashion-conscious, and that too to a high degree, for they are soon to be part of a beauty parade! The proud owner of a newly acquired camel promptly goes to the stalls which the women bypassed. At these stalls all the crafts of Rajasthan have been pressed into the service of the camel community. Handmade saddles to fit every hump; long strings of cowries, bes and beads; colourful, woven saddle-straps, and embroidered back-covers to boot. After a shearing and a scrub, the camel is costumed and even perfumed! Surely the Marwari man loves his camel-and his wife!
Fun and frolic:
As the tempo of business goes down, the men folk turn to merriment, for the day of the camel sports is at hand. Camel races are the first event. Usually a lumbering beast of burden, the camel all decorated in finery, imagines itself to be an ostrich, and rushes through the race like one. Then comes the event analogous to musical chairs. Here, as the music stops, the camel is supposed to manage to stick its long arching neck between two poles, each camel owner guiding its entrant by means of a silken cord attached to its nose ring. Vying for the first pace in the beauty contest, splendidly bedecked camels are bought to the ring and paraded to catch the critical eye of keen judges. The gait of the camel, the choice of its equipment and ornament, its capacity to interpret and carry out commands and the variety of pranks it is capable of performing are the criteria of selection. The most thrilling camel event is 'laadoo oonth'. see how much weight the camel can can carry, man after man clamber onto the ridge-like back of the camel, each clutching at the other to retain the collectively precarious position. It is not an uncommon sight to see the human cargo come crashing down as the camel tries to get to its feet! It is not known whether this was the intention of the camel.
As the tempo of business goes down, the men folk turn to merriment, for the day of the camel sports is at hand. Camel races are the first event. Usually a lumbering beast of burden, the camel all decorated in finery, imagines itself to be an ostrich, and rushes through the race like one. Then comes the event analogous to musical chairs. Here, as the music stops, the camel is supposed to manage to stick its long arching neck between two poles, each camel owner guiding its entrant by means of a silken cord attached to its nose ring. Vying for the first pace in the beauty contest, splendidly bedecked camels are bought to the ring and paraded to catch the critical eye of keen judges. The gait of the camel, the choice of its equipment and ornament, its capacity to interpret and carry out commands and the variety of pranks it is capable of performing are the criteria of selection. The most thrilling camel event is 'laadoo oonth'. see how much weight the camel can can carry, man after man clamber onto the ridge-like back of the camel, each clutching at the other to retain the collectively precarious position. It is not an uncommon sight to see the human cargo come crashing down as the camel tries to get to its feet! It is not known whether this was the intention of the camel.
The culmination :
Kartik Purnima, the day of ritual oblation , is also the closing day of the world's most colourful festivals. Bathing begins at dawn. There is quite a scramble for getting a place on the bathing ghats. The famed waters of the Pushkar Lake wash away the sins of a lifetime. The mystical water is also believed to cure skin diseases, making Pushkar the Lourdes of the east. After bathing, the devotees line up in long colourful queues to take their turn to worship the Creator, Brahma. Romance touches Pushkar on the full moon night, as tiny leaf boats, each carrying flowers and an oil lamp, are set afloat on the placid lake. Twinkling like thousands of stars, their flickering flames reflected in the water, they wink back at the innumerable stars on the desert sky. The next day dawns for the exodus. Long caravans hump their way along, taking many camels to their new homes. Little does a camel know which master it will serve after the coming Pushkar Mela.
Kartik Purnima, the day of ritual oblation , is also the closing day of the world's most colourful festivals. Bathing begins at dawn. There is quite a scramble for getting a place on the bathing ghats. The famed waters of the Pushkar Lake wash away the sins of a lifetime. The mystical water is also believed to cure skin diseases, making Pushkar the Lourdes of the east. After bathing, the devotees line up in long colourful queues to take their turn to worship the Creator, Brahma. Romance touches Pushkar on the full moon night, as tiny leaf boats, each carrying flowers and an oil lamp, are set afloat on the placid lake. Twinkling like thousands of stars, their flickering flames reflected in the water, they wink back at the innumerable stars on the desert sky. The next day dawns for the exodus. Long caravans hump their way along, taking many camels to their new homes. Little does a camel know which master it will serve after the coming Pushkar Mela.
