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Monday, May 07, 2007

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Tourism

Ajmer | Bharatpur | Bikaner | Bundi | Jaipur | Jaisalmer | Jodhpur | Mount Abu | Udaipur | Wildlife

Ajmer - How to get there | Dargah Khwaja Sahib | Nasiyan Temple | Adhai - Din ka - Jhonpra | Pushkar | Kishangarh | Tilonia

Ajmer
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 favorite 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 and then handed it over to the British and it became one of the only part of Rajasthan controlled directly by the East Indian Co. 

How to get there
Air: The nearest airport is Jaipur which is 135kms away.
Train: Ajmer is on the Delhi-Jaipur-Marwar-Ahmedabad-Mumbai line and most trains stops at Ajmer. 
Road: It is connected with bus from all places like Jaipur, Agra, Aligarh, Abu road, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Barmer, Haridwar, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Nagaur.

Tourism Contact List

1.    Rajasthan

Commissioner Rajasthan Foundation 

1. http://rajasthantourism.gov.in/messagingcenter/Contact.jsp

2. http://www.rajasthan-tourism.org/contact-us.html

 Bharat Tours - Leading Travel Agent In Rajasthan, India

  3. http://www.tourrajasthan.com/

Head Office

3. http://www.rajasthan-tourism.co.in/profile.html#contact

4. http://www.rajasthantourism.com/about-us.html

5. http://www.rajasthantourism.net/contact.html

6. http://www.rajasthantours.net/contact.html

Dargah Khwaja Sahib 
It is the landmark of Ajmer and one of the holiest of Muslim shrines in the country. It has a secular appeal and revered by people of all sect. Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti, a Sufi saint from Persia made this place his abode from 1192 till he died in 1236 AD. Mughal King Humayun completed the construction of the shrine. The Dargah is approached through a massive gate with silver doors built in several stages. Emperor Akbar made an annual pilgrimage to Ajmer. Mughal Emperors Akbar and Shah Zahan have built mosques in the complex. The saint's tomb is in the centre of the second courtyard and the actual tomb inside is surrounded by a silver railing and partly by a marble screen. The tomb is of marble and dome is gold plated. The atmosphere inside the shrine is charged and supernatural with burning of incense and offerings of flowers mainly rose and sweets.

As you enter the Dargah courtyard, you see two massive 'degs' meaning cauldrons. Mughal Emperors Akbar and Jahangir donated these cauldrons originally but they have been replaced in the nineteenth century. The larger cauldron can contain as much as 4480 kgs of rice while the smaller one contains 2240 kgs of rice.

The shrine comes alive with activity when millions of devotees throng the shrine during Urs fair. Urs is held on the seventh lunar month according to Islamic calendar and is variable according to the solar calendar. Sufis and believer converge from all over India and abroad, as it is believed that those visiting during Urs receives special blessings of the saint. It is compulsory that you cover your head while inside the complex so remember to carry a skullcap or a scarf. The skull-cap is on sale in the colorful market just outside the Dargah. It is also customary to make floral offerings mainly of roses, incense sticks and sweets that are locally available.

Nasiyan (Red) Temple
The red temple is a Digambar Jain temple which has a double- storey hall adjacent to the main temple. The hall displays a series of large gold plated wooden figures depicting legends from Jain mythology. The entire hall is richly adorned by glass mosaic, precious stones, gold and silver work. The place is also popularly called Soni Ji Ki Nasiyan.

Adhai - Din ka - Jhonpra
This is a masterpiece of Indo - Islamic architecture. As legend goes its was constructed in two and a-half days (Adhi-Din). It is a relic of an old mosque consisting of a quadrangle with a front screen wall of seven pointed arches. The distinct pillars and arched screen with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural masterpiece.

Pushkar 
For a devout Hindu Pushkar is a very important pilgrim centre, for one visit to this holy place in a lifetime is highly prescribed. Brahma forms the great Hindu trilogy of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, each symbolizing the lifecycle of birth, preservation and destruction. Brahma the creator is depicted as of four bearded heads and four hands each holding a book of Vedas (knowledge). His vehicle is the swan and his consort is Savitri. According to the legend Pushkar means a pond created by flower, was formed when Brahma dropped a lotus flower on the earth to determine a place for his yagna, a holy sacrifice. The story goes that Brahma wanted to perform the yagna at the most auspicious time but his consort Savitri whose presence at the yagna was vital for its performance kept him waiting. Irritated by this Brahma married Gayatri, a milkmaid and installed her instead. Savitri on seeing someone else in her place was infuriated and cursed Brahma that he would be forgotten by people on earth and never worshiped. She relented on pleas from other Gods that he could only be worshiped in Pushkar, hence there are no Brahma Temples elsewhere. 

Pushkar is a much loved tourist destination, many who visit there just fall in love with the place and overstay. Situated on the edge on the desert it is separated from Ajmer by the Nag Parbat (the snake hill). The town has very distinct tourist excitement with narrow lanes lined with shops selling various accessories and rooftop restaurants. Despite its high tourist profile the town maintains some mystical charm.

Kishangarh 
Kishangarh is 27 Kms north east of Ajmer and was founded by Kishan Singh a Rathore Prince. In the 18th century it acclaimed fame as one of the finest schools of miniatures paintings. Though a smaller school with a much shorter duration it had a more refined style. It peaked under the patronage of Savant Singh an heir to the throne, who later became a hermit. It is said that Savant Singh modeled as Krishna while his mistress nicknamed as Bani Thani modeled for Radha. Paintings of Bani Thani are it most celebrated. The artist of this school favored evening lights and grey skies with fine colors. This outstanding school lasted only a few decades. Today the artists still create duplicates of the work. The town is now an industrial town for marble and textiles. Kishangarh is connected by train and bus. 

Tilonia
Tilonia is a small town 25 kms from Kishangarh near Ajmer and 7 kms off Jaipur-Ajmer highway. Barefoot college inspires this town, which began in 1972 with the conviction that solutions to rural problems lie within the community. The College, officially known as Social Work and Research Centre, addresses problems of drinking water, girl education, health & sanitation, rural unemployment, income generation, electricity and power, as well as social awareness and the conservation of ecological systems in rural communities. 

References:

http://rajasthantourism.gov.in/

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