Ajmer-e-Sharief
Ajmer situated in the green oasis wrapped in the barren hills has been a witness
to an interesting past. The city was founded by Raja Ajai Pal Chauhan in the 7th
century A.D. and continued to be a major centre of Chauhan power. When Prithviraj
Chauhan lost it to Mohammed Ghauri leaving behind indelible marks of their culture
and traditions on the cities history, converting it to an amalgam of various cultures
and a blend of Hinduism and Islam.
Places
To SeeThe Dargah:
At
the foot of a barren hill, is situated India's most important Piligrimage
centre for people from all faith. It is the splendid tomb of the Sufi saint
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, more popularly known as Khwaja Sharif.
Mayo College: One
of Indian'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 an English tutor had his own house in the spacious college grounds covering
81 hectares. Now it is a public school open to all.
Shahjahan's Mosque:
In the corner of the inner court of the Dargah, is a magnificent building in white
marble with a long (30.5) and narrow court having low arcade and delicate carvings
with trellis work. It is the most marvellous all the sanctums within the sanctuary
of the Dargah.
Adhai-Din-Ka-Jhonpra: A remarkable structure,
this is a masterpiece of Indo Islamic architecture located on the outskirts of
the city. Just beyond the Dargah. 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 A.D. Mohammad Ghauri conquered Ajmer and converted
the building into a mosque by adding a seven arched wall in front of the pillared
hall in just two-and-a-half days (adhai-din) and hence the name. The district
pillars and arched "screen with its ruined minarets make it a splendid architectural
masterpiece.
Taragarh Fort:
A
steep one and half 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.
The Museum: Once
the royal residence of Emperor Akbar, the museum houses a rich repository of the
Mughal and Rajput armor and exquisite sculptures.
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.
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