Ajmer

Ajmer’s history tells the tales of great romances, heroism and valour. The social fabric in Ajmer is a truly secular one with both Hindus and Muslims cutting across religious divides to revere this holy land. The Dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti makes Ajmer an important pilgrim centre for Muslims from all parts of the world and Pushkar (neighbouring village) is the abode of Lord Brahma, a place of pilgrimage for Hindus. Within the dargah lies a mosque, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, an architectural marvel in white marble. Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpara and Taragarh Fort are other medieval monuments to visit in the city. Ajmer is well connected by road and railways while the nearest airport is at Jaipur.
Best time to visit: November to March
Languages spoken: Dhundhari, Hindi
Climate: Scorching hot summers and cold winters
Holy Places: Dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Brahma Temple in Pushkar
Heritage sites: Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpara, Taragarh Fort

Motorcycle Diaries: Road to Pushkar…

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For a true Royal Enfield enthusiast, a long ride is always a pleasure, and last weekend was one such gratifying ride. I was meaning to drive to Ajmer for a good while now. Last weekend, Nitin, my younger brother and a recently-christened biking-enthusiast, encouraged the idea and we geared up for a good 750km ride

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5. Naggar (HP) and road back home via Chandigarh-Rothak-Ajmer-Ahmedabad-Mumbai

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Had it not been for the book, Outlook Traveller Gateways (on HP), Naggar would not have happened. Books are still much much superior as compared to host of blogs and websites. Online forums, at best, are good for an “occasional tip” and that too happens cause people speak about the content which is quite recent. Books need to re-published. The Outlook Traveller Gateways (on HP) which I referred to was published in 2008 and two years down the line nothing much had changed….

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A visit to Taragarh Fort, Ajmer

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Hakim requested me to park the car in his locality where a local lad would be taking care of the car. But, it was not easy to believe a total stranger and so I did not heed to his request and parked the car in the official parking lot which was very congested. It required great skill to park and more to retrieve the vehicle. Somehow I did it. After parking the car, we went to see the dargah along with Syed Abdul Hakim. He introduced us to the nearest structure as Karbala built in memory of the Mohammed Ali, who was the son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed and who was martyred by the Khalifa. Every year they mourn his killing in the Karbala. It was a settlement of Shia Muslims. According to Hakim, the population of that place was about 5000 for which a separate polling booth is arranged during election time.

From Karbala, Hakim took us to his shop-cum-office, where his relatives were selling the Chadar (Shawl), Flowers and incense sticks etc. and persuaded me into purchasing the items from their family shop. Though his shop was not cheap by any means, we had no option but to purchase from there itself. So, we purchased the items from Hakim and his relatives carefully choosing the items that were being sold at the lowest rates and proceeded towards the dargah. My son, Ruchir looked good when he walked upto the Akbar gate carrying the chadar on his head. After entering the premises, we saw a massive silver sword at the top of a building. Hakim told us that it was Jafarani sword given to the Dargah by Mughal Emperor, Akbar.

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