Ajmer situated in the green oasis wrapped in the barren hills is one of the most revered places for both Hindus and Muslims. Nestled at the base of the Aravali Mountain ranges, Ajmer is a historic city located 135 km from Jaipur in Rajasthan. A budding town on the shore of the Ana Sagar Lake, flanked by barren hills, the city is the home to the famous dargah or mausoleum of Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti. The magnificent forts, beautiful lakes, amazing museums and palaces attract tourists from across the world and the city is also a popular centre of Rajasthani culture. In addition, Ajmer is famous for housing some of the premium educational institutions such as Sophia Girls` School, Mayo College ( founded by the British Raj), Ajmer Music College etc. and also has one of the four NCERT Demonstration Schools of India. Geography and Climate Ajmer is situated at 26° 27, N. lat. and 74° 44, E and is surrounded by the Aravalli Mountains. The city is located on the lower slopes of the Taragarh Hill in the Aravalli Range. Centrally located, the city is bounded by a large artificial lake, called Anasagar with a marble structure known as Baradari to the North and is protected from the Thar desert by the huge rocks of Nagpathar range. Ajmer has a hot semi-arid climate with over 55 centimetres (25.4 in) of rain every year but most of the rain occurs in the Monsoon months, between June and September. Temperatures remain relatively high throughout the year, with the summer months of April to early July having an average daily temperature of about 30°C (86°F). During the monsoon there are frequent heavy rains and thunderstorms but flooding is not a common occurrence. The winter months of November to February are mild and temperate with average temperatures ranging from 15–18°C (59–64°F) with little or no humidity. Demographics According to the 2011 India census,[8] Ajmer district has a population of 2,584,913, which was made up of 1,325,911 males and 1,259,002 females. Ajmer district had an average literacy rate of 70.46 percent, male literacy being 83.93% and female literacy 56.42%. Ajmer's population growth in the decade was 18.48%, this compares to a growth figure of 20.93% for the previous decade. The population of Ajmer city according census 2011 is 542,580 and thus the city is among 100 major cities of India and is ranked 5th in Rajasthan. History of Ajmer Founded by Ajaipal Chauhan of the Chauhan dynasty in the late 7th century, Ajmer went on to be ruled by them till 1193 when Prithiviraj Chauhan lost the control of the city to Mohammad Ghori. Continuous power struggle for Ajmer followed for the next three centuries and the city was to be ruled by many other dynasties. Finally in 1556, Emperor Akbar took over the reins of Ajmer and made it the headquarters for his conquests in Rajasthan. After the decline of the Mughal power in Ajmer, the Scindias of Gwalior and the Marathas controlled the city for some time. The Marathas thereafter sold Ajmer to British for Rs 50,000 in 1818. Since the time of India’s independence until 1950, Ajmer remained as a province of India and in the year 1950, the region of Ajmer was declared a state. However, in the year 1956, the present city of Ajmer was merged with the State of Rajasthan and since then it has been a part of the state. Culture of Ajmer Dhundhari and Marwari are the two most commonly spoken languages in Rajasthan. Rajasthani people also speak in various dialects of Hindi. The week-long International Sufi festival attracts artists from across the world. Sufi songs and qawwalis are the high point of the festival which attempts to promote the Sufi culture. Urs of Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti celebrated in Dargah Sharif is one of the most popular festivals in the country. It attracts lakhs of people from across the world. Apart from that Eid, Holi and Diwali are also celebrated with great fervor. Ajmer’s architecture is an eclectic mix of styles ranging from Rajasthani to Indo-Islamic to Mughal architecture. Akbar’s Palace and Museum houses arms and artifacts of the medieval period and also from the 6th century. Mayo College Museum is regarded as the world’s largest College Museum housing a wide range of artifacts. Tourist Places in Ajmer Ajmer has a great position in Rajasthan Tourism and is a well-known destination and famous as a Muslim Pilgrimage centre. However, there are several places to visit in city besides the most revered Dargah Sharif. Ajmer can be visited anytime of the year. However, during summers it tends to get hot with temperature soaring as high as 40 degree Celsius. October to March is the best time to visit the city as the climate is pleasant with temperature dropping as low as five degree Celsius in peak winter. Some of the prominent tourist attractions of the city are: The Dargah of Khawaja Saheb Shahjahan's Mosque Adhai-Din-Ka-Jhonpra Taragarh Fort Akbar Palace Rajputana Museum Ana Sagar Lake Man Mahal Shopping in Ajmer Ajmer is a place to shop for Bandhani sari and other such items and Mahila Mandi offers the best options for it. There are also other interesting things to shop for like lehengas and odhnis. Mandar Gate, Naya Bazaar, Chudi Bazaar, Kesarganj and Dargah Bazaar are other famous shopping centres in Ajmer. Home décor items, woodcrafts, silverwares, bangles, etc. are other popular tourist buys. Transportation Ajmer is well connected to other cities by means of road and rail. is at an important railway junction with Broad gauge lines to Alwar, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Delhi, Jammu, Mumbai. The city is situated on the Golden Quadrilateral National Highway 8 (NH 8) midway between Delhi and Mumbai, about 400 km from Delhi and 135 km from Jaipur. The Ajmer - Jaipur expressway is a 6 lane highway. There are air-conditioned bus services to Ajmer from Delhi, Jaipur and other cities. At present the nearest airport is the Jaipur International Airport, which is about 132 km from Ajmer. Buses and taxis are available for travel within the city and to nearby towns such as Pushkar and Kishangarh. Rickshaws are also available within the city.
