Ajmer

The city of Ajmer gets its name from Ajay Meru. Roughly translated, it means ‘invincible hills.

Nestled in the Aravallis south west of Jaipur, Ajmer became home to several dynasties. The Mughals in particular, fancied it as their favourite destination due to the presence of the holy Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
Ajmer is home to the famous Dargah Sharif, which houses the Tomb of Garib Nawaz, also known as Moinuddin Chisti, the founder of the Chisti order of Sufism. Ajmer is also a sacred city for Hindus and Muslims alike and is renowned for being a centre of history and culture and beauty.

ATTRACTIONS IN AJMER
The Ajmer Sharif Dargah
This is a Sufi shrine which encloses the "maqbara" of Garib Nawaz, the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. Built in the 13th century, the shrine is popular among people of all faiths who flock here to have their prayers answered. The shrine has three gates; the main gate or the Nizam gate, the Shah Jahan gate erected by the Mughal Emperor and the Buland Darwaza. Another big draw at this holy shrine is the sacred and scrumptious food that is served to devotees. Cooked in giant cauldrons known as 'degs', devotees gather in throngs to be blessed by this prasad.

Anasagar Lake
Anasagar Lake is a scenic artificial lake, commissioned and built by Arnoraj Chauhan, son of Ajaypal Chauhan, between 1135 and 1150 AD. Arnoraj was also known as Anaji, which gives the lake its name. Many years later, Mughal Emperor Jahangir added his touch to the lake by laying out the Daulat Bagh Gardens near the lake. Emperor Shah Jahan too, contributed to the expansion by building five pavilions, known as the Baradari, between the garden and the lake.

Mayo College
Mayo College is one of India's oldest independent boarding schools, founded in 1875 Mayo College was set up to provide the scions of India's princely states with an education similar to that provided by the Eton College in Britain. The college building is one of the finest extant examples of Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.

Jain Temple
The Nareli Jain Temple in Ajmer, also known as the Shri Gyandoaya Tirth Kshetra, is situated on the outskirts of Ajmer on the national highway to Jaipur. This modern edifice is celebrated for being a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary architectural styles. It consists of 24 miniature temples in its vicinity. Known as Jainalay, they represent the Jain Thirthankars. The Nareli Jain Temple is an important point of pilgrimage for Digambara Jains.

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