Ajmer
- Pushkar - Merta - Nagaur
 Ajmer
: 130 km West to Jaipur, in the heart of Rajasthan
is situated a city of Ajmer. The area is surrounded by the
Aravalli ranges. The city has witnessed the rise and fall
of many kingdoms. This city was established by Ajaipal Chauhan
in early 7th and named it as Ajaimeru - the invincible hill.
Today Ajmer is an important Muslim pilgrimage centre. Ajaipal
also built the fort Taragarh. The Chauhans dominated Ajmer
for many years and it was only towards the end of the 12th
century that Prithviraj Chauhan , the last of the great Chauhan
rulers was killed in battle with Mohammad Ghori. Ajmer was
then ruled by the Delhi Sultanate. In 1556 Ajmer was taken
over by Emperor Akbar and provided Ajmer the status of a full-fledged
province and also made it his base for operations in Rajputana.
From 1818 onwards, it was passed onto the British empire and
remained under the British rule till independence.
 Today,
Ajmer is known as the final resting place of the great Sufi
Saint - Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti. The Dargah Sharif, where
the saint lies buried was visited by Akbar. During the Urs,
thousands of Muslim pilgrims from all over the sub-continent
visit the shrine. Ajmer, during Urs, is a totally different
place bustling with people of all ages. The Dargah has two
massive cauldrons which are filled with rice, dry fruits,
and condiments and then looted by the professionals who slide
down into the massive cauldrons. The ‘looted’ rice is then
sold of as tabarukh (sanctified food).
The other notable monument of Ajmer is the Adhai-din-ka- Jhonpara
, the popular belief is that the monument itself was built
in two-and-half-days.
 Pushkar
: Located 11 kms west of Ajmer, Pushkar is known
as the sacred Hindu pilgrimage. The lake at Pushkar is believed
to have been created by Lord Brahma. No pilgrimage is complete
without a visit to Pushkar. For most believers it is essential
to visit Pushkar at least once in their lifetime. Today, there
are as many as 400 temples in Pushkar and the lake is circled
by 52 ghats built over the years by several kings and nobles.
The most important temples are dedicated to Lord Brahma, Shiva,
Badri Narayan, Varaha, Gayatri and Savitri. Pushkar is also
known as one of the largest cattle fairs site in the world.
Merta : Merta was in the
15th century by Rao Duda, son of Rao Jodha of Jodhpur. Rao
Maldeo erected the fortress, known as Matkot. The famous temple
of Charbhuja, the tutelary deity of the Mertias, a clan of
the Rathores are the famous monuments located in the city.
The medieval mystic poetess, princess Meera Bai, born in the
Kurki village was associated with this shrine. The famous
mosque erected by Aurangzeb on the ruins of a Shiva temple
is an imposing edifice and is surrounded by many Hindu shrines.
The town is surrounded by Dudasagar, and many other small
water reservoirs. Near Vishnusagar, there is the Ashram of
Mauni Baba. The nearby plains are marked with cenotaphs or
built in memory of the heroes who died on the battlefield.
Naguar : Nagaur is again
famous for a fort. The Muslim influence is apparent in the
important monuments here because of the Akbar’s five-domed
mosque, Shams Masjid. The fort is medium sized and there are
portions in it which have been built by Akbar and Shahjhan.
Nagaur is best visited during fairs of Ramdeoji in February
and the Tejaji in August.
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