Famous
for the Dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti who came here in 1192
from Persia, Ajmer in Rajasthan, is an important pilgrimage centre for
Muslims as well people of all faiths. Every year, thousands of pilgrims
visit this shrine, built by Humayun. This has given the town an interesting
blend of Sufi and Hindu culture. Inside the dargah is a marble mosque built
by Shah Jahan.
Located next to the banks of the Ana Sagar Lake and
flanked by barren mountains, Ajmer has always been a strategically important
location for the Rajputs, the Mughals, and the Marathas. It was, in fact,
the seat of administration for the Chauhans till Prithviraj was defeated in
1193 AD by Mohammad Ghori and then it became a part of the Delhi Sultanate.
In the corner of the inner court of the Dargah is a magnificent marble
mosque that was built by Shah Jahan. Also interesting is
Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra, another mosque located just beyond the Dargah. Ajmer
also has an impressive fort - the Taragarh Fort, and a royal palace used by
Akbar, which has now been converted into a museum.
Also worth a
visit is the Ana Sagar Lake created by damming the river Luni in the
12thcentury by Anaji. Alongside the lake is a Mughal garden, Daulat Bagh,
laid by Shah Jahan.
