Best time to visit : October to March
Ajmer is a holy city surrounded by the Aravali Hills in the state of Rajasthan, India. The place is a home to the famous Muslim shrine of Sufi Saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. People of all religions and castes visit the holy shrine every day to seek his blessings. There is something magical in the spirited and bustling alleys of Ajmer which keeps people coming back to this spiritual city.
Ajmer is also very near to the famous Hindu pilgrim site, Pushkar, the city of Lord Brahma. Most of the tourists travel to Pushkar via Ajmer.
Facts
Ajmer has been ruled by many dynasties including the Chauhans, Marwars, Rajputs, Mughals and Britishers. All these diverse cultures left an imprint on the culture and lifestyle of the modern day Ajmer. The largest Muslim fair called the Urs Festival is celebrated in Ajmer every year. Urs is a six day long festival and millions of devotees from all over the world gather at Ajmer during the celebrations. Lot of musical and qawwali performances are held during the festival.
You can relish on special biryanis in lanes around the Dargah Sharif. Jai Hind restaurant on the station Road offers excellent vegetarian Punjabi food which includes paranthas and breakfast thalis. You can also try the Honey Dew restaurant which serves a variety of Indian, Chinese and continental dishes. To have pizzas and burgers, try the Gangaur Fast Food restaurant. Relish on the delicious jalebis and malpuas at sweet shops located in Halwai-ki-Gali.
Shopping in Ajmer can be a great fun. The narrow streets and alleys are filled with shops selling curios, antique ornaments, and Jodhpuri jootis (embroidered footwear). The bright and colourful items like embroidered fabric, Bandhni (tie-and-die) sarees and dupattas, and glass bangles are sure to catch your eyes.
Best time for shopping in Ajmer is during the annual Urs Fair when you can shop for the famous Kishangarh miniature paintings, handlooms and home furnishings.
Nearby Places:
- Pushkar : located at a distance of around 10 km. from Ajmer, is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus. It is famous for its holy Pushkar Lake and the Brahma Temple which is visited by thousands of tourists every year. The colourful Pushkar Fair is famous all over the world and hundreds of international tourists gather here during the celebrations.
- Kishangarh : located at a distance of around 30 km., is also known as the Marble City of India. The place is famous for its paintings of Radha and Krishna having elongated faces, necks, stylized eyes and thin lips. The most famous Kishangarh painting is the Bani Thani painting.
- Phalodi : located at a distance of around 90 km., is also known as the Salt City because of huge number of salt industries in the area.
- Jaipur : located at a distance of around 130 km., is the capital city of Rajasthan. The city is famous for huge number of forts and World Heritage sites.