Ajmer is a city in the central part of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Ajmer district and is one of the oldest urban settlements in Rajasthan, surrounded by the Aravalli Range. The city is widely known for the Dargah Sharif of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, which draws pilgrims from across South Asia and beyond.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Rajasthan |
| District | Ajmer |
| Region | Ajmer division |
| Languages | Hindi, Rajasthani, Urdu |
| Notable landmark | Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti |
| Nearby lake | Ana Sagar |
The name Ajmer is generally traced to Ajayameru, meaning the "invincible hill", a name associated with the founding of the city by the Chahamana (Chauhan) ruler Ajayaraja II in the early 12th century. The Taragarh hill fort that overlooks the city is among the earliest hill forts of the region. Ajmer remained a significant centre under successive Chauhan rulers, including Prithviraj III (Prithviraj Chauhan), before passing under Muslim rule following the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192.
During the Mughal period, Ajmer became a provincial capital and a frequent stop for emperors travelling to the Dargah. Akbar built a fort and palace in the city in the 1570s, which today houses the Ajmer Government Museum. Under the British, Ajmer-Merwara was administered as a separate Chief Commissioner's province directly from Delhi, distinct from the surrounding princely states. The province was merged into Rajasthan in 1956 following the States Reorganisation Act.
Ajmer lies in a valley enclosed on the west by the Nag Pahar (Snake Mountain), a spur of the Aravallis. The artificial lake of Ana Sagar, built by Arnoraja in the 12th century, lies on the northern side of the city. The smaller Foy Sagar, a 19th-century reservoir, lies further to the west. The terrain is semi-arid, with hot summers and cool winters typical of central Rajasthan.
The Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the 12th–13th century Sufi saint who founded the Chishti order in the Indian subcontinent, is the city's most prominent monument. The annual Urs commemorating the saint draws large numbers of pilgrims of multiple faiths.
Adjacent to the Dargah area is the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, a mosque built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries on the site of an earlier Sanskrit college. It is noted for its calligraphic screen and reused temple pillars and is one of the earliest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture in India.
The Hindu pilgrimage town of Pushkar, with its sacred lake and the Brahma temple, lies a short distance to the northwest of Ajmer. The annual Pushkar Camel Fair is associated administratively with the Ajmer region.
Ajmer is a long-established educational centre. Mayo College, founded in 1875, is among India's oldest public schools. The city also hosts the Central Board of Secondary Education's regional office, the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (the state school examinations board), and several colleges affiliated with universities in Rajasthan, including institutions of engineering, medicine and the arts.
Ajmer Junction is a major station