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Ajmer
and Pushkar |
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| Raja
Ajai Pal Chauchan founded Ajmer in the 7th century
AD. This former princely state was ruled by the
Chauhan dynasty till 1193 AD. Prithviraj Chauhan,
the last Hindu ruler of Delhi, lost Ajmer to Muhammed
Ghori. After defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, Muhammad
of Gauri went on to established an empire, with
its capital at Delhi. He controlled much of Northern
and central India. Muhammad further expressed his
intentions of promoting Islam to convert "the
land of the idols". Muhammad's Islamic ambitions
have made Ajmer truly a unique town; here Hinduism
and Islam coexist peacefully today, with temples
and mosques within a short distance of each other.
After
the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan in 1193 A.D.
Ajmer became a part of the Delhi Sultanate. However,
Rana Kumbha of Mewar and Raja Maldeo of Marwar
later reestablished Rajput rule over Ajmer. From
then onwards Ajmer was coveted by Rajputs, Mughals
and Marathas and witnessed many battles. |
Today,
the town is a melange of the two religions,
with the holy Pushkar temples on one hand
and the Dargah (tomb-shrine) of Khwaja Moinuddin
Chisti on the other. Ajmer is now world
famous for the shrine of the Sufi Saint
Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. Even the all-powerful
Mughal emperors came here to pay their homage.
The Dargah is a hive of activity all through
the year as people of all religions come
here. Within the shrine complex are two
massive cauldrons, for donations. Qawwali,
the famous Sufi singing, is a regular feature
within the shrine. |
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| Ajmer
has an interesting building known as Adhai Din ka
Jhopra, which said to have been built in just 2
½ days (Adhai din). It was actually a Sanskrit
college, which Mohammad Ghori plundered and later
rebuilt into a mosque. |
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| Nasiyan
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In the center of the town is a beautiful
red Jain temple (Digambar), known
as Nasiyan. The main double storeyed hall
is exceptionally beautiful with gold and
silver decorations. Within the temple there
is a splendid display of wooden gilt representations,
glass engravings and paintings describing
the Jain faith about the creation of the
world. Akbar's palace at Ajmer has
been converted into a museum that houses
a rare collection of Mughal and Rajput armory.
Built with red sandstone, the building has
wonderful interiors and exteriors. |
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1947 Ajmer, not being part of any principality,
was the administrative hub of the British Administration.
Hence Ajmer was able to grow into great center of
education and culture. Mayo College, amongst others
were patronized by the royalty from the princely
states of Rajasthan. |
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| Having
spent the major part of my youth in Rajasthan I
still cannot find words to describe this town. You
have to come here and experience it. Just 11 Km
from Ajmer and surrounded by hills on three sides
and sand dunes on the other, an oasis in inhospitable
surrounding is an absolute must-see in Rajasthan.
Pushkar, is a Hindu pilgrim town and has one of
the five dhams or pilgrimages that are held in high
esteem by Hindus. The others are Badrinath, Puri,
Rameswaram, and Dwarka. Emperor Aurangzeb destroyed
many of the temples here during his progroms on
the Hindus. THE
PUSHKAR LAKE: (Tirtharaj, which means the
Royal Pilgrimage)
It is revered as one the most sacred lakes among
the Hindus. The belief is that; a dip in this
lake on Kartik Purnima (the full moon day of
the Kartik month), and worship at the Brahma
temple cleanses the soul and ensures salvation.
The famed waters of the Pushkar Lake are said
to wash away the sins of a lifetime. The mystical
water is also believed to cure skin diseases.
There are many temples located around the lake
that add to the charm and mystique of this sacred
town. |
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JAGATPITA
SHRI BRAHMA MANDIR: (Lord of the
Universe)
This is the only Temple dedicated to Lord
Bhrama in World. The temple stands on a
high plinth with a striking red sandstone
spire (shiker), marble steps leading
up to it the temple. Just above the main
gateway there is an image of a goose, the
symbol of Brahma. Within the temple is a
silver turtle set on the floor facing the
Sanctum Sanctorum or Girbha-griha. All around
this turtle on the Marble floor there are
inset hundreds of silver coins. Coins engraved
with donor's names are also embedded into
the walls. Peacocks adorn most of walls
of the temple; Hindus believed it to be
the vehicle of lord Brahma's consort Saraswati
(the goddess of learning). |
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SAVITRI
TEMPLE:
This very colourful temple is located behind
the Brahma Temple on a hilltop. The temple
is dedicated to the first consort of lord
Brahma; it offers breathtaking views of
the Pushkar Lake in the morning and is well
worth the uphill trek.
VARAH
TEMPLE:
The huge idol here of Varah, the god with
the body of a man and the head of the boar
is of immense curiosity to the non-Hindu.
The deity of this temple offended Emperor
Aurangzeb (a pious Muslim) who and
had it destroyed. Raja Sawai Jai Singh II
of Jaipur reconstructed it in 1727. The
temple has an interesting and richly ornamented
image house. |
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MAHADEVA
TEMPLE:
This beautiful temple built in the 19th century
has a remarkable feature; a white marble idol
of Lord Mahadeva with five faces. The temple itself
has elegant ornamentation that is by far the best
seen in Pushkar.
RAMAVAIKUNTH
TEMPLE:
Pushkar's more modern and largest with more intricate
ornamentation, the Ramavaikunth Temple was built
in the 1920's and has beautifully sculpted images
of no less than 361 different deities. The ornate
outer gopuram over the entrance is said to have
been built by a team of masons specially brought
here from south India.
THE
PUSHKAR FAIR:
Held in the month of Kartik each year 'The Pushkar
Mela' (fair) is the best time to visit. The Mela
is a staggering sight, camels, horses, cows, goats,
and sheep from all over the desert state are transported
here to be traded during this week-long fair.
Suddenly the barren plains around Pushkar are
awash with a flood of animals and their masters;
the desert explodes into a riot of colour. The
men in their brightly coloured turbans and the
heavily bejeweled women with their vividly hued
ghagaras (ankle-length skirts) add to the spectacle. |
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