Merwara Mewar Travel Circuit
Places of Interest: Ajmer - Pushkar - Merta
- Nagaur
Located
in the heart of Rajasthan,
Ajmer is a small town with a very interesting
past. Raja Ajai Pal Chauhan founded it in the 7th century A.D.. When you visit
Ajmer today, it is difficult to imagine that this small city was at one time
the seat of power of the Chauhan dynasty. It was from Ajmer that the last Hindu
ruler of Delhi,
Prithviraj Chauhan, controlled a major part of northern
India. The legendary Prithviraj lived here and became a force to reckon with.
His exploits are related with great wonder and sometimes disbelief. Few rulers
of that time could match the charisma and heroism of this dynamic ruler. The
Chauhans dominated Ajmer for many years and it was only toward the end of the
12th century that Prithviraj was killed in battle with Muhammad Ghori. That
changed the history of this region totally.
The importance of Ajmer diminished with the death of its most valiant ruler
and Ajmer passed under the Delhi Sultanate. From hen on, Ajmer saw many upheavals
until Emperor Akbar came to the throne in 1556 and gave Ajmer the status of
a full-fledged province. He also used Ajmer as a base for his operations in
Rajputana. But Ajmer saw some more turbulence when the Mughals, the Marathas
and the British all tried to interfere in the affairs of this province.
However, from 1818 AD onwards, the British Empire gained full control here and
it remained so until India's independence. The British left behind a legacy
that still lives in the excellent educational institution, the colonial bungalows,
the club and the old railway quarters.
Places to Visit
Today, Ajmer is more important as the final resting-place of the great Sufi
saint- Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. Muslims from all over the world revere the
Dargah
Sharif, where the saint lies buried. This has been so for centuries now.
Even Akbar walked to the Dargah all the way from Agara. Every year, during the
Urs, lakhs of Muslim devotees gather here to pay homage to the Garib Nawaz,
the protector of the poor. If you want to see an altogether different side of
this sleepy little town then make sure you're here during the annual urs. This
town where very little activity seems to be going on, on normal days, suddenly
turns into a bustling, lively place. While you're around the dargah, don't miss
seeing the beautiful Adhaidin-ka- Jonpra with its ornate calligraphic inscriptions.
There are other areas of interest like the
Taragarh Fort and the
Ana
Sagar lake with its marble pavillions.
Just as the Muslim revere the Dargah here, the Hindus accord the same sanctity
to the holy town of
Pushkar. Located jus 11 kms from Ajmer, the holy
lake of Pushkar is believed to have been created by
Lord Brahma himself.
It is as important as Benaras of Puri. Devout Hindus believe that it is essential
to visit Pushkar at least once in their lifetime. No pilgrimage is considered
complete without a dip in the holy Pushkar lake. Pushkar has as many as
400
temples and
52 Ghats and the only temple in the country that is dedicated
to Brahma is to be found here.
While Pushkar is a haven for the religiously inclined, it is also the venue
of the one of the country's most colorful
cattle fairs- the Pushkar Fair.
This annual fair is an unforgettable event when the entire little town is taken
over by lakhs of animals and visitors. This is certainly the right time to be
in Pushkar. Just relax and let yourself go, you'll be carried away by the heady
exuberance that is so much a part of the mela. Ride camels, shop at the colorful
market, watch the sunset over the sand dunes, admire the beautiful clothes of
the pilgrims, you can even try wearing the gorgeous odhmis and turbans.
Do what you will; Pushkar Fair is a once in a lifetime experience that you will
want to repeat. The little 16th century town of Merta has much to offer by way
of historicity. Drive around this fortified town and see some of the ruins that
go back several centuries. The famous temple of
Charbhuja is located
in the center of the town and is visited by devotees throughout the year. The
saint poetess
Meera Bai was also associated with this temple. Another
famous shrine is the mosque erected by
Emperor Aurangzeb on the ruins
of a Shiva temple. It is an imposing edifice, as are the various Hindu shrines
surrounding it. A lake named after the founder Rao Duda, and called
Dudasagar,
still survives.
Merta is not your usual run of the mill tourist destination, it is a quiet town
that is to be visited more for its unspoilt small town charm than for the conventional
tourist attractions of bigger cities.
Nagaur, on the other hand, is a
small town but with numerous fascinating monuments.
The Mughal Emperor
Shah Jahan granted this town to Raja Amar Singh and
the focal point here is the fort itself. Now painstakingly restored, the for
t has some splendid palaces, temples, and palatial mansions, some of which have
been built by Akbar and Shah Jahan. The beautiful Moti Mahal, Badal Mahal, and
Hawa Mahal are superb architectural creations. The walls of the baradari are
adorned with some exquisite frescoes, which are a combination of Persian and
Nagaur styles. Some more splendid murals can be seen on the walls of the main
temples here.
These paintings depict various episodes from the Ramayan and the Mahabharata.
Nagaur is also the venue of an annual cattle fair that draws people from distant
places and it is a good idea to combine one's trip to nagaur with the fair.
Though not as well attended as the Pushkar fair, it is still interesting to
join the simple village folk, dressed in their best, as they buy and sell and
seem out to enjoy themselves.
Take part in the folk dances, listen to music or just sit back and watch the
camel races and the bullfights. You can pick up marble mementoes, miniature
paintings and traditional textiles from this region.
Travel Circuits in Rajasthan:
Dhundhar Circuit | Brij
- Mewar Circuit | Hadoti Circuit | Mewar
Circuit | Vagad Circuit | Godwar
Circuit | Desert Circuit | Merwara
Mewar Circuit | Shekhawati Circuit
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