Ajmer (Ajaya-meru in Sanskrit) was founded in the late seventh century by Dushyant Chauhan. He established the Chauhan dynasty which continued to rule the country while repeated waves of Turkish invasion swept across India. Ajmer was conquered by Muhammad of Ghor, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1193. Its internal government, however, was handed over to the Chauhan rulers upon the payment of a heavy tribute to the conquerors. Ajmer then remained feudatory to Delhi until 1365, when it was captured by the ruler of Mewar. In 1509 Ajmer became a source of contention between the maharajas of Mewar and Marwar, and was ultimately conquered by the Marwar ruler in 1532. Ajmer was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1559. It continued to be in the hands of the Mughals, with occasional revolts, till 1770, until it ceded to the Marathas. From that time up to 1818 Ajmer was the scene of an ongoing struggle, being seized at different times by the Mewar and the Marwar maharajas, from whom it was often retaken by the Marathas. In 1818 the Marathas sold Ajmer to the East India Company for 50,000 rupees. Since then Ajmer has enjoyed stable governance even though during the 1857 War of Independence, some Indian sepoys at the garission in the nearby town of Nasirabad joined the revolt. In the British Raj, Ajmer was governed by an Agent to the Governor General overseeing Rajputana. After independence in 1947, Ajmer retained its position as a centrally administrated state under a Chief Commissioner for some time. Ajmer was eventually merged with the State of Rajasthan.

Places of interest

The chief objects of interest are

Pushkar

The Ajmer Dargah

Taragarh Fort

The mammoth Taragarh Fort is one of the major attractions of Ajmer city. The fort overlooks the city and has six entrances. The fort houses Miran-Saheb-ki-Dargah. The gigantic Taragarh Fort offers an excellent view of Ajmer city. The fort has rich history and significant archaeological importance.

Adhai-Din-Ka-Jhopra

A much old-fashioned version of the modern mosques, this Indo-Islamic stunning success was built in 'Adhai Din' meaning 'two and a half days'. It has a front screen wall with seven pointed arches and distinctive pillars and arched screen with ruined minarets.

Ana Sagar Lake

The artificial lake named after Anaji Chauhan is a popular picnic spot for the people of Ajmer. It has a 'Baradari' surrounded by beautiful parks and elegant pavilions. It was built by Shah Jahan to pass time during his long stays in Ajmer. The catchments have strong Rajasthani influence to their constructions as the locals built them.


Weather

Ajmer weather is a typical desert type. In the summer time, the climate of Ajmer is very hot and in winters, it is quite cool. Both in summers as well as in winters, there is a wide difference in the day and night temperature. Regarding the average temperature in summers (from April to June), the maximum is around 45° C. The winters in Ajmer stretch from November to February. The winters of Ajmer are quite chilly. In the monsoon season, the first rain covers the city in green. All the small mountains of the city start becoming green with the first drop of rain. The climatic conditions of Ajmer, Rajasthan are the best during the period of October to March, making it the ideal time to visit the city.