Ajmer was founded by Ajayadeva, an 11th-century local Rajput ruler. It was shortly annexed by Delhi Sultanate in 1193, but returned to the local rulers, upon payment of tribute. Ajmer was also sacked by Mohammed Ghori in one of the many raids carried out by him on India. Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, the patron Saint of Ajmer, came here from Persia at the end of the 12th century. Ajmer became the part of the mighty Mughal Empire during the medieval period and was an important military center. Military campaigns against local Rajput rulers were initiated from Ajmer. Akbar built a fort here. The first contact between the Mughals and the British also happened in Ajmer, when Jahangir met Sir Thomas Roe in 1616. Shahjahan built marble pavilions around the Ana Sagar Lake in the 17th century. The Scindia rulers of Gwalior took over Ajmer, which was later taken over by the British in 1818. The British founded the famous Mayo College, a prestigious school here, in 1875.
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The city of Ajmer is famous as a pilgrim place. It houses the Dargah or tomb of the popular 13th-century, Sufi Saint Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti. Millions of pilgrims from all over the world throng Ajmer to attend the death anniversary of the great saint every year. The city also boasts of a number of monuments belonging to the Mughal era. The city is also known for its traditional handicrafts.
The shrine is in honor of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti - a Sufi saint who came to India from Persia in 1192 with Mohammad Ghori's invading army. He died here in 1236. For the Muslims of India, the shrine's importance is only second to the sacred shrine at Mecca. The construction of the Dargah was started by Altamash, the Sultan of Delhi, and completed by the Mughal Emperor Humayun. It was the venue of an annual pilgrimage for Akbar the Great.
Founded by the British Viceroy Lord Mayo - it is one of the finest schools in India. Mayo Collage is famous not just for the quality of education it imparts, but for its architecture as well. Designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, the state engineer of Jaipur, Mayo Collage is built of white marble. Founded in 1875, as a school for Indian princes, its first pupil was the Maharaja of Alwar.
Located on the outskirts of the town, this remarkable structure is an exquisite example of early Indo-Islamic architecture. Designed by Abu Bakr of Herat, the mosque is believed to have been built in two and a half days, and is thus named Adhai-din. According to another story the name is derived from a two and a half day fair held here every year.
Located 11km from Ajmer, according to Hindu mythology the town is the creation of Lord Brahma - the Creator of the Universe. A temple dedicated to Brahma has been built here.
This sleepy little hamlet located 27km from Ajmer, was once the capital of a princely state ruled by the Rathores. It nurtured one of the finest schools of miniature paintings in the 18th century. The Bani Thani style of miniature painting in Kishangarh evolved under Nihal Chand - the court painter of Raja Sawant Singh.
