Ajmer gets its name from Ajay Meru meaning “invincible hill” and is a major pilgrimage in Rajasthan. I somehow managed to convince my whole family for Sunday road trip.
Days required – 1-2 days
Nearby places to go – Pushkar
Best time to visit – monsoon and winter season (October to February). Pushkar Fair (very famous cattle fair) usually happens in November.
How to reach –
By Air – Kishangarh Airport is 30 KM from the Ajmer city but has limited connectivity. A direct flight from Delhi is available.
By Train – Ajmer is well connected to all major cities in India by rail route.
By Road – Ajmer is joined to all cities in North India by road. Delhi is connected to Ajmer by expressway.
How we traveled – We did a Sunday road trip with the family. It was a 2-hour drive from Jaipur.
Where to stay – Though we didn’t stay in Ajmer, I can suggest you some of the best options available there. Don’t stay in Ajmer. Pushkar has wide astonishing options of luxurious resorts to stay. Westin Resort is a 5-star property and best among all resorts in Pushkar. Other options are Ananta, Aaram Bagh, and Dera Masuda.
How to go around – Ajmer is a small city and can easily be covered by auto-rickshaws which are easily available around the city. You can also hire cabs/taxi for the whole day.
Places to visit:
Ajmer Sharif Dargah – Very famous shrine of Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti visited by Muslims and Non-Muslims alike is in the old city. You must park your vehicle and then walk some distance through the narrow lanes of the old city to reach the shrine.
Ana Sagar – Built by the Chauhan rulers and later improvised by Mughal Emperors, this is the major tourist attraction for people visiting Ajmer.
Nasiya Jain Temple – This astounding example of architecture dedicated to Lord Adinath is made of red stones. One section of the temple is dedicated for prayers and another section has a museum and a hall decorated with gold plated figures and glasswork.
Nareli Jain Temple – Situated on the Ajmer-Jaipur highway, this is the main point of pilgrimage for Digambar Jains.
Adhai Din ka Jhopda – Originally a Sanskrit college and later converted to a mosque, this is the elderly structure of the Ajmer is the perfect blend of Indo-Islamic architecture.
Taragarh Fort was built to guard the Ajmer city and home of the Chauhan rulers, this is one of the oldest forts of India.
Mayo College – One of the oldest and prestigious boarding schools in India is the perfect example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. It started with an ambition to provide education to Indian Princes that matches the standard of England.
Foy Sagar Lake – Built to remove the water scarcity in Ajmer region, this man-made lake was designed by architect Mr. Foy. It imparts a very beautiful view of the Aravali Range.
Pushkar – 13 km from the Ajmer city, it attracts thousands of devotees from all over the country. It is said that Pushkar is the ultimate pilgrimage that must be undertaken to attain salvation. There are hundreds of temples in Pushkar. One should not miss visiting Pushkar Lake, Brahma Temple, Savitri Temple, and Varaha Temple. Brahma temple, Savitri Temple and Varaha Temple are one of its kind dedicated to Lord Brahma, Goddess Savitri and Varaha incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Where to eat–
Pushkar is food heaven for vegetarians. Yes, you heard it right. You will not find meat serving outlets here, not even eggs but that doesn’t mean you will not have many options. Pushkar has a blend of Indian and Hippie culture, thanks to many international tourists visiting here mainly Israelis. They roam around the town as if they belong to this place (and maybe some are). You will find falafel as easily as Kachori in Pushkar.
Desi Khana
Poha Pizza Pakwan is the fusion dish of Pushkar Breakfast corner and If you are late to reach here, then you might not get a chance to taste it.
Malpua of Sarvadia Sweet House is a must-try sweet dish.
Shree Karni Maa Restaurant – a small restaurant serves the tasty Desi Rajasthani thali.
Videshi Khana
La Pizzaeria Garden Restaurant makes the best pizza in the town.
Ganga Restaurant serves the Falafel in a desi style.
Do try juices or better to say the fusion of juices at Sonu Juice centre.
Itinerary – Jaipur is our home town, so we have visited almost every other city in Rajasthan multiple times. This was our family Road trip to offer prayers at Pushkar. I suggest you make a 2 day trip to Ajmer and spend one day each at Ajmer and Pushkar. They are just 30 minutes apart.
Day 1 – Visit all point of your interest in Ajmer by the evening and spend your evening at Anasagar. Stay in Ajmer in any budget hotel.
Day 2 – Reach Pushkar in the morning and visit Lake and temple by noon and check-in your Luxury Resort and enjoy the evening around the pool with Aravali ranges in the background.
We started our trip early in the morning as we had to cover Ajmer and Pushkar and come back home on the same day. We were 10 members in 2 cars. Highway to Ajmer is 6-lane but there is a traffic of heavy vehicles, so it took us two and a half hours to reach Ajmer and we headed straight for Ajmer Sharif Dargah. We had to park way ahead because it is a very congested area. There is private parking charging Rs.50-100 for a vehicle. We crossed the narrow lane to Dargah’s main gate, washed our face and hands and went to offer prayers inside Dargah. Beware of frauds, pickpocketers and touts there.
Nasiyan Jain Temple is very close to Dargah. Here some areas are not open for the general public. You can still visit the Museum inside. Our next stop was Anasagar. Lake and garden inside are well maintained. You will see a huge crowd there on weekends enjoying Sunday picnic there.
Our last stop was Pushkar Dham which was a 30-minute drive from Ajmer. On the way, we stop by to see the recently built monument of Maharana Pratap with his horse Chetak. Many people were stopping there to enjoy the panoramic view of the valley.
4 wheelers are to be parked outside the main market and then we had to walk through the market to reach the Lake and the temple. The market was full of food outlets serving Indian, Italian and Lebanese cuisines. It is amazing to see so many Firangis among the crowd, I had no idea that Pushkar was so popular among them. They were many doing Yog and performing Pujas around Lake and riding the bike on the market road. We visited Brahma Mandir and Pushkar lake and performed Puja there as a couple (it was our first visit here after marriage).
There are hundreds of temples nearby, but we couldn’t visit them as we had to reach home by night. It was a short road trip to Pushkar, but I have tried to give all relevant information to plan for your trip here.
Quick tips for fellow travelers –
- Avoid visiting Ajmer-Pushkar from March to July as the weather is quite hot and the temperature may even cross 48 degrees.
- Avoid touts and beggars at Pushkar and Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
Ratings (it is subjective and based on personal opinion)
Destination overall rating 7/10 – You get to see everything on this trip – Lakes, Temples, Shrine, historical monuments, desert safari and luxury at Resort stay.
Travel Expense 1/10 – if you don’t stay in any of the resorts in Pushkar, this trip will cost you almost nothing.
Travel ease 8/10 – Ajmer is easily accessible and can comfortably be explored by auto-rickshaw or taxis.
Food 8/10 – Pushkar provides you the fusion of Indian, Italian and Lebanese cuisines. You can get Malpua and Falafel on the same lane.