Rajasthan
EASTERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
Si GHTS
Rajasthan
AJMER
the antechamber ceiling; and Harikrishnan ̈
Das ̈Sarogi ̈Haveli, with a colourful facade
and iron lacework.1 ̈Sights
Haveli ̈Nadine ̈Le ̈Prince ̈ HiSTORiC BU il DiNG
(%233024; http://www.cultural-centre.com; admission
incl guided tour ₹200; h9am-6pm) This 1802
haveli has been restored to its former glory
by French artist Nadine Le Prince and is
now one of the most exquisite havelis you
can visit in the Shekhawati region. Nadine
is only here for part of the year, but often
enlists foreign volunteers to help manage
the building and conduct the detailed guid-
ed tours. There’s a cafe of sorts (drinks and
snacks ₹30 to ₹70) secreted away in a dusty
side courtyard, and some of the rooms have
been converted into small, but beautifully
decorated guest ̈rooms (s/d ₹1400/2500).
The office isn’t always staffed so it’s some-
times best to reserve a room through the
website rather than trying to phone. Usu-
ally, though, you can just turn up and bag
a vacant room. The haveli is around 2km
north of the two main bus stands, down a
lane off the main road. Turn right out of the
bus stands, and the turning will eventually
be on your right, or hop into a shared auto-
rickshaw (₹5 to ₹10).8 Getting ̈There ̈& ̈Around
Confusingly, there are three bus stands. The
main bus stand is known as Chatriya bus stand
and is on Fatehpur’s main road. Baori Gate bus
stand is 300m north of here, on the same main
road. if you turn down the side road beside Baori
Gate bus stand, walk 200m then bear left, you’ll
reach the small Jhunjhunu bus stand.
Services from Chatriya bus stand include:
Bikaner (₹131, 3½ hours, hourly), Jaipur (₹117,
3½ hours, half-hourly) and Delhi (₹250, seven
hours, 8am, 11am then half-hourly 5pm to 10pm).
Services from Baori Gate bus stand include
Nawalgarh (₹30, one hour, hourly), while
services from the Jhunjhunu bus stand include
Jhunjhunu (₹34, one hour, frequent) and Man-
dawa (₹20, 30 minutes, frequent).Ajmer
%0145 / POP 542,000
Ajmer is a bustling chaotic city, 13km from
the traveller haven of Pushkar. It skirts
the tranquil lake of Ana Sagar, and is itself
ringed by the rugged Aravalli Hills. Ajmer is
Rajasthan’s most important site in terms ofIslamic history and heritage. It contains one
of India’s prime Muslim pilgrimage sites –
the shrine of Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti –
and contains some fine examples of early
Islamic architecture. It’s also a significant
centre for the Jain religion. Most travellers,
however, use the city as a stepping stone to
Pushkar, a supremely sacred town to Hin-
dus, and a former hippy hang-out. Ajmer is
an easy half-day trip from Pushkar.1 ̈Sights
Dargah ̈of ̈Khwaja
Muin-ud-din ̈Chishti ̈ iSlAM iC SHRiNE
(www.dargahajmer.com; h5am-9pm winter,
4am -9pm summer) This is the tomb of a Sufi
saint, Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti, who
came to Ajmer from Persia in 1192 and
died here in 1236. The tomb gained its sig-
nificance during the time of the Mughals –
many emperors added to the buildings here.
Construction of the shrine was completed
by Humayun, and the gate was added by the
Nizam of Hyderabad. Akbar used to make
the pilgrimage to the dargah from Agra
every year.
You have to cover your head in certain
parts of the shrine, so remember to take a
scarf or cap – there are plenty for sale at the
colourful bazaar leading to the dargah, along
with floral offerings and delicious toffees.
The main entrance is through Nizam ̈
Gate (1915). Inside, the green and white
mosque, Akbari ̈ Masjid, was constructed
in 1571 and is now an Arabic and Persian
school for religious education. The next gate
is called the Nakkarkhana because it has
two large nakkharas (drums) fixed above it.
A third gate, Buland ̈Darwaza (16th cen-
tury) leads into the dargah courtyard. Flank-
ing the entrance of the courtyard are the
degs (large iron cauldrons), one donated by
Akbar in 1567, the other by Jehangir in 1631,
for offerings for the poor.
Inside this courtyard, the saint’s domed
tomb is surrounded by a silver platform.
Pilgrims believe that the saint’s spirit will
intercede on their behalf in matters of ill-
ness, business or personal problems, so the
notes and holy string attached to the railings
around are thanks or requests.
Pilgrims and Sufis come from all over
the world on the anniversary of the saint’s
death, the Urs, in the seventh month of the
lunar calendar, Jyaistha.
Bags must be left in the cloakroom (₹10
each, with camera ₹20) outside the main en-