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PILGRIMAGE · RAJASTHANAjmer
Home of the revered Ajmer Sharif Dargah and the gateway to Pushkar, a historic city ringed by hills and a lake.
A city of shared devotion
Ajmer is a historic city cradled by the Aravalli hills in central Rajasthan, best known for the Ajmer Sharif Dargah — the shrine of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
One of the most important Sufi pilgrimage sites in South Asia, the dargah draws people of all faiths, and the city around it is rich with lakes, old mosques, forts and Jain temples.
Just over the hill lies Pushkar, so Ajmer is very often visited together with it — a pairing of Sufi devotion and a sacred Hindu lake within a short drive.
Devotees gather at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
Reasons to make the time
Ajmer Sharif
The dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is among the most important Sufi shrines in South Asia, and its congregation has always been mixed — visitors of every faith come here.
Ana Sagar Lake
Ana Sagar is an old artificial lake, with marble pavilions added along its embankment in the Mughal period and a welcome breeze off the water in the evenings.
Old monuments
Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, Taragarh's hill fort and the golden Jain hall at Soniji Ki Nasiyan give the city three quite different kinds of architecture within a few kilometres.
Gateway to Pushkar
Pushkar and its sacred lake lie just 15 km over the hill, which is why the two towns are almost always visited as a pair.
Top sights in Ajmer
Photos via Wikimedia Commons
How to spend an hour or two
Visit the Dargah
Pay respects at the dargah, where the qawwali singing in the evening is as much a part of the visit as the shrine itself.
Relax at Ana Sagar
Walk the Ana Sagar embankment at sunset, past the marble pavilions, which is where the city goes to cool off.
See Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra
See Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, a very early mosque built on the fabric of an earlier building, with an extraordinary carved screen.
Visit the Jain temples
Look inside Soniji Ki Nasiyan, whose gilded hall holds an enormous model of the Jain cosmology in wood and gold leaf.
Add Pushkar
Drive over the pass to Pushkar, 15 km away, for the ghats, the lake and the rare Brahma temple.
When to go
October to March is the season — comfortable days for the shrine and the old city, and the best time to combine Ajmer with Pushkar.
The monsoon greens the Aravalli hills around the city and fills Ana Sagar, which changes the character of the place considerably.
April to June is severe. Sightseeing by day is genuinely tiring, and the dargah's marble courtyard becomes hard to cross barefoot.
🕌 The dargah is busiest on Thursdays, Fridays and during the annual Urs — expect big crowds then.
Timings & entry
- The dargah opens early and closes late; timings vary by season.
- Dress modestly and cover your head inside the shrine.
Getting there
By Air
Kishangarh (near Ajmer) and Jaipur are the nearest airports.
By Rail
Ajmer Junction is very well connected.
By Road
About 490 km from Ahmedabad; on the Jaipur route.
Know before you go
Ajmer FAQ
What is Ajmer famous for?
The Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the tomb-shrine of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, who settled here in the twelfth century. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in India and draws people of every faith, which is much of what makes it remarkable.
How far is Ajmer from Pushkar?
About 15 km, over a low pass through the Aravallis, and roughly half an hour by road. The two are almost always visited together, and many travellers stay in Pushkar and make a day trip into Ajmer.
How far is Ajmer from Gujarat?
Roughly 490 km from Ahmedabad. Ajmer Junction is well connected by train, and for most Gujarati travellers the overnight train is the easier option.
When is the dargah busiest?
Thursdays and Fridays are the busiest days of the week, and the annual Urs — marking the saint's death anniversary — brings crowds on a scale that makes ordinary sightseeing impossible.
What else is there to see in Ajmer?
Ana Sagar Lake with its Mughal pavilions, the early Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque, the hilltop Taragarh Fort, and Soniji Ki Nasiyan with its gilded Jain cosmology hall.
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Published 7 July 2026