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Ajmer city was founded by Ajaipal Chauhan in early 7th century. It was named Ajaimeru
- The Invincible Hill. Ajmer was the seat of administration for the Chauhans till
Prithviraj was defeated in 1193 A.D by Mohammad Ghori.
Then the Delhi Sultanate took over Ajmer after which the city until Emperor Akbar
took the throne in 1556 and gave Ajmer the status of a full-fledged province and
also made it his base for operations in Rajputana. However, this did not ensure
a peaceful reign for the city. rajputs, Mughals and the Marathas all had some interest
or the other in the place and left their mark each on the place.
Later, it became a favourite residence of the great Mughals. One of the first contacts
between the Mughals and the British occurred in Ajmer, when Sir Thomas Roe met Jehangir
here in 1616. His palace, the Daulat Bagh, is now in ruins. The celebrated English
ambassador during to the Mughal court, Sir Thomas Roe, was received here by the
emperor.
During the course of his extended stay, Roe met the emperor several times and showered
him with gifts varying from maps to a coach. But he failed to conclude a commercial
treaty between England and the Mughal empire.
In 1659 a battle was fought in Ajmer between the Mughal princes, Aurangzeb and Dara
Sukoh, during which Taragarh was greatly damaged. In the first half of the 18th
century, Ajmer was affected by the political chaos in Delhi. At times it was the
Rathors who reigned here, at others the emperors of Delhi.
In 1755, the situation became more complex with the involvement of the Marathas.
In 1818, finally the Marathas ceded Ajmer to Sir David Ochterlony and, as part of
the British empire, it remained under the care of successive superintendents.
In 1947, with the reorganization of the princely states Ajmer became a part of Rajasthan.
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Urs Ajmer Sharif - 17-25th August, 2004
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About the Fair
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Urs Ajmer Sharif: Held in the holy town of Ajmer in honour of the Sufi saint, Khwaja
Moinuddin Chishti, special prayers are offered at the mosque, and huge amounts of
consecrated food offered from the large, steaming cauldrons that were a gift from
Akbar. While quwwallis are sung at night, the celebrations unite people of all faiths,
and the complete town is decorated with buntings, and wears the spirit of festivity.
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Activities
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It is an occasion for thousands of believers to congregate at the shrine and offer
their prayers. All of Ajmer seems to take on a festive air and several programmes
are organized to mark the festivals.
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Dargah Bazar
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