Land of Faith - Rajasthan

Rajasthan in India is the vibrant land of color and royalty. Religious Places in Rajasthan evoke a pure feeling of harmony and dignity. Rajasthan resound the pure and beautiful melodies of hymns, sung with love and devotion. The land is bestowed with a rich culture and heritage that spreads all around. The religious places in Rajasthan are not only places of worship but also monuments of great artistic beauty.

A number of tourists across the globe visit these places and get mesmerized by its charm and aura. The various Rajasthan religious places belong to different faiths which provide a perfect example of communal harmony. Rajasthan attracts thousands of devotees, pilgrims and lovers of art from all corners of the world to marvel at the wonders of architecture, craftsmanship and devotion.The sacred pilgrim centres in Rajasthan are not only considered as places of worship but are also exemplary of great artistic beauty.

So we decided to bring into light the two most visited Religious places in Rajasthan and spread some awareness amongst all(not that people are not aware but just in case).

Pushkar

Lying in the Ajmer District of Rajasthan, the holy City of Pushkar is often described as the king of pilgrimage sites in India. The town is located at the shores of the Pushkar Lake, which was created by the tears of Lord Shiva. The town is one of the oldest cities of India and the date of its origin is unknown and is often associated with the Hindu mythology. The town is famous for its temples and various Ghats which are frequented by hundreds of visitors during the annual bath. The water of the lake is considered sacred and thus is responsible for the town’s repute as a pilgrimage spot.

Perhaps the most illustrious attraction of Pushkar is the annual camel fair. It is a five day fair held where people buy and sell livestock. But that’s not all; the fair is home to a large no. of tourist crowd that is attracted by the music, dance and various events that are held here during the camel fair. Camel races are one of the major attractions as well.

Pushkar has a magnetism all of its own, and is quite unlike anywhere else in Rajasthan. It’s a prominent Hindu pilgrimage town and devout Hindus should visit at least once in their lifetime. With 52 bathing Ghats and 400 milky-blue temples, the town literally hums with regular prayers generating an episodic soundtrack of chanting, drums and gongs, and devotional songs.Besides pilgrims, travellers have long discovered Pushkar’s charms, and small, budget hotels outnumber the temples and pilgrims guesthouses.

Pushkar is world famous for its spectacular camel fair, which takes place here in the Hindu lunar month of Kartika (October/November). If you’re anywhere nearby at the time, you’d be crazy to miss it. During this period the town is jam-packed with tribal people from all over Rajasthan, pilgrims from all over India, and filmmakers and tourists from all over the world. And there are plenty of camels and other livestock.

Pushkar is only 11km from Ajmer but separated from it by Nag Pahar, the Snake Mountain.

Ajmer Sharieff

Ajmer is a popular pilgrimage center for the Hindus as well as Muslims. It houses the Dargah or tomb of the 13th century Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, which is equally revered by the Hindus and Muslims.Ajmer is also the base for visiting Pushkar, about 11 km. from Ajmer, the abode of Lord Brahma, lying to its west with a temple and a picturesque lake.

The Dargah of Khawaja Saheb

The Dargah of Khawaja Saheb or Khawaja Sharif is at the foot of a barren hill. The shrine is next only to Mecca and Medina for the Muslims of South Asia. It is said that Akbar used to make a pilgrimage to the Dargah from Agra once a year. The saint's tomb with a splendid marble dome is in the center of the second courtyard, which is surrounded by a silver platform. There is another mosque in the courtyard built by Shahjahan, the most marvelous of all the sanctums within the sanctuary of the Dargah.

Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra

Adhai-din-ka-jhonpra is a remarkable structure, a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture located on the outskirts, of the city, just beyond the Dargah. As the legend goes, its construction took two and a half days (Adhai-Din) to complete. It was originally a Sanskrit college, built within a temple. In 1193 A.D. Mohhamed Ghauri conquered Ajmer and converted the building into a mosque by adding a seven arched wall in front of the pillared hall in just two-and-half days (adhai-din) and hence the name.

Pushkar

Rajasthan has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. There is a rich and varied folk culture from villages which is often depicted symbolic of the state.

Rajasthan as had a glorious history. It is known for many brave kings, their deeds; and their interest in art and architecture. Its name means “the land of the rajas”. It was also called Rajputana (the country of the Rajputs); whose codes of chivalry shaped social mores just as their often bitter and protected feuding dominated their politics