Another option when you’re staying in Pushkar is renting a scooter or motorbike and visiting the neighboring city Ajmer.
This is one of the oldest cities of Rajasthan, located a few kilometres from Pushkar, and surrounded by the Aravalli Mountains.
Don’t forget to make a stop at this hilltop with the ‘I love Ajmer’ sign (on the route from and to Pushkar), with probably the best view over the whole valley
The city was founded in the 11th century, and served as the headquarters of Ajmer in colonial times.
And from 2015 to 2019, Ajmer had been selected as one of the 12 heritage cities for the HRIDAY (the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana) by the Indian government.
The aim of this initiative was bringing urban planning, economic growth and heritage conservation closer together (with the objective of preserving the heritage character of the city) (source: Mohua.gov.in).
On the same hilltop, Prithviraj Smarak, a memorial of Prithviraj Chauhan. This Rajputh king ruled the Chahamana dynasty in this area from 1178 to 1192.
We decided to first look for the 140 year old haveli (mansion) where Mahatma Gandhi apparently had stayed among other places, during his three crucial visits to Ajmer between 1921 and 1934.
According to the website and the story of one of the employees, the haveli functioned as headquarters of the Indian National Congress of Ajmer-Merwara during the British rule, before independence.
That’s the reason many eminent freedom fighters and personalities like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru have stayed at this place.
Found it! The Heritage Haveli Inn where Gandhi supposedly spent a few months during one of his visits
When we did a bit of research on the internet, we read that despite several visits, the government has made no efforts to restore the legacy of Gandhi in the city.
We don’t know if this had something to do with it, but the haveli looked a bit run down when we were there.. But still it’s of course a very interesting place to visit (source: Timesofindia.com).
After that, we went to the Soni Ji Ki Nasiyan (or ‘Red Temple’, because of the red sandstone construction). This 19th century Jain temple is often seen as one of the ‘best’ Jain temples in the whole of Rajasthan.
What makes the temple special, is that it’s divided into 2 parts: one part is the worship area and the other contains a museum and a hall. Inside the museum you’ll find this very special feature: a main chamber Swarna Nagari, translated as ‘City of Gold’, made out of an estimated 1000 kilograms of gold.
The construction depicts a panorama from Jain mythology and of the ancient towns of Ayodhya and Prayag. Furthermore, it showcases the 5 stages in the life of Lord Adinath and also constitutes gold plate replicas of every Jain temple of the country).
Inside the Jain temple, where you can see the ‘City of Gold’ from behind glass
But the thing we were most impressed by was the peaceful Ana Sagar Lake. This artificial lake with a circumference of 13 kilometres, was built by the maharaja (ruler) in the 12th century.
On one of the banks there’s a park, Daulat Bagh, with a series of marble pavilions. In the center of the lake lies an island, accessible by boat. And apparently in the summer months it gets so hot, that (parts of) the lake dries up!
The Ana Sagar Lake at night with the Aravalli Mountains in the back
Ajmer, Rajasthan 305001, India
Breuhuys 
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