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Ajmer: Surreal but lovely
The scene was straight out of the movies.
As we disembarked in Ajmer, Rajasthan, strains of live qawwali filled the air. Men and women with their heads covered, hushed voices and snippets of Urdu poetry made the atmosphere truly come alive. That was my first glimpse of Ajmer!
• Airfare for Rs 100 and less!
The short drive around town, though a little bumpy, was completely fascinating.
In the bazaar, the rows of shops on either side of the road, each selling only specific items, reminded me of Pankaj Mishra's Butter Chicken in Ludhiana. There is really something about these small towns -- the soul of India rests in them.
As the afternoon gave way to evening we set out to visit the Dargah Sharief. I'd heard a lot about the Ajmer Dargah Sharief where the Sufi Saint Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti was buried. Devotees come here from far and wide to pay their respects. It is said the Mughal Emperor Akbar made an annual visit to the shrine, sometimes on foot, all the way from Agra!
Text: Deepshikha Jamwal
Photographs: (Top)Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images, (Bottom) Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: The holy magic of Rewalsar
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Have you been to Ajmer? What was your favourite sight there? Where did you have the best meal? Do you have a hotel to recommend?
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