Pushkar (I am still here!) and Ajmer are like a double star, two settlements near each other, but clearly not the same. The small lakeside town Pushkar is a Hindu holy town, while bigger Ajmer has sacred constructions are related to Islam (although the city population is 80+% Hindu according to Wiki).
There is also a geographical reason: a rocky ridge between the cities:
Pushkar and Ajmer on Google Maps
Without modern vehicles, the way between Pushkar and Ajmer wasn't that easy, wasn't a 40-minute ride on a bus. But in 2025, yeah, so good to stay at peaceful (and slightly touristy) Pushkar and visit Ajmer when I miss classical Indian urban chaos. Sharing...
Let's start with these impressive ruins:
One of the oldest mosques in India. Nowadays - an archaeological site.
Though some Muslims still visit it to pray.
History: in the 12th century, Muslim conquerors (or colonizers - whichever term you prefer), Iranian-speaking people from the modern territory of Afghanistan, arrived in Rajasthan, defeated the locals, occupied this country, destroyed some Hindu and Jain temples, and began building mosques.
One of them was Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra (in the images).
Wikipedia states that the conquerors used fragments of destroyed Jain temples for the construction of this mosque, and that's easy to witness on the spot. Look at these columns, unusual for mosques:
And compare this style with the decoration of the mosque's front:
Clearly two different styles - Indian and Islamic.
Some columns depict human figures (which is haram in Islamic architecture):
Another example:
But the body itself clearly represents Islamic style:
Let's return from the past to the present... Not many foreign travelers visit Ajmer, so - unlike Pushkar - a foreigner (especially one with a big camera) tends to attract attention there.
On top of that, many visitors of Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra aren't from Ajmer itself but from small towns, where they see a person of another race once every ten years at best, lol. That's why some people are curious and approach you and want to have a photo with you.
I refused to photograph several people by saying I preferred to pose with them for a selfie (on their phone). Why? To save time! But these guys were especially persistent and approached me three times! So I ended up quickly photographing them.
And that's the surroundings.
Actually, this road leading from Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra is the most lively in Ajmer.
It serves as the main bazaar in the city - stalls and shops are everywhere.
And there is another landmark on this route: a mausoleum of a famous Sufi teacher:
Walking along these busy streets is an attraction in itself.
Shop workers call out to you, greet you, and ask you to take their photo; women in colorful saris, holding babies, and people with disabilities ask for money; motorcycles speeding by try to run over your feet; and on top of that, you have to stay alert about the safety of your belongings - a gemstone shop owner, I talked for a while, warned me about pickpockets - and Google Maps reviews say the same.
I had two walks there - on November 30 and December 10, so I'll post another story later with the incline to street photography, and here let's me say bye-bye, thank you for reading, and stay tuned! 馃槑
The photos were taken with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G and Nikkor 24mm f/2.8D on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 on November 30 and December 10, 2025, in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India.
