Dargah Bazar

The area around the Moinuddin Chishti Dargah is occupied by a vibrant bazar and a mecca for food lovers. It is like the Paharganj of Delhi, with lot of small hotels and lodges for tourists who come to visit the dargah. However you can see the locals, especially women in their colourful attire, doing their regular business in this bazar—reminding you that you are in colourful Rajasthan. Walking through the narrow congested lanes filled with people to the brim, you cannot miss the sights, sounds, aromas and flavours of the food being cooked around the corner. Non-vegetarians can relish the lip-smacking kebabs, biryanis and various curries. For vegetarians, there is ample street food right from piping hot jalebis to kachoris. The street food that takes the cake in Ajmer is dal pakwaan—a chana dal preparation with hot crispy puris. The best food is obviously to be enjoyed in the nooks and corners of the streets of Dargah Bazar, with someone fine tuning the taste right in front of you or putting the food on your plate right out of the pan. There are small eateries that let you sit and have the food comfortably, and some even offer the comforts of an air conditioner. Ajmer’s sohan halwa is very famous and can be carried back home, although Dilliwallas will say you get it the best in Chandni Chowk.