Taragarh Fort, Ajmer

Taragarh, the Star Fort, sits on the Nagpahari hills of the Aravallis about 1,300 feet above Ajmer. It was raised by the Chauhan rulers and mixes Rajput with later Mughal features. From its walls the whole city spreads below, with Ana Sagar Lake in view, and sunset is a popular time to climb up.

The fort was a Rajput stronghold, then a Mughal garrison, and under British rule it became a sanatorium. Inside are courtyards, pavilions, tunnels and hidden rooms, an old system of water tanks, frescoes and carved stonework. The three principal gateways are Lakshmi Pol, the Phuta Darwaza and the Gagudi ki Phatak. Miran Saheb Ki Dargah, inside the walls, marks the grave of a governor killed defending the fort.