Ajmer's popular Hotel Khadim renamed as Ajaymeru

The Rajasthan government has rechristened the state tourism corporation's well-known Hotel Khadim in Ajmer as 'Ajaymeru' with an aim to preserve the cultural heritage of the city, according to an official order.

The Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) issued the order on Monday following instructions from legislative assembly speaker Vasudev Devnani, who is the MLA from Ajmer North and hails from Ajmer.

Ajmer was historically known as 'Ajaymeru' and the name was used in ancient Indian scriptures and historical texts.

The city is famous for the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti and the name 'Khadim' was a connection to this. Clerics of a dargah are called 'khadim'.

Devnani had earlier directed the RTDC to change the name of the hotel which is situated opposite the district collectorate, officials said.

The speaker said the name of the hotel, which is popular among tourists, officials and locals, should reflect Ajmer's rich cultural history, heritage and identity, they said.

According to the officials, Devnani has also suggested renaming the King Edward Memorial in Ajmer after Hindu philosopher Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

The order to rename Hotel Khadim as 'Ajaymeru' was issued by RTDC MD Sushma Arora following a meeting of the corporation's Board of Directors.

The name 'Ajaymeru' traces its roots back to the 7th century when Maharaja Ajayraj Chauhan founded the city. According to historians, the name has also been used in ancient historical records and geographical references.