Ajmer's Hotel Khadim renamed 'Ajaymeru' by Rajasthan govt

Jaipur, Nov 19 (PTI) The Rajasthan government has rechristened the state tourism corporation's well-known Hotel Khadim in Ajmer as 'Ajaymeru', an official said.

An order in this regard was issued by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) Managing Director Sushma Arora following a meeting of the corporation's Board of Directors.

The initiative was taken after Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, who is the MLA from Ajmer North and hails from Ajmer, asked the tourism department and RTDC to change the name, an official said.

"The move was taken with an aim to preserve the cultural heritage of the city. It was the demand from the people of Ajmer. Ajmer was historically known as 'Ajaymeru' and therefore, the decision was taken by the RTDC's board of directors," a senior official of the tourism department told PTI on Tuesday.

The official order issued on Monday stated, "In compliance with the decision taken in the 196th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, the Corporation's unit Hotel Khadim located in Ajmer is renamed as Hotel Ajaymeru." 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. PTI