Mount Abu

Mount Abu situated at a average height of 1,219 mtr's above sea level is the oasis in the deserted land of Rajasthan and posses the honor of being the only hill-station in Rajasthan as well as north-west India, The world famous tourist destination is known for its Delwara Jain temples and natural beauty world over, situated amidst lush green forested hills on the highest peak in the Aravali range is also the summer capital for the Indian state of Rajasthan, home to lakes, waterfalls and green forests, the hill retreat, has a very cool and soothing climate thanks to its rich flora covering the entire hillside that includes coniferous trees and flowering shrubs. Mount Abu with its word-class tourist facilities with hotels ranging from budget class to three star and heritage provides a great holiday escape and honeymoon attraction. Every year more then three million national and international tourists visit mount abu enjoying its scenic beauty, rich flora & fauna as well as the marble art of delwara jain temples.

 

What To See

 

Mount Abu is declared closed area since 1965. Although, complete area of 328 sq. km. of Abu Hills is declared protected but officially 112.98 sq. km. is under unnotified sanctuary area (Anon., 2003). In shape, Mt. Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is long and narrow but the top spreads out into a picturesque plateau, which is about 19 km in length and 5-8 km in breadth. Once home to the meditating rishi and munis, the legend has it that Mount Abu is home to 33 crore Gods and Goddess. According to the legend the name Abu means son of Himalayas (or Ar-Booda, "the hill of wisdom"), deriving its name from Arbuada - the powerful serpent, which rescued Nandi the sacred bull of Lord Shiva. Mount Abu has been home, to many rishis and munis (sages and saints), including the famous Rishi Vashishtha, who is believed to have created four Agnikul Rajput clans, from a fire- pit, by performing a yagna or fire sacrifice, to protect the earth from the demons.

In historic times, Mount Abu was leased by the The East-India Company (British empire) from the Maharajah of Sirohi, Mount Abu was used as the headquarters for the resident of Rajputana until 1947, and as a sanatorium for troops.

Mount Abu is home to a number of tourist attractions from natural beauty to historical and architectural places, The Dilwara Jain temples are a complex of temples, carved of white marble, that were built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD.

The historical Achalgarh fort, built in the 14th century by Rana Kumbha of Mewar. It encloses several beautiful Jain temples, including the Achaleswar Mahadev Temple (1412) and the Kantinath Temple (1513).

Heart of the city Nakki Lake, is another popular visitor attraction of Mount Abu. There is the Toad Rock on a hill near the lake. Raghunath Temple and Maharaja Jaipur Palace are also on hills near Nakki Lake.

The mountain is also home to several Hindu temples, including the Adhar Devi Temple,  carved out of solid rock; the Shri Raghunathji Temple; and a shrine and temple to Dattatreya built atop the Guru Shikhar peak. The world headquarters of the Brahma Kumari order of lady renunciates is also located here, as is the World Spiritual University of the same denomination. There is also believed to be a footprint of Vishnu on top of Mount Abu. The Durga temple, Ambika Mata Temple lies in a cleft of rock in Jagat, just outside of Mount Abu.

Trever’s Tank Trevor’s Tank is a picturesque location just 5 kilometers from the main town of Mount Abu, and one of the Mount Abu region’s most popular tourist destinations. It is a nature lover’s paradise that is named after the British engineer who built it. Trevor, the British engineer who built it, was dedicated to building a beautiful place for people to enjoy and watch nature.

Gaumukh The Gaumukh Temple was built in its location as a dedication to Saint Vashishth. It is believed that Saint Vashishth performed a yagna there that created the four major Rajput clans. There is also a tank that you should visit called Agni Kund. The Agni Kund is believed to be the site of a sacrificial fire which Saint Vashishth used to perform the yagni from which the four clans were born.

The cow is considered a sacred animal by those who make religious pilgrimages to the Gaumukh Temple and nearby the temple you will find a spring that is believed to have emerged from the mouth of a rock that is shaped similar to a cows head.  A large marble statue of a cow has been built on the site. The bull is representative of Nandi, who was Shiva’s vehicle. There is a stream of water that flows from the mouth of the marble bull. Nearby you will find statues of Nandi, Saint Vashishth, Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.

 

What To DO

 

MotorByke and Scooter Rental

 

Rented Motorbikes and scooters are the latest and the hottest medium to enjoy beautiful Mount Abu to its fullest. If you really want to discover your holidays at Mount Abu, We strongly recommend it. Currently there is only one motorbike & scooter rental service provider - "Gujarat Motorcycle Rental Service" - all other providers are agents of this service therefore it is advised to book your bikes & scooters directly from their main office and save on extra booking agent commissions.

 

Tracking

 

Mount Abu has more than 17 Nature Trails and pathways suitable for adventurous activities approved by the department of forest passing through the jungle. Some trails can also be used for horse safari if you prefer not to trek on foot.

While trekking in, one can enjoy rock climbing, rappelling , wildlife & bird watching and study flora of Mount Abu with tribal and lok Rajput culture as well. Mount Abu is traversed with many wildlife observing paths/view points such as Trevor’s Tank, Salgaon Watch Tower, Cragis point, Devangan Valley, Tiger Path, Kodra Dam, Gaumukh, Kulagrah Valley, Gabir Nalla and Sayabera, Achalgarh, etc . to name a few popular ones.

 

SOME IMPORTANT TRAILS OF MOUNT ABU

 

Bridal Path - 6km

Mini Nakki Lake - 6 km

Tiger Path - 8km

Craigs Path - 2km

Beyley’s Walk - 1km

Trevor’s Tank - 6km

Guru Shikar – Utraj Oriya - 6km

Arna –Chhipabri - 5km

Achalgarh- Bhrigu Ashram - 2km

Utraj-Vasthanji - 16km 

 

How To Reach

 

By Rail

 

Abu Road is the nearest railway station just 28 KM from the main city, Which is very well connected by rail routes to New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Mumbai. From Abu Road you can opt for state transport service (usually every hour) or Taxis on both sharing and private basis.

By Air

 

The nearest airport is Udaipur at a distance of 185 km, But Ahmedabad is having better connectivity and daily flights with other parts of the country and is just 221 KM from Mount Abu.

By Road 

 

Mount Abu is well connected by road with major cities of the country, nearest national highway no. 14 is just 24 KM's.