Mount Abu — Hill Station in Arawali Ranges
Mount Abu: The City of Jain pilgrimage
Mount Abu is a hill station in western India’s Rajasthan state, because of its cool atmosphere and lush green surroundings, a popular destination for short vacationers and newlyweds from Rajasthan and Gujarat. The small town with only 22,000 inhabitants is located on a plateau in the Aravalli Mountains at an altitude of about 1200 meters. The main holiday season in Mount Abu is therefore also March to November, in the winter months, on the other hand, it can get sensitively cold at night. There are many legends about this place. It is closely connected with the origin of the Rajput clans, whose origin goes back to the Agni (Holy Fire) ceremony, which was performed here in the 8th century by the sage Vashishth. From the flames of the sacred fire offering Yagna are said to have sprung four of the great Rajput clans, the Agnikula. The name “Abu” goes back to the snake Abuda, which according to legend rescued Nandi, Lord Shiva’s sacred bull, from a gorge here. To the Chauhan kings, one of the Rajput dynasties of northwest India, Mount Abu served as a summer residence. Later, the Maharaja of Sirohi leased Mount Abu to the British government, which maintained here the administrative headquarters of the Rajputana Agency, at the time of colonial rule an association of 20 Indian princely states of what is now the state of Rajasthan. The British escaped the dusty, dry summers of the plains here and maintained a sanatorium for soldiers from Bombay.
Dilwara Temple
Today Mount Abu is an important Jain pilgrimage site. During your stay here, you must not miss a visit to the Dilwara Temple, which is one of the most beautiful temples India has to offer. Built between the 11th and 15th centuries, the temple complex looks quite inconspicuous from the outside. Inside, however, it reveals a true jewel of stonemasonry. Hundreds of Jain saints and dancers are finely carved to the millimeter scale, and the masterful white marble reliefs and sculptures that cover every inch of the columns, ceilings, walls and domes are breathtaking in their magnificence and detail. Unfortunately, photography (and carrying leather items) is strictly forbidden in the temple, but the visit will stay with you for a long time even without souvenir photos.
Lake Nakki
About the Nakki Lake, located in the center of the city, it is said that a Hindu god scratched it out of the rock with his fingernails (nakki). The lake invites for rowing or pedal boating, or after a stroll through the city you can comfortably walk around it on a shore path, which leads past some interesting rock formations. The most famous of these is probably Toad Rock, which looks like a toad about to jump into the lake. Sunset Point In the evening, one of the most popular activities is watching the sunset from Sunset Point. Every afternoon, half the town sets out to get to the terraced viewing plateaus two kilometers away on the hillside. If you like, you can also be pulled up the hill on a cart or cover the distance on horseback. On the way there are stalls selling tea, popcorn, nuts and souvenirs, and the cheerful, folk festival-like atmosphere is infectious. The view of the valley, where the sun sinks in a glowing red, is breathtaking. The mountains drop steeply and on clear days you can see miles into Rajasthan.