A hill station retreat that is a cool and welcome refreshment from the baking plains below.

Rising high about southern Rajasthan is Mount Abu. There are stunning wooded valleys and Nakki Lake. It is frequented by the Rajasthan residents as well as their Gujarati neighbors and plenty of International attention.  Wonderful for the wildlife, botanical opportunities like the many rare orchids and amazing trekking opportunities, Mount Abu is suitable for the whole family.

Widely known as a Pilgrimage center especially for people of the Jain religion, there are the extraordinary Jain Dilwara temples and the Brahma Kumaris followers who make Mount Abu an interesting place to visit.

Background Info on Mount Abu

Mount Abu is the highest peak in the Aravelli Range in the state of Rajasthan.  Located in western India mount Abu is located in the Sirohi District the mountain forms a rocky plateau that is 22km long and 9km wide leaving a distinct silhouette on the horizon.  Guru Shikhar is the highest peak at 1722 meters above sea level.  Mount Abu’s is home to Lakes Rivers, waterfalls and lush evergreen forests earning it the nickname of being an oasis in the desert.

Tourist attractions of Mount Abu

Located at an elevation of 1220meters the town of Mount Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan.   Mount Abu has been a popular holiday destination for the people of Rajasthan and Gujarat for centuries. 

The Mount Abu wildlife sanctuary covers 290 square kilometers of the mountain and is a great excuse to do some camera hunting for local wildlife.

Mount Abu is widely known as a pilgrimage center as it is home to a number of Jain centers.  The most prominent of these is the Dilwara Temples which are a complex of temples carved from white marble.  Built between the 11^th and 13^th century the eldest temple is the Vimal Vasahi temple which was built in 1031AD by Vimal Shah.  The Lun Vasahi Temple was built in 1231ad by the brothers Vastupal and Tejpal who belonged to the Jain community of Porwal, and practiced as ministers of Raja Vir Dhawal who was the local ruler of Gujarat.

The local fort goes by the name of Achalgarh Fort, it was built in the 14^th century it includes several Jain temples in its grounds and is a stunning look into the history of Jainism as well as the history of the state.

Nakki Lake is a stunningly popular tourist attraction.  Toad rock is on a hill near the lake and there are also the Raghunath Temple and the maharaja Jaipur palace which are also found on the hills nearby.

Several Hindu temples have found a home at Mount Abu further enforcing the pilgrimage center focus of the area.  The Adhar Devi temple is found here and is stunning if only for the fact that it has been carved out of solid rock.  There is also a temple and shrine dedicated Dattatreya on top of the Guru Shikhar peak.