Mount Abu

Mount Abu is a popular hill station in Sirohi district of Rajasthan near the border with Gujarat. The mountain forms a distinct rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is Guru Shikhar at 1,722 m (5,650 ft) above sea level. It is referred to as ‘an oasis in the desert’ as its heights are home to rivers, lakes, waterfalls and evergreen forests. Mount Abu town, the only hill station in Rajasthan. The oldest of these is the Vimal Vasahi temple, built by Vimal Shah and dedicated to the first of the Jain Tirthankaras and they include the Achaleswar Mahadev Temple & the Kantinath Temple. It is also the location of the headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris. The Durga temple, Ambika Mata Temple lies in a cleft of rock in Jagat, just outside Mount Abu town. The Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1960 and covers 290 km² of the mountain.

Here we are suggesting some main Attractions of Mount Abu:

1. Trevor’s Tank
2. Archaeological Museum
3. Nakki Lake
4. Guru Shikhar
5. Fort
6. Dilwara Jain Temple
7. Sunset Point
8. Wildlife Sanctuary

Nakki lake, is the only Indian artificial lake situated at a height of 1200 Mtr’s above sea level. Innumerable attributes are crowned on the head of this intriguing lake. Nakki lake posses the crown of Mount Abu. The hub of evening activity and boating – Nakki Lake is the perfect place to spent your evening with your partner, friends and family. The embankments of the lake are dotted with magnificent summer villas of various erstwhile princely states of the country. Most of them have been converted into Heritage hotel & guest houses.

The Archaeological Museum was built in 1962 with the primary objective to preserve the acrhaeological treasures. It is located in Raj Bhawan and the timings are 10.00 A.M. to 4.30 P.M. The museum remains open for the history buff to enjoy various treasures of bygone era. The main attractions are: Sculptures, Tribal Work & Paintings. This museum is divided into 2 sections. The 1st section is dedicated to accessories of the ancient period which include earrings, damani’, ‘karna’, ‘kanksi berla’ and ‘gaga wala thoomar’ and musical instruments. The 2nd section houses beautiful miniature paintings based on various themes like Sirohi, raga-raginis etc. In the Abu collection consisting of 404 sculptures, the most distinctive exhibit is the Vish Kanya (snake goddess), which is 3 feet high. It is shown breast-feeding a snake. The figures are well executed and the attitudes are impressive and natural.

Trevor’s Tank is a clear deep pool, located around 5 km away from Mount Abu. Trevor’s Tank derived its name from the British engineer who built it. It is a spot for those who want to enjoy several moods of nature where thick wooded hills provide the perfect abode for the different varieties of birds like peacocks and pigeons. If you are a person that appreciates natural beauty, then Trevor’s Tank here at Mount Abu is the perfect place for you to visit on your holiday in Mount Abu. Trevor’s Tank contains many purposes built viewing stations that offer you the unique opportunity to watch the plentiful wildlife in their natural habitat. This is a very popular night time activity. Birdwatchers from throughout the world flock to Trevor’s Tank because it is a dream location and there are a lot of bird species. Trevor’s Tank is used to breed crocodiles also.

The Dilwara temples were built during the age of Jain supremacy and are one of the finest Jain temples India has to offer. Mount Abu’s chief claims to fame are the Jain temples architecture at Dilwara, about 5km from Nakki lake. Many experts consider them architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal. The 5 legendary marble temples of Dilwara are a sacred pilgrimage place of the Jains. Some consider them to be one of the most beautiful Jain pilgrimage sites in the world. The marble temples have an opulent entranceway, the simplicity in architecture reflecting Jain values like honesty and frugality. The temples are in the midst of a range of forested hills. There are 5 temples in all, each with its own unique identity. Each is named after the small village in which it is located. These are:

> Vimal Vasahi, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Adinath.

>Luna Vasahi, dedicated to the 22nd Jain Tirthankara, Neminatha.

>Pithalhar, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankar, Rishabha

>Parshvanath, dedicated to the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, Parshva.

>Mahavir Swami, dedicated to the last Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira.

But the most famous of these are the Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi temples.