India Tourism » Travel to Mount Abu

One reason always works when all other reasons do not convince a visit to Mount Abu. The opportunity to see the Dilwara Jain temples is certainly not worth missing. These plain rather ugly looking temples from the exterior (to escape from attackers' envy) are treasure houses of sculptures inside. Out of the group of five temples, two stand distinctly apart. The first is Vimal Vasahi temple built in year 1031. Jain monks- People following religion practice total non-violence and vegetarianismThe other is Tejpal temple built in 1230 actually constructed by two brothers Tejpal and Vastupal. The temples are famous for fine filigree on marble, each part is finely carved be it the toranas, pillars, ceilings or drums. The carving on the marble is so fine that at places the marble seems almost translucent and the carvings on the ceilings seem like work on paper. No wonder then, it is said that the builders offered gold to the sculptors equal to the weight of marble powder they shed while carving!

Mount Abu is Rajasthan's only hill retreat, situated 1200 meters above sea level. Mount Abu finds a reference in ancient epics of Hindus as the favorite place for sadhus to meditate. According to mythology, the Nakki Lake in the center of the town is dug up by the nails of the Gods. The place has also acted as the station for British resident officers and the presence of a large number of English cottages,boarding schools and physical training institutions testify this fact.

The Nakki Lake lies inside the crater of an extinct volcano.Today Mount Abu is a relaxing town good enough to wander around the lake, bazaars and nature trails. It also has the headquarters of the Prajapita BrahmaKumari Spiritual University. There are several viewpoints to appreciate the nature, the most important being the Sunset point. The 290 square kilometers Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is nearby which has bears and panthers as prominent animals. The Sanctuary also encompasses Guru Shikhar, the highest peak of the Aravali ranges. The Achalgarh fort and Adhar Devi temple are other attractions worth seeing.