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Mt. Abu (June)
Organized in the only hill station of Rajasthan,
this is the coldest place at this time of the
year. The three day festival is a feast of folk and
classical music and window to the treble life and
cultural of Rajasthan.
Summer Festival
Cultural summer Festival
Organized in the only hill station of Rajasthan,
this is the coldest place at this time of the
year. Folk dances and a general atmosphere of
gaiety prevails in this tiny hill resort and the
tourist has ample time to relax and enjoy.
Activities
Organized in the only hill station of Rajasthan,
this is the coldest place at this time of the
year. Folk dances and a general atmosphere of
gaiety prevails in this tiny hill resort and the
tourist has ample time to relax and enjoy.
History
The history of Mount Abu is as diverse as the city
itself. It was once a part of the Chauhan kingdom
of Rajasthan and served as a summer resort for the
Rajput kings of the region. After that, it was
leased by the British government from the then
Maharaja of Sirohi for use as the headquarter of
the resident to Rajputana (another name for
Rajasthan).
During the British rule in India, it was the
favorite summer destination of the British, who
came here to escape the dusty, dry heat of the
plains particularly Rajasthan. It also served as a
sanatorium for the troops. The small huts and
cottages here tell stories of those times
even today.
Mount Abu was the home of many saints and sages in
the old days. Legend has it that all the 330
million gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon
used to visit this holy mountain. It is also the
place where the great saint Vashishth lived and
performed a yagna (sacrificial worship on a fire
pit) to create four Agnikula (four clans of fire)
to protect the earth from demons. The yagna was
supposed to have been performed near a natural
spring, which emerged from a rock shaped like a
cow's head.
According to another legend, once sage Vashishth's
cow Nandini was trapped in a deep gorge and could
not free herself. The sage appealed to Lord Shiva
for assistance. The Lord sent Saraswati, the
divine stream, to help flood the gorge so that the
cow could float up. Vashishth then decided to
ensure that such mishaps did not occur in future.
He asked the youngest son of Himalaya, the king of
mountains to fill the chasm permanently. This he
did with the assistance of Arbud, the mighty
snake. This spot came to be known as Mount Arbud
and was later changed to its present form - Mount
Abu.
This place is held in reverence by Jains as well
since Jain scriptures record that Lord Mahavira,
the 24th Jain Tirthankar (spiritual leader), also
visited Mount Abu and blessed the city.
 Places
to see
There are a number of sites to visit in and
around this small city. Besides being a hill
station, Mount Abu is also regarded as an
important pilgrimage site, with the Dilwara Jain
temples, ashrams of saints and some Hindu temples
within its boundaries. The landscapes, mountains
and the holy Nakki Lake are some of the sites that
would make the trip to this place a delight. |
