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 Nestled in high
Aravali hills
Mount Abu is the only hill
station of Rajasthan. “Gurushikhar”, at an
altitude of more than five thousand feet is the
highest point of Aravali ranges. Named after the
youngest son of mountain Himalaya, Arbud, the city has beautiful lake “Nakki Jheel” which according to
legend was dug by gods by their nails. The famous
Dilwara Jain temples are magnificent piece of
architecture. “Toad Rock” ot a giant boulder
resembling a frog, attracts many tourists. Sunset
point, Achalgarh, Gure Shikhar, Mount Abu wildlife
sanctuary, Goumukh temple make other interesting
excursions.
Mount Abu 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. |
