Mount Abu is the highest peak in the
Aravalli RangeThe Aravalli Range literally meaning 'line of peaks' , is a range of mountains in western India running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat. -Features:...
of
RajasthanRājasthān is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan...
state in western
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. It is located in
Sirohi districtSirohi District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Sirohi is the district headquarters.-Demographics:The district had a population of 850,756 , with a population density of 166 persons per km²....
. Mount Abu is 58 km from Palanpur(Gujarat). The mountain forms a distinct rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is
Guru ShikharGuru Shikhar, a peak at an altitude of 5,676 feet , is the highest point in Rajasthan. It is located at a distance of 15 km from Mount Abu. It has a commanding view of Abu and its surroundings....
, at 1722 meters 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 is the highest peak in the
Aravalli RangeThe Aravalli Range literally meaning 'line of peaks' , is a range of mountains in western India running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat. -Features:...
of
RajasthanRājasthān is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan...
state in western
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. It is located in
Sirohi districtSirohi District is a district of Rajasthan state in western India. The town of Sirohi is the district headquarters.-Demographics:The district had a population of 850,756 , with a population density of 166 persons per km²....
. Mount Abu is 58 km from Palanpur(Gujarat). The mountain forms a distinct rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is
Guru ShikharGuru Shikhar, a peak at an altitude of 5,676 feet , is the highest point in Rajasthan. It is located at a distance of 15 km from Mount Abu. It has a commanding view of Abu and its surroundings....
, at 1722 meters 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. Ancient Name of Mount Abu is "
Arbudaanchal"
History
In the Puranas, the region has been referred to as
Arbudaranya, ("forest of
Arbhu") and 'Abu' is a dimunitive of this ancient name. It is believed that sage Vasishtha retired to the southern spur at Mount Abu following his differences with sage Vishvamitra.
Tourist attractions
The town of Mount Abu, the only
hill stationHill station is a term used for a town usually at somewhat higher elevations. The term was used in colonial Asia , where towns have been founded by European colonial rulers up where temperatures are cooler, as refuges from the summer heat...
in Rajasthan, is located at an elevation of 1220 meters. It has been a popular retreat from the heat of Rajasthan and neighbouring
GujaratGujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India...
for centuries. The
Mount Abu Wildlife SanctuaryMount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in one of the oldest mountain ranges of India, the Aravalli range. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1960.-Geography:It spreads out into a plateau which is about 19 km in length and 6 km in breadth...
was established in 1960 and covers 290 km² of the mountain.
Mount Abu is home to a number of Jain temples. The
Dilwara TemplesThe Jain Dilwara temples of India are located about 2½ kilometers from Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station. These temples built by Chalukya between the 11th and 13th centuries AD are world famous for their stunning use of marble. The five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are a sacred...
are a complex of temples, carved of white
marbleMarble is a non foliated metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, composed mostly of calcite . It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications...
, that were built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD. The oldest of these is the Vimal Vasahi temple, built in 1031 AD by Vimal Shah and dedicated to the first of the Jain Tirthankaras. The Lun Vasahi Temple were built in 1231 AD by the brothers Vastupal and Tejpal, who belonged to the
Porwal·Porvad , also called Porwad, Porwal etc. are an ancient Jain community that originated from southern Rajasthan. In Sanskrit inscriptions it is called Pragvata ....
Jain community. They were ministers of Raja Vir Dhawal, a local ruler of Gujarat.
The
AchalgarhAchalgarh is a fort situated eleven kilometers north of Mount Abu, a hill station in Rajasthan, India. The fort was built by Maharana Kumbha in 1452 CE, one of the several forts built during his reign. The fort is not in good condition now. There are some features of historical and religious...
fort, built in the 14th century by Rana Kumbha of
MewarMewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand and Udaipur. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later became a princely state under the British...
, stands nearby. It encloses several beautiful Jain temples, including the Achaleswar Mahadev Temple (1412) and the Kantinath Temple (1513).
Nakki LakeNakki Lake is a Artificial lake situated in the Indian hill station of Mount Abu in Aravalli range.-History:It is a very ancient sacred Lake, according to the Hindu legend. It is called by this name because it was dug out from Nails . One story is of dug by Gods to live in, for protection against...
is another popular visitor attraction of Mount Abu.There is the Toad Rock on a hill near the lake. Raghunath Temple and Maharaja Jaipur Palace are also on hills near
Nakki LakeNakki Lake is a Artificial lake situated in the Indian hill station of Mount Abu in Aravalli range.-History:It is a very ancient sacred Lake, according to the Hindu legend. It is called by this name because it was dug out from Nails . One story is of dug by Gods to live in, for protection against...
.
The mountain is also home to several
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
temples, including the Adhar Devi Temple, carved out of solid rock; the Shri Raghunathji Temple; and a shrine and temple to
DattatreyaDattatreya is considered by Hindus to be god who is an incarnation of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Siva. The word Datta means "Given", Datta is called so because the divine trinity have "given" themselves in the form of a son to the sage couple Atri and Anasuya...
built atop the
Guru ShikharGuru Shikhar, a peak at an altitude of 5,676 feet , is the highest point in Rajasthan. It is located at a distance of 15 km from Mount Abu. It has a commanding view of Abu and its surroundings....
peak. The world headquarters of the Brahma Kumari order of lady renunciates is also located here, as is the World Spiritual University of the same denomination. There is also believed to be a footprint of
VishnuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
on top of Mount Abu. The
DurgaIn Hinduism, the Goddess Durga or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress"...
temple,
Ambika Mata TempleThe Ambika Mata Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Durga located in a cleft of rock in the village of Jagat about 50 km southeast of Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan in India. This temple possesses a number of inscriptions...
lies in a cleft of rock in
JagatJagat is a cold mountainous village in Nepal in the Himilayas, approximately 100 kilometres north-west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.The Durga temple, Ambika Mata Temple, is in a cleft of rock in this village....
, just outside of Mount Abu.
Transportation
The nearest railway station is at
Abu RoadAbu Road is a city in Sirohi district of Rajasthan state in western India. It lies southeast of Mount Abu and its train station is a stop on the main Indian Railways line between Delhi and Ahmedabad. Mount Abu is 27 km up the hill from Abu Road.-History:...
, in the lowlands 27 km southeast of Mount Abu town. The station is on the main
Indian RailwaysIndian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is the state-owned railway company of India, which owns and operates most of the country's rail transport...
line between
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
,Palanpur and
AhmedabadAhmedabad is a city in India, which is the largest city in the state of Gujarat, with a population of approximately 52 lakhs . Located on the banks of the River Sabarmati, the city is the administrative centre of Ahmedabad district and was the capital of Gujarat from 1960 to 1970; the capital...
.
Demographics
India
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
, Mount Abu had a population of 22,045. Males constitute 58% of the population and females 42%. Mount Abu has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77%, and female literacy is 55%. In Mount Abu, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.