Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Travel to Mount Abu - Rajasthan's Summer Resort

In the colorful desert land of Rajasthan, there is much more to explore apart from historical forts & palaces & exciting camel safaris. Mount Abu, the only hill station in Rajasthan, is one such place that is blessed with spell binding natural beauty and religious significance.

As the legend goes, when sage Vashishtha's cow Nandini was trapped in a deep gorge, Lord Shiva sent the divine stream 'Saraswati' to help flood the gorge so that the cow could float up. Sage Vashishtha then asked the youngest son of Himalaya to fill the chasm permanently.

He did the same with the help of Arbud, the mighty snake, after which the place was called 'Mount Arbud' (which was later renamed as Mount Abu).

Earlier, a part of the Chauhan kingdom, Mount Abu served as a summer resort for the Rajput kings as well as the British. When it comes to the religious significance, people believe that it was the home of many saints and sages in the old days.

Even all the 330 million Hindu Gods and Goddesses used to visit this holy mountain. The place holds significance for the Jainis since after Lord Mahavira (24th Jain Tirthankar) visited and blessed the city.

Popular Attractions

Gaumukh Temple
Famous for a natural spring flowing through a sculpted cow's head. Sage Vashishtha performed a famous 'yagna' here only. One can also spot the magnificent marble image of Nandi bull.

Delwara Jain Temples
When it comes to the major tourist attractions in Mount Abu, these temples top the chart. Dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras, these beautifully carved temples were built between 11th and 13th century A.D.

The Vimal Vasahi temple, with an image of Rishabhdev and large courtyard with 52 small shrines, is the oldest one. The Lun Vasahi Temple is also a beautiful temple that showcases intricate door casings, pillars and sculptures on porticoes.

Other equally popular temples in Mount Abu are Shri Raghunathji Temple and Adhar Devi Temple.

Nakki Lake
This beautiful small lake, surrounded by hills, parks and strange rock formations, is believed to be scooped out by a god using only his nails.

Museum and Art Gallery
All those history buffs who wish to see the rarest collection of archaeological excavations dating back to 8th-12th century, Jain bronze carvings and brass works, must visit the museum located at the Raj Bhawan.

Apart from that, the picturesque hill station of Mount Abu also has several viewpoints, garden and parks that add some extra beauty to the place. All the shopaholics can explore the small markets where they can find a variety of Rajasthani and Gujarati articles and handicrafts.

A few stalls also provide marbles, sandalwoods and sandstones. Lastly, people from other cities of Rajasthan export good quality jewelry, fabrics, wooden articles, gemstones, metal crafts, leather ware, Kota saris and Rajasthanibangles to Mount Abu.


5 comments:

  1. Rajathan is a place where tourist from the different countries arrives to know the culture and tradition of Rajasthan. Mount Abu is one of the best tourist attraction in rajasthan. It is famous because of awesome adventurous look.
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  2. If you are planning spend your holiday vacation in Rajasthan. There are many famous historical places like that Amber fort in Jaipur, Ranthambore in Sawaimadhopur, Bhangarh in Alwar, World century in Bharatpur District and many historical places or Rajasthan culture. Swapanlok Resort is the best resorts in Rajasthan. It provides best services swimming pool,vegetarian food and other facilities.

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  3. Hello Sanjog, This is an amazing blog on Mount Abu. Such kind of World Class Resorts play a vital role in attracting visitors to Rajasthan. Ananta, An another resort of Rajasthan is also famous for its world class services and amenities. It provides new royal and oasis hospitality culture to tourists.

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  4. Hi..i really enjoyed your blog post :)
    Rajasthan houses plenty of tourist places such as Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer etc. However, Mount Abu is the only hill station here and the hill station provides refreshing change of scenery from most other parts of Rajasthan. For accommodation, check out various Mount Abu hotels and look for a hotel that suits you.

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