Mount Abu

Mount Abu is the highest peak of the Aravalli Range of the Thar Desert. It is located in Sirohi district and is the only hill station in Rajasthan. Its height is 1220 meters. Guru Shikhar is the highest peak of the mountain with a height of 1722 meters above sea level.

It was once the domain of the Rajputs and served as a summer retreat for the Kings and later the British. It is like an oasis in the desert and is a home to rivers, lakes, waterfalls and evergreen forests. Mount Abu is considered as a holy place as it was inhabited by many saints and sages in the past. It is believed that the great saint Vashishth performed a yagna (sacrificial worship on a fire pit) at this place to create four Agnikula (four clans of fire) to save the earth from Asuras (demons).

Covering an area of 288 sq km, Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary is a home to wild inhabitants such as leopard, sloth bear, wild boar, sambar, chinkara, Langoor, Indian Civet, Hyena, Wild Boar, Sambhar, Pangolin, Porcupine, Jungle Cat, and Hedge hog. Grey jungle fowl seems to attract attention because of its large population here. You may get a chance to see a leopard busy with its activities in the wild. Some of the flora found here are kacchar, Kaionda, champa, mango, roses, phaludra and khajur. Its forest cover varies from sub-tropical thorn forests to sub-tropical evergreen forests. Its vegetation consists of approximately 820 species of plants. The sweet scent of jasmine makes the ambience pleasant. Travelers with an interest in botany can even locate some medicinal plants in the sanctuary.

Mount Abu is famous for its Jain temples. The architecture of the Dilwara temples is noteworthy. They are carved in white marble and their history dates back to the 11th and the 13th century. Inside the temple, there are carvings depicting various Jain saints and stories from mythology. The oldest among these temples is Vimal Vasahi temple.

Nakki Lake is a beautiful artificial lake built at the height of 1200 meters above sea level. This serene lake offers boating and horse riding facilities. The lake also has a mythological legend attached to it and some people consider it to be a holy lake.

Summer Festival is held in the month of June in Mount Abu with great enthusiasm. Folk dances by Bhil tribes of the region are a great delight to watch.