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| Home » Popular Destinations in India » Mount Abu Travel Guide |
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Mount Abu Travel Guide
Mount Abu is a picturesque hill-station which is actually a plateau lying at an altitude of 1200 meters and is rich in vegetation. This is also the highest point between the Nilgiris in the south and the Himalayan range up north. While driving uphill to Mount Abu, there is a range of huge smooth rocks with weird shapes, a result of erosion by high velocity winds. According to the legends, Abu stands for the son of the Himalayas. Mount Abu served as a retreat to many sages and seers including the famous sage Vashistha. Mount Abu today is a Jain pilgrim centre. The magnificent Dilwara temple is the greatest attraction of Mount Abu and there are many more archaeological remains. There are various interesting treks and picnic spots close by.
Tourist Attractions in Mount Abu
Nakki Lake [1 km]
The lake is picturesquely set amidst hills and is believed to have been carved out by the Gods with their nails. It is popular spot for boating and the only artificial lake in India that is 1200 mts. above sea level. The surrounding hills have several area of interest.
Dilwara Jain Temples
Built in the 11 th and 13 th centuries, these are architectural wonders in translucent white marble. These temples are famous for their rich, intricate marble carvings. The temple Vimal Vasahi, which is the oldest of these Jain temples, was built in 1031 A.D by Vimal Shah. It is dedicated to Adinath, first tirthankar. Situated in the village of Dilwara, this depicts Gurjar-Pratitar temple architecture, made up of a central shrine, a room with a transcept, a large colonnaded area, and an ambulatory lined by 52 small shrines, each housing a statue. Tejpal Temple is dedicated to Neminath, the 22 nd tirthankar, and was built in 1230 by the brothers Tejpal and Vastupal. It's most notable feature is briliant intricacy and delicacy of the marble carving.
Wildlife in Mount Abu
The sanctuary comprises the oldest mountain ranges - The Aravali. It was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1960. Apart from having several sightseeing places this sanctuary is a draw for nature lovers as it has great potential for Eco-tourism, In shape this sanctuary is long and narrow but the top spreads out into a picturesque plateau which is about 19 km. is length and 5-8 km. in breadth. Attitudinally it varies from 300m. at the foot Mil to 1722 m. at Gurushikhar, the highest peak of the Aravali Ranges. The rocks are igneous and due the weathering effect of wind and water, large cavities are common the rocks. This feature is typical of Aravali and particularly of Mt, Abu. Toad Rock in Mount Abu is one such example.
Gaumukh Temple
In the Gaumukh Temple there is a perennial spring flowing out of the mouth of a marble cow, from which it gets it's name. The marble image of Nandi, is placed in the vicinity |
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