RAJASTHAN'S ONLY ONE HILL STATION MOUNT ABU IS SPRAWLING ALONG A 1200m HIGH PLATEAU IN THE SOUTH OF THE STATE,CLOSE TO GUJRAT.
IT IS PLEASENT HOT-SEASON RETREAT FROM THE PLANS OF BOTH RAJASTHAN & GUJRAT.
MT.ABU's PACE IS EASY-GOING,ALTHOUGH IT CAN GET RIDICULOUSLY CROWDED WITH PEPOLE AND TRAFFIC DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
MT.ABU HAS A NUMBER OF IMPORTENT TEMPLES,PARTICULARLY BREATHTAKING DILWARA GROUP OF JAIN TEMPLES.
5kM AWAY FROM MAIN BAZAR.THIS IS AN IMPORTENT PILGRIMAGE CENTRE FOR JAIN AND BOASTS SOME OF THE FINEST MARBLE CARVINGS IN ALL OF THE WORLD.
IF NOT INDIA ALSO LIKE SOME OTHER HILL STATIONS MT.ABU HAS ITS OWN LAKE,WHICH IS THE CENTRE OF ACTIVITY.
GETTING THERE & AWAY-
MT.ABU IS ON A HILLY PLATEAU ABOUT 22kM LONG BU 6km WIDE,27km FROM NEAREST RAILWAY STATION ABU ROAD,THE RAILHEAD FOR MT.ABU, IS ON THE BRAD-GUAGE LINE BETWEEN DELHI AND MUMBAI VIA AHMEDABAD.
FROM ABU ROAD,DIRECT TRAINS RUN TO VARIOUS DESTINATIONS INCLUDING AJMER,JODHPUR,JAIPUR,AHMEDABAD,MUMBAI,AGRA,NEW DELHI.
FROM 6AM ONWARDS,REGULAR BUSES MAKE 27km CLIMB FROM ABU ROAD STATION UP TO MT.ABU.
ITS TAKE Rs.20 AND ONE HOUR.
A TAXI WHICH YOU CAN SHARE WITH UP TO FIVE PEOPLE COST ABOUT Rs,80 FROM ABU ROAD.
VIEW POINTS-
OF THE VARIOUS VIEWPOINTS AROUND TOWN-SOME BEST ARE---.
(1.) NAKKI LAKE-NAKKI LAKE IS VIRTUALLY IN THE HEART OF MT.ABU AND ITS BIG ATTRACTION WITH TOURISTS,THE LAKE TAKES ITS NAME FROM LEGENDS THAT IT WAS SCOOPED OUT BY A PERSON, USING ONLY HIS NAILS,OR NAKH.YOU CAN HIRE YOUR OWN BOAT AT JUST Rs.25 FOR 30Minutes.
(2.) SUNSET POINTIS MOST POPULAR.HORDES STROLL OUT HERE EVERY EVENING TO CATCH THE SETTING SUN.
(3.) HONEYMOON POINT-WHICH ALSO OFFERS A VIEW OF SUNSET
THE OTHER IS ADHAR DEVI TEMPLE,BRAHAMA KUMARIES SPRITUAL UNIVERSITY & MUSEUM.
(4.) DILWARA JAIN TEMPLES-THESE REMARKABLE JAIN TEMPLES ARE MT.ABU'S MAIN ATTRACTIONS AND AMONG THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF JAIN ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA.THE COMPLEX INCLUDES TWO JAIN TEMPLEES IN WHICH THE ART OF CARVING MARBLE REACHED UNSURPASSED HEIGHTS.
THE OLDER OF THE TEMPLES IS THE VIMAL VASAHI,BUILT IN 1031 AND DEDICATED TO THE FRIST TIRTHANKAR BHAGWAN AADINATH [ FRIST CIVILIZED PERSON OF THE EARTH].
THE CENTRAL SHRINE HAS IMAGE OF AADINATH,WHILE AROUND THE COURTYARD ARE 52 IDENTICAL CELL, EACH WITH ANOTHE JAIN TIRTHANKAR WITH CROSS-LEGGED IMAGE.FOURTY EIGHT ELEGANTLY CARVED PILLARS FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE COURTYARD.IN FRONT OF THE TEMPLE STANDS THE HOUSE OF ELEPHANTS,WITH FIGURES OF ELEPHANTS MARCHING IN PROCESSION TO THE TEMPLE ENTRANCE
THE LATER TEJPAL TEMPLE IS DEDICATED TO NEMINATH, THE 22nd JAIN TIRTHANKAR,AND WAS BUILT IN 1230 BY BROTHERS TEJPAL AND VASTUPAL.LIKE VIMAL,THEY WERE MINISTERS IN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RULER OF GUJARAT.
ALTHOUGH THE TEJPAL IS IMPORTENT AS AN EXTREMELY OLD COMPLETE EXAMPLE OF JAIN TEMPLE,ITS MOST NOTEBLE FEATURE IS THE BRILLIANT INTRICACY AND DELICACY OF THE MARBLE CARVING.THE CARVING IS SO FINE THAT,IN PLACE,THE MARBLE BECOMES ALMOST TRANSPARENT.IN PARTICULAR,THE LOTUS FLOWER WHICH HANGS FROM THE CENTRE OF THE DOME IS AN ASTONISHING PIECE OF WORK.ITS DIFFICULT TO BELIVE THAT THIS HUGE LACE-LIKE FILIGREE ACTUALLY STARTED AS SOLID BLOKE OF MARBLRE .
THE TEMPLE COMPLEX IS OPEN FROM NOON TO 6pm FOR OTHERS, AND JAINS CAN VISIT FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET.PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ALLOWED.AS AT OTHER JAIN TEMPLES,ALL ARTICLES OF LEATHER [BELTS AS WELL AS SHOES] HAVE TO BE LEFT AT THE ENTRANCE.
PLACES TO STAY-THERE IS PLETHORA OF HOTELS IN MT.ABU.THE HIGH SEASON IS FROM MID APRIL TO MID NOVEMBER.AS MOST HOTEL OWNERS RAISE PRICES TO WHATEVER THE MARKET WILL BEAR AT THIS TIME,MT.ABU CAN BE AN EXPENSIVE PLACE TO STAY.DURING DIWALI [ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER] ROOMS ARE VIRTUALLY UNOBTAINABKE WITHOUT ADVANCE BOOKING AND THE TARIFFS ARE EXORBITANT.
IN THE LOW SEASON [ WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR], DISCOUNTS OF UP TO 50 TO 60 %
[A] BUDGET HOTELS [AROUND Rs.200 TO Rs.400]-
HOTEL LAKE VIEW [PHONE-02974-238659], RTDC's HOTEL SHIKHAR [PHONE-02974-238944] AND HOTEL POLO VIEW [ PHONE-02974-243487].ETC.
[B] MID RANGE HOTELS [AROUND Rs.600 TO Rs.1000]-
HOTEL LAKE PALACE [ PHONE 02974-243254],HOTEL SUNSET IN [PHONE 02974-243194],HOTEL MAHARAJA INTERNATIONAL [PHONE-02974-238114], &
SURUCHI HILL RESORT [ PHONE-02974-243577].ETC.
[C] TOP END HOTELS [ AROUND Rs.1100 TO Rs.2000]-
PALACE HOTEL-BIKANER HOUSE-[PHONE-02974-238674],CAMA RAJPUTANA CLUB RESORT [PHONE-02974-238205],HOTEL HILLOCK [PHONE-02974-238463],
& HOTEL HILLTONE [PHONE-2974-238391]ETC.
PLACES TO EAT-
KANAK DINING HALL,VEENA RESTRURANT,MADRAS CAFE,& PALCE HOTEL AND MANY MORE.
ITS WOUNDERFUL PLACE SO GO FOR IT............................................!
