Mount Abu Abode of the Gods

Welcome to the Oasis of Rajasthan. It is on the oldest hills in the world, in the Aravalli Range Mountains. Mount Abu, known as Ar- Booda, “the hill of wisdom,” 24 36’ N, 72 45’ E, is the only hill station in the Princely state of Rajasthan. It is at an average height of 1,220m above sea level. It is in the Northern Aravalli range sometimes called the Blue Hills. Mount Abu, bordering Rajasthan and Gujarat, was, for a very long time, a bone of contention between these two states to which state Abu belonged.

Because of its unique situation and elevation. Mount Abu was an attractive place for the various Rajput rulers of this state. All over Abu one gets to see princely castles and palaces built ages ago by these rulers. When the British were in India, they used Abu as a health resort.

Today, I call this unique place my home town. It is a vibrant, thriving hill station. The mountain sees throngs of tourists that help to flush its economy and to keep this place pulsating, beautiful and unique; Nakki Lake, the heart of this town, is a favourite haunt of every tourist that sets foot on this exclusive hill station. I have one plea to all our esteemed guests to please treat this ancient and legendary Lake with reverence, as it is the lifeline of all the inhabitants that live here. My personal appeal is not to pollute the lake with litter, plastic bottles, plastic bags and a host of other stuff that find its way into its womb. This is an Abuite's home and Abuites take pride in this hill station of theirs. Mount Abu has recently been declared “An Eco Zone” by the Supreme Court of India. I’m glad the administration is moving in the right direction, resulting in fewer new commercial buildings which will definitely preserve this hill station from being overrun by commercial enterprises and reduce this unique hill station into another torn and tattered place like so many hill stations in the north.

The area in and around Trevor’s Tank is a restricted region of the sanctuary. In length, it spreads for about 19km and is about 5 to 8km in breadth. In the sanctuary's heart is the tank built by Trevor (a British engineer) and hence called ‘Trevor’s Tank’. It’s a refuge for wild animals, especially in summer when all water holes turn bone-dry.

I call Abu the ‘The Abode’ as it has a long tradition connected with the origin of various gods. The Rajput owes their line of heritage to the four clans that sprang up from the holy fires of the Agni Kund situated in Gaumukh. There is a significant variation in its climate as compared to the plains just 20 odd km away. While motoring up the hill from the plains below, one gets a pleasant feeling of coolness after passing the ‘Hanuman Temple’ (commonly called the Monkey Temple by a large section of the populace). Abu becomes a paradise at the onset of the southwest monsoons. The spiralling clouds and the descending mist flirting with the hilltops make one feel like one is living in heaven, hence “The Abode of the Gods”. This is the most pleasant time of the year (July to October) when the whole hill station looks like Paradise. The parched hillsides are adorned with different hues of green and flowers, the temperature is just ideal, life abounds in the hills, and the jungle comes alive to the call of local and migratory birds, buzzing insects, gurgling streams teeming with small fish and crabs and the occasional calls of animals big and small. In November, the temperature dips. Frost visits in December and January. The nights are chilly but the days are fantastic, especially when one gets to bask in the scorching desert sun. Abu experiences temperatures between a maximum of 35C and a minimum of -7C.