Mountabu

Outskirts of Montabu

The Aravalli Hills

This could be a daylong trekking adventure while visiting this granite hill range, the tailpiece of the Aravalli mountain range. The mountain covered with thick shrubs also gives a panoramic view of the area nearby. From Mount Abu, it is a daylong trip, which gives the traveller a chance to see the date palms and thorny acacias that abound in this region.

Achalgarh Fort

Situated about 11 km away from the main Abu town, the Achalgarh fort was built in the year AD 1452-1453. The Achaleshwar temple near this fort is a pilgrimage site where the toe prints of Lord Shiva are said to be embedded in a rock. Nearby is the Mandakini Tank, where the image of Adi Pal, a Paramar king, along with three large stone buffaloes pierced with an arrow is a major attraction.

According to a legend, the buffaloes were demons in disguise, who used to come to drink ghee (clarified butter) from the Mandakini that was said to be full of pure ghee. Adi Pal, one of the important characters of local legends, killed them with his arrow to save the ghee and the tank from the demons.

Guru Shikhar

Around 15 km away from the city this is the Guru Shikhar. The highest peak of Mount Abu, is also perhaps the most beautiful. There is certain serenity about the temple built atop this peak. The temple might just have stepped out of a fairy tale, with only a small portion in pink jutting out of an otherwise plain white chalk building.

Inside is a shrine of Datta-traya, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Outside the temple, a little distance from its door is a huge brass bell, which stands sentinel overlooking the lush greenness of Mount Abu. A costume photographer displays dresses and invites tourists to pose with temple as a backdrop.

Another temple worth visiting is the Brahmakhadd, a Shiva temple with a difference. Here the deity is not the traditional lingam but a pit into which Lord Shiva is said to have put his foot. Legend has it that the spot goes deep into the earth until it touches water. Outside this temple there is a statue of Goddess Parvati, and a large statue of Nandi, which still bears marks of destruction, wrought by invading armies.