Forts and palaces

Achalgarh Fort of Mountabu

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.