Abu Parvat Or Mount Abu About This Sound Pronunciation Is A Popular Hill Station In The Aravalli Range Of Rajasthan State In Western India. It Is Located In Sirohi District. Mount Abu Is 58 Km From Palanpur (Gujarat). The Mountain Forms A Distinct Rocky Plateau 22 Km Long By 9 Km Wide. The Highest Peak On The Mountain Is Guru Shikhar, At 1,722 Metres (5,650 Ft) Above Sea Level. It Is Referred To As ‘An Oasis In The Desert’, As Its Heights Are Home To Rivers, Lakes, Waterfalls And Evergreen Forests. The Ancient Name Of Mount Abu Is “Arbudaanchal”
The Arbuda Mountains (Abu Parvat / Mount Abu) Region Is Said To Be Original Abode Of The Famous Gurjaras. The Association Of The Gurjars With The Mountain Is Noticed In Many Inscriptions And Epigraphs Including Tilakamanjari Of Dhanpala. These Gurjars (Gujars Or Gujjars) Migrated From Arbuda Mountain Region And As Early As Sixth Century A.D, They Set Up One Or More Principalities In Rajasthan And Gujarat. Almost All Or A Larger Part Of Rajasthan And Gujarat Had Been Known As Gurjaratra (Country Ruled Or Protected By The Gurjars) Or Gurjarabhumi (Land Of The Gurjars) For Centuries Prior To Mughal Period.
The Conquest Of Mount Abu In 1311 By Rao Lumba Of Deora-Chauhan Dynasty Brought To An End The Reign Of The Parmars And Also Marked The Decline Of Mount Abu. He Shifted The Capital City To Chandravati In The Plains. After The Destruction Of Chandravati In 1405, Rao Shasmal Made Sirohi His Headquarters.Later It Was Leased By The British Government From The Then Maharaja Of Sirohi For Use As The Headquarter Of The Resident To Rajputana (Another Name For Rajasthan).
Sightseeing Places in Mount Abu
Dilwara Temples – At a very short distance of 5 km lie these wonderfully carved Jain temples dating back to the 11th and 13th centuries A.D. Rated as among the finest of Indian temples, it is recommended that any visitor to Rajasthan include them on his itinerary. The marble architecture here is comparable with the best.
Nakki Lake – In the heart of the town, at one end of the Mall, is the serene Nakki Lake, which has an interesting history. It is believed that the gods formed the lakebed by digging it with their fingernails (nakh); hence the name, Nakki Lake. Picturesquely set, with the hills rising all around it, the lake has several islets to which you can hire boats. An interesting facet of the lake are the many rock formations around it. They have been named Toad Rock, Nun Rock, Nandi Rock and Camel Rock because of their resemblance to these figures. Nun Rock is a large smooth rock as it supposedly looks a woman with a veil. The climb up to these rocks, through the wooded forests is a beautiful one, with each of the rocks on the way making unique formations, fissures and shapes.
