A Tour to Mount Abu!

Mount Abu is a beautiful hill station located in Rajasthan. It is a destination surrounded by immense greenery and wildlife. I am narrating to you my experience of my journey from Mumbai to Mount Abu. The journey from Mumbai took about half a day to complete. It started from Bandra Terminus at 13:30 by rail. Traveling by train gave me the best experience in terms of sightseeing and spending quality time with my friends. Being the month of October, the weather was very pleasant, there was some humidity in the air. By the time we crossed the border of Gujarat and entered Rajasthan, it started raining. This gave the journey an amazing start. We reached Abu Road station at 1:20 a.m. and hired a taxi to our hotel in Mount Abu. The fare of a taxi after midnight is at least Rs. 500/-(approx.). It took us about 50 mins from the Abu Road station to reach our hotel which was near Nakki Lake.

At around 6 in the morning, we went to Nakki Lake for a stroll. The air was full of fog and we could just barely see anything. While we looked around for the less sought out places nearby to explore, we also managed to capture some photographs of the picturesque scenes around.

Post the walk, we had a tasty breakfast at a local restaurant. There were a lot of options for good food that is also budget-friendly. We then hired a local travel guide who offered to show us 6 places to visit at Rs. 600 per head.
At around 10 a.m. we left for our tour of Mount Abu. These were the places we visited:

1. Shankar Math
2. Brahma Kumaris Temple
3. Dilwara Jain Temple
4. Guru Shikhar
5. Sunset Point
6. Nakki Lake

(Please note that at every destination, there is a toll of Rs. 5 or Rs. 10 which needs to be paid by you. So please make sure you carry enough change with you.)

Shankar Math Temple:

The first place we visited, was the Shankar Math temple. This temple was established in the year 1977 by Shri Mahisanand Giri Ji Maharaj. The temple’s environment is so peaceful and spiritual. It will make you will feel like meditating and chanting the Mantras.

Brahma Kumaris Temple:

This was the second place we visited. At the Brahma Kumaris Temple, a volunteer will take you on a short tour of the surroundings, and will also provide you with the details of the long-standing teachings practiced at the meditation center. They also have audiobooks available in many international languages as they get foreign visitors as well.

Dilwara Jain Temples

The third-place we visited, was the Dilwara Jain Temple. This is one of the most famous Jain Temples in the world and has an excellent collection of ancient sculptures and artwork. It is situated about 2.5km from the city post office. The fine craftsmanship and intricate artwork are mesmerizing and almost too hard to comprehend as having been done to such perfection without the use of modern-day technology. The temple premises is open to the public from noon to 17:00 hrs. Cameras and mobile phones are not allowed inside. The priests guide you through the temples, all the way narrating stories of its rich history and culture. The main complex has a temple with statues of Jain Gods. A few of the enclosures have some preserved relics excavated from ancient times.

Guru Shikhar

This is the highest point of the Aravalli Range which is 1722 meters above sea level. At the top, there is a small temple Guru Dattatreya and parallel to it, there is an observatory. The weather at the top is cool and rather pleasant. The scenic views from the up top make this one of the best places for breath-taking photographs.

Sunset Point

This one of the most popular viewpoints in Mount Abu and so it is also a little crowded. Make sure you reach this point in time to catch the magnificent sunset and find yourself a good place to sit before the crowds come in.

Nakki Lake

This small but refreshingly beautiful lake is surrounded by the green hills and makes for quite the attraction wrapped in the heart of nature away from the hustle and bustle of cities. The lake is called Nakki, after the belief that the name ‘Balam Rasiya’ dug it out with just his ‘nails’.

When you plan to go on this trip, please make sure that you carry a first-aid kit, a mosquito repellent, a Bluetooth speaker, and UNO cards. If you have already been on this trip or planning ongoing in the future, do let us know in the comments section below.