Abu'sTale

Abu’s Tale A K Sharma

The Abode of Gods

Fascination unlimited! That is what Mount Abu is. Right from its genesis five billion years ago, to its mythology, its theology, its topography, its geography, its history, and its mystery, all are magic. The sage Vashishtha not only brought to life the four fiery Rajput clans and showered blessings equivalent to giving 1,000 cows in charity for every night one stayed at his Ashram, for which even Dharamraj Yudhishtir too was counselled by sage Ved Vyas, but also brought the Nandi Vardhan mountain and clothed it with flora from the entire universe. Hence the pine of the Himalayas does not hesitate to respire with the date palms from the desert, in the same salubrious, verdant ambience; the 330 million Gods and Goddesses of Hindu pantheon making it their home and calling it Dev Vada (the abode of Gods); the river Saraswati taking birth from its womb and snaking down underground to appear at the confluence of the three rivers at holy Triveni at Allahabad; the defiant legacy of the Kund (millpond) of the sage Gautam Rishi where the divine Ganga appears once every year on the appointed day in April (Vaishakhi Krishna 1) even in the driest season; the shrine eternal of Acheleshwar Mahadev, the only place on earth where the big toe of Lord Shiva is worshipped; the eternal guardian of the hills Arbuda Devi, where the lips of Lord Shiva's consort fell; the gift of the heavenly hydrologist, the Nakki Lake,

where the return of Lord Shiva and his consort is foretold; the hallowed Agneshwar Mahadev; the sacrosanct tirth (pilgrimage) in the Skandha Purana, the Pindarak Tirth, all and much more are there in Mount Abu to intrigue any visitor in these sacred mountains. It has an enthralling terrain. The myriad rock formation would beat anyone's imagination. Geographically, it is lovingly placed, between the two states of incredible Rajasthan and vibrant Gujarat. A lot of history too is stored here, right from the ancient visitors from Africa, the invasion by the Greek, the Huns and the Muslims, the shelter taken by one of the most valiant Rajput warriors, Rana Pratap, the contribution in Sepoy Mutiny to the first visitor from the European shores, the British army officer Colonel James Todd and many more till date, have glorified the place by singing paeans to this abode of Gods and in the same breath have voiced their concern for its fragile ecology. Rabindranath Tagore eulogised it as well, while passing through the district of Sirohi, where he was the guest of honour of the erstwhile rulers of the state. It was even sanctified by Swami Vivekanand, who stayed here and got the glory of the name Vivekanand. Glittering glory of sanctity has also been crowned by the guru of Kabir, who established the Raghunath Temple and even by the visit of Guru Nanak. It certainly is no exaggeration that it fits the definition to the 'T' of being the destination for all the seasons, destination for all the reasons. Conveniently located, it's a traveller's delight, any reveller's fanciful flight. Right from leisure destination to pilgrim, adventure, education attraction, to polo and soon to be golf tourism! It fulfils the needs of one and all.

History-Mount abu

Mount AbuMount Abu rises 1000 meters above the plains and its highest point is called Guru Shikhar where there is a small shrine. the hillock drives its name from...



On the boundary separating Gujarat from Rajasthan stands a hill with some of the most outstanding (eleventh to thirteenth century) Jain temples. The somewhat drab exterior of these temples, like oyster shells, do not even hint at the profusion of delicate pure white marble sculptures within. The arid, near desert region of the state of Gujarat held a crucial position on the western projection of the Indian subcontinent that juts into the Arabian sea. Along its coastline were ancient trading posts that brought enormous wealth to the territory. In the tenth century the Solanki Kings (a branch of the Rajput clan) inherited this vast and prosperous land from the Prathiharas. Their reign also coincided with the period when Islamic forces were vying for power over the same trade routes. The great and opulent Somnath temple had been destroyed by the armies of Mahmud of Ghazni in 1025, and although the Solanki rulers were having toward off the armies of the Sultans of Delhi for some time, and despite the threat of iconoclastic destruction, they continued to patronize and sponsor great building activity. During this time the lavishly decorated Hindu Sun temple was built at Modhera (see Ahmadabad) and profusely ornate Jain fortress-temples were constructed on hilltops at Satrunjaya, Mount Girnar, and Mount Abu, and later in the fifteenth century at Ranakpur near Udaipur in Rajasthan.During a very brief period, between the fall of the Somnath temple (1025) and the invasion of Gujarat by Ala-ud-Din Khalji inn 1297, a group of Jain temples were constructed on the Abu plateau. Mount Abu rises 1000 meters above the plains and its highest point is called Guru Shikar (1772 meters) where there is a small shrine. The hillock derives its name from Mythology:

In eons gone by it was a favourite resort of the Hindu gods. A wide abyss mysteriously formed there and the sons of the Himalaya (Lord of the snow-clad mountains) were called to help fill it up. The youngest son, called Nandivardhana (Giver of increasing happiness), was lame and he came riding on the back of his friend Arbuda, a snake. Nandivardhana and the wriggling snake plunged into the hole and filled the great abyss and only his nose poked out on the surface of the earth and became a hill that trembled with the movement of Arbuda. This will which contains Nandi (happiness) was called Arbuda (Swelling tumour) or Abu after the friendly snake.

Places to visit!!!

Mount abu is a known for its sightseeing and hotel bussiness.There are many places to visit like WORLD famous temples Dilwara temples,Guru sikhar,Achalgarh Nakki lakke.For Details log on yo www.mountabu.com