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Mount Abu

Coordinates: 24°35′33″N 72°42′30″E / 24.5925°N 72.7083°E / 24.5925; 72.7083
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Aburaj
Hill station
Aburaj
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Interactive map of Aburaj
Coordinates: 24°35′33″N 72°42′30″E / 24.5925°N 72.7083°E / 24.5925; 72.7083
CountryIndia
StateRajasthan
DistrictSirohi
Government
 • BodyAburaj Municipality
Elevation
1,220 m (4,000 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
22,943
 • Density50/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
307501
Telephone code+02974
ISO 3166 codeRJ-IN
Vehicle registrationRJ 38
Nearest cityAbu Road, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Patan, Gandhinagar,

Mount Abu () is a hill station in the Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. Here, the mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. It is sometimes referred to as an "oasis in the desert" due to the presence of rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and evergreen forests. It is also home to numerous Hindu and Jain temples.

History

The ancient name of Mount Abu is Arbuda.[2] In the Puranas, the region has been referred to as Arbudaranya ("forest of Arbuda") and 'Abu' is a diminutive of this ancient name. It is believed that sage Vashistha retired to the southern spur at Mount Abu following his differences with sage Vishvamitra. There is another history story according to which a serpent named "Arbuda" saved the life of Nandi (Lord Shiva's bull). The incident happened on the mountain that is currently known as Mount Abu and so the mountain is named "Arbudaranya" after that incident which gradually became Abu.

According to a legend, the sage Vashistha performed a yajna at the peak of Mount Abu, to seek from the gods a provision for the defense of righteousness on earth. In answer to his prayer, a youth arose from the Agnikunda (fire-altar) — the first Agnivansha.[3][4] Achalgarh Fort is one of more attractive place which was built by Parmar kings.[5] The Dilwara Jain Temple is a pilgrimage centre for the Jain religion among the lush green hills of Aravali. The Dilwara Jain Temple is located at a distance of 2.5 km from Mount Abu. Vastupala designed the temple. Vimal Shah built it between the 11th century and the 13th century. The complex is sculpted on white marble in every corner of the temple.

Rao Lumba of the Deora-Chauhan dynasty conquered Mount Abu in 1311 CE.[6] He shifted the capital to Chandravati in the plains. After the destruction of Chandravati in 1405, Rao Shasmal made Sirohi his headquarters. It was later leased by the British government from the Maharaja of Sirohi for use as the headquarters.[citation needed][clarification needed]

The Arbuda Mountains region is said to be original abode of the famous gurus like Atri and Vashishtha. The association of the Gurus with the mountain is noticed in many inscriptions and epigraphs including Tilakamanjari of Dhanpala.[7] According to one theory, this Gurdhara or land of the gurus got corrupted with time and became Gurjara.[8][need quotation to verify]

A municipality was established at Abu in 1864; it had six members nominated by the Agent to the Governor General (AGG).[9]

Tourism

Mount Abu town, the only hill station in Rajasthan, is at an elevation of 1,220 m (4,003 ft). It has been a popular retreat from the heat of Rajasthan and neighboring Gujarat for centuries.

The mountain is home to several Hindu temples, including the Adhar Devi Temple (also known as Arbuda Devi Temple), carved out of solid rock; the Shri Raghunathji Temple; the shrine and temple to Dattatreya built atop the Guru Shikhar peak; and the Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple (1412).

The Achalgarh Fort, built in the 14th century by Kumbha of Mewar, is nearby and at its center is the popular visitor attraction, Nakki Lake. The Toad Rock is on a hill near the lake. Close to the fort is the Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple, a popular Shiva temple. Also, the Achal Fort Jain Temple and the Shantinath Jain Temple (1513) are equally famous.

The Durga Ambika Mata Temple lies in a cleft of rock in Jagat, just outside Mount Abu town.

The mountain is also home to a number of Jain temples including the Dilwara Temples, a complex of temples carved out of white marble. The Dilwara Temples or Delvada Temples are located about 2½ kilometers from Mount Abu town. These Jain temples were built by Vimal Shah and designed by Vastupala, Jain ministers of Dholka,[10] between the 11th and 16th centuries and are famous for their use of white marble and intricate marble carvings.[11] They are a pilgrimage place of Jains, and a popular general tourist attraction. The temples have an opulent entranceway, with the simplicity in architecture reflecting Jain values like honesty and frugality.[12] Minutely carved ornamental detail covers the ceilings, doorways, pillars, and panels.[13] The temple complex is in the midst of a range of forested hills. There are five temples in all, each with its own unique identity.[14] All five temples are enclosed within a single high wall compound. The group is named after the small village of Dilwara or Delvara in which they are located. The five temples are:

  • Vimal Vasahi, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara, Shri Rishabhadev.
  • Luna Vasahi, dedicated to the 22nd Jain Tirthankara, Shri Neminatha.
  • Pittalhar, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankar, Shri Rishabhadev.
  • Parshvanath, dedicated to the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, Shri Parshvanatha.
  • Mahavir Swami, dedicated to the last Jain Tirthankara, Shri Mahaviraswami.

Among the five legendary marble temples of Dilwara, the most famous are the Vimal Vasahi and the Luna Vasahi temples.[15][16]

In Mount Abu, the faith community, Brahma Kumaris has its spiritual headquarters, which are represented by its own account in 110 countries.[17] Every year about 2.5 million visitors are estimated to visit the sprawling campus of the organisation.[17] The Brahma Kumaris ashram has a museum that displays the knowledge that Lord Shiva gave to the Prajapita Brahma. The 50-acre campus also provides ample space for meditation and spiritual learning as well as connecting visitors to the stunning, undisturbed natural surroundings. The community teaches the meditation technique known as Raja Yoga, in which students identify the self as a non-physical, eternal soul, recover its seven original qualities—peace, love, happiness, purity, knowledge, bliss and power—through silent remembrance of an incorporeal Supreme Soul, and cultivate them as ethical virtues in everyday life.[18][19]

The Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1960 and covers 290 km2 of the mountain. The sanctuary encircles the town, and sloth bears from the sanctuary have habitually been seen inside the city throughout the year foraging on hotel waste in open rubbish bins.[20]

Mount Abu has a distinctive ecological setting within the Aravalli Range. The Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary extends from approximately 300 m at the foothills to 1,722 m at Guru Shikhar, producing substantial variation in climate, vegetation and habitat. The Rajasthan Forest Department describes vegetation ranging from xeromorphic subtropical thorn forest at the foothills to subtropical evergreen forest along watercourses and valleys at higher elevations. The sanctuary supports diverse plant communities, including orchids, ferns, bamboo and medicinal plants, as well as rare, threatened and endemic species. [21] The ecological diversity of the sanctuary is also reflected in its fauna. The Rajasthan Forest Department records a wide range of mammals, reptiles and birds, and notes that more than 150 bird species have been recorded by bird-watchers in the sanctuary. The combination of elevation, vegetation and habitat diversity provides conditions for both forest and open-habitat species. [21] Mount Abu is also significant for avifauna within the southern Aravallis. Ornithological studies have documented a range of bird species and habitats in the sanctuary, including the threatened Green Avadavat (*Amandava formosa*), also known as the Green Munia. Earlier field observations recorded the species in grassland, agricultural and shrub-associated habitats at several locations on the Abu Hills. [22]

In literature

Arbuda Mountains is a mountain range described in the epic Mahabharata. It is identified to be Mount Abu. The range is mentioned in the travels of Arjuna during his twelve-year pilgrimage.[23]

Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem Hindoo Temples on the Mountain-Lake of Aboo, published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839, is a reflection on this mountain fastness.[24]

Megasthenes, a Greek writer and ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya's kingdom, refers to Mount Abu by the name "Capitalia" in his book Indica. Megasthenes also mentions Nehra people as Narae, one of the many inhabitants of the mountain.[25]

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Climate

Mount Abu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). Due to its altitude, Mount Abu gets more rain than any other part of Rajasthan, with over 500 millimetres or 20 inches per month falling in July and August. While it still has hot summers, the summers are not as extreme due to the altitude, and the monsoon has relatively comfortable temperatures (24 to 30 °C or 75 to 86 °F).The average annual precipitation in Mount Abu is 1,554 millimetres or 61 inches.[26]

Winters are pleasant in Mount Abu, with the temperature around 13 to 22 °C (55.4 to 71.6 °F). Mornings are chilly, and the average minimum temperature is around 3 to 12 °C (37.4 to 53.6 °F). The temperature has dipped to as low as −7.4 °C or 18.7 °F.[27][28]

Climate data for Mount Abu (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 29.0
(84.2) 		30.6
(87.1) 		39.6
(103.3) 		38.8
(101.8) 		40.4
(104.7) 		38.4
(101.1) 		35.0
(95.0) 		31.1
(88.0) 		33.0
(91.4) 		33.6
(92.5) 		30.4
(86.7) 		34.2
(93.6) 		40.6
(105.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 19.6
(67.3) 		22.6
(72.7) 		26.9
(80.4) 		30.9
(87.6) 		32.5
(90.5) 		30.3
(86.5) 		25.0
(77.0) 		23.6
(74.5) 		25.5
(77.9) 		27.5
(81.5) 		24.4
(75.9) 		21.8
(71.2) 		25.9
(78.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.3
(52.3) 		14.1
(57.4) 		18.7
(65.7) 		23.1
(73.6) 		25.4
(77.7) 		24.3
(75.7) 		21.1
(70.0) 		19.9
(67.8) 		20.5
(68.9) 		19.7
(67.5) 		15.8
(60.4) 		12.8
(55.0) 		18.9
(66.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.9
(37.2) 		5.5
(41.9) 		10.4
(50.7) 		15.3
(59.5) 		18.3
(64.9) 		18.2
(64.8) 		17.1
(62.8) 		16.2
(61.2) 		15.5
(59.9) 		11.9
(53.4) 		7.1
(44.8) 		3.8
(38.8) 		11.9
(53.4)
Record low °C (°F) −7.0
(19.4) 		−5.8
(21.6) 		0.4
(32.7) 		4.4
(39.9) 		10.0
(50.0) 		13.0
(55.4) 		10.0
(50.0) 		10.6
(51.1) 		6.4
(43.5) 		3.4
(38.1) 		−0.4
(31.3) 		−7.4
(18.7) 		−7.4
(18.7)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 1.9
(0.07) 		1.2
(0.05) 		2.2
(0.09) 		4.0
(0.16) 		3.7
(0.15) 		65.3
(2.57) 		601.9
(23.70) 		463.1
(18.23) 		220.0
(8.66) 		23.0
(0.91) 		1.4
(0.06) 		1.6
(0.06) 		1,389.3
(54.70)
Average rainy days 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.3 3.3 14.6 14.5 6.6 0.8 0.2 0.2 41.3
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST) 49 42 37 37 41 56 86 91 78 56 52 50 55
Source: India Meteorological Department[29][28]

Culture

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census of India, Aburaj has a population of 22,943, out of which 54.7% are males and 45.3% are females. It has an average literacy rate of 81.15%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 90.12%, and female literacy is 70.23%. In Aburaj, 12.34% of the population is under 6 years of age.[30]

Of the people, 89.31% are Hindu, 7.69% are Muslim, and 1.45% are Christian.[30]

Biodiversity research and conservation

Biodiversity research at Mount Abu has included long-term ornithological studies, with particular attention to the Green Avadavat. Mehra and Sharma reported additional site records of the species from Mount Abu in 2004. Mehra, Sharma and Mathur subsequently published a study of the munias of Mount Abu, with particular emphasis on the Green Avadavat, based on observations undertaken during 2004–2005. [31] During his association with WWF-India, Satya Prakash Mehra was involved in biodiversity and habitat assessment, field research and documentation, and conservation-management planning relating to Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary. His work included activities associated with natural-resource management and the proposed Eco-Sensitive Zone of the sanctuary. Subsequent work associated with Mehra and the Rajputana Society of Natural History addressed Green Avadavat behaviour, habitat protection, awareness and community participation. A socio-ecological model for Green Munia conservation was presented at the Udaipur Bird Festival in 2020. The Abu Model, subsequently documented through the PANORAMA platform, linked Green Avadavat conservation with nature tourism, local ecological knowledge, community participation and livelihood opportunities. [32] Independent research has continued to examine the species and its habitat at Mount Abu. A study published in *Bird Conservation International* in 2026, based on systematic surveys conducted during March–August 2023, detected Green Avadavat in 40 of 129 surveyed 1-km² grid squares. The study found that occurrence was associated with higher elevations and areas with greater grass and shrub cover, and identified development, sprawl and land-use change as pressures on suitable habitat. [33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Census of India: Search Details". censusindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Ganga Ram Garg, ed. (1992). Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World (Ar-Az). Vol. 3. Concept. p. 587. ISBN 9788170223733.
  3. ↑ The State at War in South Asia. University of Nebraska Press. 2005. p. 24. ISBN 9780803213449.
  4. ↑ Series-16 Indian History–Medieval India. Upkar Prakashan. p. 6.
  5. ↑ Naravane, M. S. (1999). The Gurjar & Gujjar: A Glimpse of Medieval Rajasthan. APH Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7648-118-2.
  6. ↑ "Welcome to Jaipur Junction". www.jaipurjunction.in. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  7. ↑ Sudarśana Śarmā (2002). Tilakamañjarī of Dhanapāla: a critical and cultural study. Parimal Publications. p. 214.
  8. ↑ Ramesh Chandra Majumdar; Achut Dattatrya Pusalker; A. K. Majumdar; Dilip Kumar Ghose; Vishvanath Govind Dighe; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (1977). The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 153.
  9. ↑ Rima Hooja (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa. p. 1166. ISBN 9788129108906.
  10. ↑ "IMAGES OF NORTHERN INDIA". Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  11. ↑ Shah 1995, p. 17.
  12. ↑ Kumar 2001, p. 9.
  13. ↑ Jain 2009, p. 271.
  14. ↑ Coolidge 1880, p. 149.
  15. ↑ Balfour 1885, p. 948.
  16. ↑ Kumar 2001, p. 67.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Brahma Kumaris - Introduction". brahmakumaris.org. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  18. ↑ Whaling, Frank (2012). Understanding the Brahma Kumaris. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-903765-51-7.
  19. ↑ Walliss, John (2002). The Brahma Kumaris as a 'Reflexive Tradition': Responding to Late Modernity. Aldershot: Ashgate. ISBN 978-0-7546-0951-3.
  20. ↑ Prajapati, Utkarsh; Koli, Vijay Kumar; Sundar, K.S. Gopi (2021). "Vulnerable sloth bears are attracted to human food waste: a novel situation in Mount Abu town, India". Oryx. Online first. Cambridge University Press.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary" (PDF). Rajasthan Forest Department. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Mehra, Satya Prakash; Sharma, Sarita (2004). "Additional site records of Green Avadavat Amandava formosa (Latham, 1790) from Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India" (PDF). Newsletter for Ornithologists. 1 (6): 84–85.
  23. ↑ Vaidya, Chintaman Vinayak (1907). Epic India: India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Asian Educational Services. p. 299. ISBN 9788120615649. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  24. ↑ Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1838). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839. Fisher, Son & Co.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1838). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839. Fisher, Son & Co. p. 21.
  25. ↑ [1]
  26. ↑ "How have the floods affected Mount Abu?". The Hindu. 29 July 2022.
  27. ↑ "राजस्थान में पारा माइनस 7 डिग्री पर पहुंचा:नल का पानी जमा; लद्दाख से भी ठंडा माउंट आबू, 28 साल का रिकॉर्ड टूटा". Dainik Bhaskar. 15 January 2023.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M173. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  29. ↑ "Station: Abu Climatological Table 1981–2010" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1981–2010. India Meteorological Department. January 2015. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Mount Abu City Population Census 2011 - Rajasthan". www.census2011.co.in. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  31. ↑ Mehra, Satya Prakash; Sharma, Sarita; Mathur, Reena (2005). "Munias of Mount Abu (Rajasthan, India) with special emphasis on Green Avadavat Amandava formosa" (PDF). Indian BIRDS. 1 (4): 77–79.
  32. ↑ "Nature Tourism at Abu Hills (Rajasthan, India): Conservation and Livelihood". PANORAMA Solutions. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  33. ↑ Zutshi, Sahil; Collar, Nigel J.; Marsden, Stuart J. (2026). "Distribution and habitat selection of the threatened Green Avadavat Amandava formosa at Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India". Bird Conservation International. 36: e30. doi:10.1017/S0959270926100628.

Sources

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