:Mount Abu

The ancient name of Mount Abu is Arbuda.{{cite book |editor=Ganga Ram Garg |title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World (Ar-Az) |volume=3 |year=1992 |publisher=Concept |page=587 |isbn=9788170223733 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0U2QRpDv2KMC }} 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.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FIIQhuAOGaIC&pg=PA24 |page=24 |title=The State at War in South Asia

|publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=2005 |isbn=9780803213449}}{{cite book|title=Series-16 Indian History–Medieval India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K7ZZzk8cXh8C&pg=PA6|publisher=Upkar Prakashan|page=6}} Achalgarh Fort is one of more attractive place which was built by Parmar kings.{{cite book|last=Naravane|first=M. S.|title=The Gurjar & Gujjar: A Glimpse of Medieval Rajasthan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lF0FvjG3GWEC|year=1999|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-7648-118-2}} 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.

The conquest of Mount Abu in 1311 CE by Rao Lumba of the Deora-Chauhan dynasty.{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Jaipur Junction |url=https://www.jaipurjunction.in/tourism/#:~:text=The%20conquest%20of%20Mount%20Abu,Shasmal%20made%20Sirohi%20his%20headquarters. |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=www.jaipurjunction.in}} 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 Maharaja of Sirohi for use as the headquarters.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}{{Clarify|reason=Headquarters for what?|date=May 2022}}

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.{{cite book|title=Tilakamañjarī of Dhanapāla: a critical and cultural study|author=Sudarśana Śarmā|publisher=Parimal Publications|year=2002|page=214}} According to one theory, this Gurdhara or land of the gurus got corrupted with time and became Gurjara.{{cite book|title=The History and Culture of the Indian People: The classical age|author1=Ramesh Chandra Majumdar|author2=Achut Dattatrya Pusalker|author3=A. K. Majumdar|author4=Dilip Kumar Ghose|author5=Vishvanath Govind Dighe|author6=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|year=1977|page=153}}{{qn|date=December 2022}}

A municipality was established at Abu in 1864; it had six members nominated by the Agent to the Governor General (AGG).{{cite book |author=Rima Hooja |title=A History of Rajasthan |year=2006 |publisher=Rupa |isbn=9788129108906 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tosMAQAAMAAJ |page=1166}}

File:Delwada.jpg ]]

File: Sunset at Mount Abu.jpg

File:Shooting_Point,_Mount_Abu.jpg

Mount Abu town, the only hill station in Rajasthan, is at an elevation of {{convert|1220|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. 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 the solid rock; the Shri Raghunathji Temple; and a 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 of the 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, Achal Fort Jain Temple, Shantinath Jain Temple (1513) is equally famous.

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

The mountain is also the home to a number of Jain temples including Dilwara Temples, a complex of temples carved out of white marble. The Dilwara Temples or Delvada Temples are located about 2½ kilometers from the Mount Abu town. These Jain temples were built by Vimal Shah and designed by Vastupala, Jain ministers of Dholka,{{cite web|url=http://philae.sas.upenn.edu/Hindi/hindipix.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410073055/http://philae.sas.upenn.edu/Hindi/hindipix.html|title=IMAGES OF NORTHERN INDIA|archive-date=2009-04-10|access-date=2009-03-13|url-status=dead}} between the 11th and 16th centuries and are famous for their use of white marble and intricate marble carvings.{{Sfn|Shah|1995|p=17}} They are a pilgrimage place of the Jains, and a popular general tourist attraction. The temples have an opulent entranceway, the simplicity in architecture reflecting Jain values like honesty and frugality.{{sfn|Kumar|2001|p=9}} Minutely-carved ornamental detail covers the ceilings, doorways, pillars, and panels.{{Sfn|Jain|2009|p=271}}

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.{{Sfn|Coolidge|1880|p=149}} All five temples are enclosed within a single high walled 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 all the five legendary marble temples of Dilwara, the most famous of those are the Vimal Vasahi and the Luna Vasahi temples.{{Sfn|Balfour|1885|p=948}}{{Sfn|Kumar|2001|p=67}}

In Mount Abu, the faith community of Brahma Kumaris has its spiritual headquarters, which are represented by its own account in 110 countries.{{cite web | url=http://www.brahmakumaris.org/whoweare/headquarters | title=Brahma Kumaris - Introduction | access-date =2013-11-20 |website=brahmakumaris.org}} Every year about 2.5 million visitors are supposed to visit the sprawling campus of that spiritual movement. The Brahma Kumaris ashram has a museum that displays the knowledge that Lord Shiva gave to the Prajapita Brahma. The 50-acre land also provides ample space for meditation and spiritual learning as well as to connect yourself to the stunning, undisturbed natural surroundings.

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.{{Cite journal|last1=Prajapati|first1=Utkarsh|last2=Koli|first2=Vijay Kumar|last3=Sundar|first3=K.S. Gopi|date=2021|title=Vulnerable sloth bears are attracted to human food waste: a novel situation in Mount Abu town, India|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/oryx/article/vulnerable-sloth-bears-are-attracted-to-human-food-waste-a-novel-situation-in-mount-abu-town-india/BFE58C39E33FD05AFE5BBC36F36CEA1D|journal=Oryx|volume=Online first|publisher=Cambridge University Press}}

Arbuda Mountains is a mountain range described in the epic Mahabharata. It is identified to be Mount Abu. This mountain is mentioned in the travels of Arjuna during his twelve-year pilgrimage.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dmOUq73LZLgC&dq=arbuda+mountains&pg=PA299 |page=299 |title=Epic India: India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana |first=Chintaman Vinayak |last=Vaidya |publisher=Asian Educational Services |year=1907 |isbn=9788120615649}}

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. {{cite book|last =Landon|first=Letitia Elizabeth|title=Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839|url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ufpcAAAAcAAJ&pg=GBS.PA10-IA44|section=picture|year=1838|publisher=Fisher, Son & Co.}}{{cite book|last =Landon|first=Letitia Elizabeth|title=Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839|url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ufpcAAAAcAAJ&pg=GBS.PA10-IA48|section=poetical illustration|page=21|year=1838|publisher=Fisher, Son & Co.}}

{{wikisource|Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839/Hindoo Temples on the Mountain-Lake of Aboo|'Hindoo Temples on the Mountain-Lake of Aboo', a poem by L. E. L.}}

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 {{convert|500|mm|in|0|disp=or}} per month falling in July and August. While it still has hot summers, the summers aren't as extreme due to the altitude, and the monsoon actually sees relatively comfortable temperatures ({{convert|24|to|30|C|F|0|disp=or}}).The average annual precipitation of Mount Abu is {{convert|1554|mm|in|0|disp=or}}.{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/how-have-the-floods-affected-mount-abu/article19386496.ece|title=How have the floods affected Mount Abu?|newspaper=The Hindu|date=29 July 2022}}

Winters are pleasant in Mount Abu, with the mercury hovering around {{convert|13|to|22|°C|°F|1}}. Mornings are chilly, and the average minimum temperature is around {{convert|3|to|12|°C|1}}. The temperature has dipped to as low as {{convert|−7.4|°C|1|disp=or}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/jaipur/news/hands-numb-from-cold-tap-water-frozen-record-breaking-cold-in-abu-and-fatehpur-130800971.html|title=राजस्थान में पारा माइनस 7 डिग्री पर पहुंचा:नल का पानी जमा; लद्दाख से भी ठंडा माउंट आबू, 28 साल का रिकॉर्ड टूटा|date=Jan 15, 2023|work=Dainik Bhaskar}} Heavy winter clothing is preferable. In the daytime, light pullovers are sufficient.

{{Weather box

| location = Mount Abu (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020)

| metric first = yes

| single line = yes

| Jan record high C = 29.0

| Feb record high C = 30.6

| Mar record high C = 39.6

| Apr record high C = 38.8

| May record high C = 40.4

| Jun record high C = 38.4

| Jul record high C = 35.0

| Aug record high C = 31.1

| Sep record high C = 33.0

| Oct record high C = 33.6

| Nov record high C = 30.4

| Dec record high C = 34.2

| year record high C = 40.6

| Jan high C = 19.6

| Feb high C = 22.6

| Mar high C = 26.9

| Apr high C = 30.9

| May high C = 32.5

| Jun high C = 30.3

| Jul high C = 25.0

| Aug high C = 23.6

| Sep high C = 25.5

| Oct high C = 27.5

| Nov high C = 24.4

| Dec high C = 21.8

| year high C = 25.9

| Jan low C = 2.9

| Feb low C = 5.5

| Mar low C = 10.4

| Apr low C = 15.3

| May low C = 18.3

| Jun low C = 18.2

| Jul low C = 17.1

| Aug low C = 16.2

| Sep low C = 15.5

| Oct low C = 11.9

| Nov low C = 7.1

| Dec low C = 3.8

| year low C = 11.9

| Jan record low C = -7.0

| Feb record low C = -5.8

| Mar record low C = 0.4

| Apr record low C = 4.4

| May record low C = 10.0

| Jun record low C = 13.0

| Jul record low C = 10.0

| Aug record low C = 10.6

| Sep record low C = 6.4

| Oct record low C = 3.4

| Nov record low C = -0.4

| Dec record low C = -7.4

| year record low C = -7.4

| rain colour = green

| Jan rain mm = 1.9

| Feb rain mm = 1.2

| Mar rain mm = 2.2

| Apr rain mm = 4.0

| May rain mm = 3.7

| Jun rain mm = 65.3

| Jul rain mm = 601.9

| Aug rain mm = 463.1

| Sep rain mm = 220.0

| Oct rain mm = 23.0

| Nov rain mm = 1.4

| Dec rain mm = 1.6

| year rain mm = 1389.3

| Jan rain days = 0.3

| Feb rain days = 0.1

| Mar rain days = 0.1

| Apr rain days = 0.3

| May rain days = 0.3

| Jun rain days = 3.3

| Jul rain days = 14.6

| Aug rain days = 14.5

| Sep rain days = 6.6

| Oct rain days = 0.8

| Nov rain days = 0.2

| Dec rain days = 0.2

| year rain days = 41.3

|time day = 17:30 IST

| Jan humidity = 49

| Feb humidity = 42

| Mar humidity = 37

| Apr humidity = 37

| May humidity = 41

| Jun humidity = 56

| Jul humidity = 86

| Aug humidity = 91

| Sep humidity = 78

| Oct humidity = 56

| Nov humidity = 52

| Dec humidity = 50

|year humidity = 55

|source 1 = India Meteorological Department

{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205040301/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf

| archive-date = 5 February 2020

| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf

| title = Station: Abu Climatological Table 1981–2010

| work = Climatological Normals 1981–2010

| publisher = India Meteorological Department

| date = January 2015

| pages = 1–2

| access-date = 18 February 2020}}

{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205042509/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf

| archive-date = 5 February 2020

| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf

| title = Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)

| publisher = India Meteorological Department

| date = December 2016

| page = M173

| access-date = 18 February 2020}}

}}

• Winter Festival at Mount Abu

According to the 2011 Census of India, Mount Abu 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 Mount Abu, 12.34% of the population is under 6 years of age.{{Cite web|url=http://www.census2011.co.in/data/town/800557-mount-abu-rajasthan.html|title=Mount Abu City Population Census 2011 - Rajasthan|website=www.census2011.co.in|access-date=2017-06-22}}

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

File:Dilwara Prashvantha Temple.jpg|Parshvanatha Temple at Dilwara group of temples

File:Jain temple Mt.Abu.jpg|Marble sculpture of Dilwara Temples

File:Kalpavruksha page.jpg|Kalpavriksha or Kalpavruksha page in Dilwada Jain Temple

File:Nakki Lake.jpg|Nakki Lake after sunset

File:Brahma Kumari foundation Head Quarter at Mount Abu.jpg|Brahma Kumari foundation headquarters at Mount Abu

File:Nakki Lake from Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary.JPG|Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary covers 290 km² of mountains, forests and lake.

File:Turtle Shape Rock.jpg| Turtle-shaped rock near Nakki Lake.

File:Toad rock (Mount Abu).jpg|Toad rock on a hill near Nakki Lake.

File:Monkeys near Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India.jpg|Monkeys near Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India

File:Mount Abu in Monsoon.jpg|Mount Abu in Monsoon

File:Jaipur House at Mount Abu, Rajasthan.jpg|Former royal residence of the royal family of Jaipur. Now, a five-star hotel.

• Sacred mountains of India

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{{commons category}}

{{EB1911 poster|Abu}}

• [http://www.npsin.in/mandir/Shri-Achaleshwar-Mahadev-Mandir Shri Achaleshwar Mahadev Mandir]
• [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/24/Abu.html Mount Abu Coordinates]
• [http://ourvillageindia.org/Place.aspx?PID=435608 Mount Abu Population]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150109133926/http://www.virbhoomi.com/winter-festival-begins-mount-abu-tomorrow/ Abu Winter Festival]
• [http://www.sameershah.com/mountabu/ Mount Abu Panorama]
• {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Abu |short=x}}

{{Sirohi district}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Hill stations in Rajasthan

Category:Cities and towns in Sirohi district

Category:Hindu holy cities

Abu

Category:Tourism in Rajasthan

Category:Aravalli Range

Category:Jain pilgrimage sites

Category:Tourist attractions in Sirohi district