Out of the Desert, Into the Hills
... to the gaudy little town of Mount Abu
Anvar Alikhan
 In the centre of Mount Abu is the Nakki Lake. Its name has a curious origin. The word "Nakki" means fingernails - indicating the fact that this lake was clawed out of the earth by the fingernails of the gods. It is a pretty lake, surrounded by wooded hills and, as in many Indian hill stations, was the focal point of the entire town. Boating here is a popular pastime and there's a pleasant walk along its banks.
Just outside Mount Abu is the Gaumukh Temple. To the Rajputs, this was a kind of Mount Olympus, the site of the great ancient fire rite, out of which thirty six Rajput warrior clans are believed to have been born, in response to the prayers of the Brahmins, in order to rid the country of invading demons.
Nearby, you'll also find the ruins of the 15th century fort of Achalgarh, built by the warrior king, Rana Kumbha. This was one of a girdle of 32 forts that he constructed all around Mewar in order to secure his kingdom against invaders. From its crumbling battlements there is a superb view of the plains below. And from the nearby peak of Guru Shikhar, the highest point in Rajasthan (1,700 metres), there are more dramatic views of the surrounding countryside, of wooded hills and waterfalls and the plains far below.
 A few kilometres north of Mount Abu are the breathtakingly beautiful Jain temples of Dilwara, dating back to the 11th century. They are among the finest temple in India, so intricately and delicately wrought that they look as though they'd been carved out of ivory, rather than marble.
There are two temples, Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi. The Vimal Vasahi temple was built in 1031 AD by Vimal Shah, a minister of Gujarat, to atone for his earthly sins. It is said to have involved a work force of 2,700 men, and taken a total of 14 years to complete. The cost is supposed to have been over Rs. 18 crores - even in those ancient times !
 From the outside the temple is deceptively austere, but as you enter through the ornate doorway, the profusion and intricacy of the marble carvings simply overwhelms you. The columns are covered with carved figures and friezes of scrollwork. The domes and vaults of the ceilings are corbelled and embellished with row upon row of musicians, dancers, warriors, elephants and lotus blossoms. Each of the canopies of the roof is said to have been carved by two workers, one doing either side ... and yet they match perfectly in the center.
The adjacent Luna Vasahi temple was built in 1231 AD, by two wealthy merchants. It is similar in form to the Vimal Vasahi, but is smaller, and its carved ornamentation is even richer, denser and more delicate - resembling the art of paper cutting rather than marble. In some places the marble is carved so finely that it is actually translucent!
 However, the greatest masterpiece in the entire Dilwara complex is the rang mandapa, or main hall, of the Luna Vasahi. From its ceiling hangs a clustered marble pendant of unsurpassed richness and delicacy. Someone described it as a "cluster of crystal drops", which sounds overly poetic, but in the circumstances, is entirely appropriate.
The temples of Dilwara are an absolute "must" for anybody visiting India - perhaps even more so than the Taj Mahal.
As for Mount Abu itself, it's an interesting little hill station - even if it has
become a trifle kitschy today. But the Dilwara temples make the visit well worth your while.
Fast Facts
How to get there: Mount Abu is accessible only by road. The quickest way to get to Mount Abu is to fly into Ahmedabad from where it is a two and a half hour drive by car. It is also possible to get to Mount Abu by bus from Ahmedabad; a four to five hour journey. Or one can travel by rail from Ahmedabad upto Abu Road from where taxis are available to ferry Mount Abu bound tourists; 30 minute journey.
When to go: Shoot for a day in late spring -- March or April. Mount Abu does get mildly warm in summer but the weather is still very bearable. Winters are rather cold in this hill sation and one needs to really bundle up.
Where to stay: Mount Abu has a whole range of hotels. Some are very reasonable and still offer a standard double room with attached bath. It is very atmospheric to stay in any of the hotels housed in palaces or mansions in the town. Try any of the hotels listed below:
 - Palace Hotel, Bikaner House, tel # 02974-3121,38673 fax # 02974-38674. The Bombay booking office number is 022-4926579. Or in Ahmedabad at 0272-6759552: A hotel housed in the palace that belongs to the Bikaner royal family, this is a great place to stay. Atmospheric, historic and all that... and expensive. Room rates can run as high as Rs 800 or more per night. However the Palace is offering a special summer package. See the picture on the right.
- Sunrise Hotel, tel # 3573, fax # 3775: Splendidly located in the hill top Bharatpur Kothi, the Sunrise is a beautiful place to stay. Another heritage hotel. Expensive.
- Tourist Guest House, tel # 3200: A modest hotel with rooms located around a courtyard, the Tourist Guest House has about adequate facilities. Very reasonable.
- Hillock Hotel, Mt Abu Road, tel # 3277, fax # 3467: New, clean and comfortable. Has an in-house restaurant and bar. Moderately expensive.
- RTDC Shikar, tel # 3219, fax # 3526: All types of accommodation are available at this state tourism department run hotel - cottages, dorms and standard rooms. But this hotel is nothing to write home about.
Where to eat: Instead of going for the standard "deluxe hotel" fare it is advisable to check out the local cusine. Visit all the roadside dhabas where piping hot Rajasthani dal-batee is available or try a vegetarian Gujarati thali available at restaurants like Aangan on the Nakki Lake Road.
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