The Road to Mount Abu is a well-known scenic route that passes through the Aravalli Range and the heart of Rajasthan. Travelers who value the finer points of a road trip will find the journey to be the ideal destination because it offers a distinctive combination of natural beauty, cultural significance, and historical significance.
Where is Mount Abu located in India?
Mount Abu is a city at the end of the Aravalli range in Rajasthan, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Udaipur.
This location is known as a great place of pilgrimage in Jainism. It is also the only mountain station in Rajasthan.
Larger towns nearby are Udaipur and Ahmedabad.
You can locate the road on the map below:
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Why is Mount Abu popular?
The journey’s final stop, Mount Abu, is a well-known hill town situated in the state of Rajasthan. It draws tourists from all over the world due to its stunning natural beauty, extensive cultural heritage, and spiritual significance.
Charming towns, breathtaking vistas, and historical sites are all along the Road to Mount Abu and just waiting to be discovered. The rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan, including its traditional architecture, music, and cuisine, can be explored by tourists along the way.
The region has a relatively cool climate and views the arid plains below.
What is the history of Mount Abu?
From the end of the 10th century to 1320, Mount Abu was the center of a vassal kingdom of Paramara, of capital Chandravati, and whose first raja, Aranyaraja was the son of a Paramâra of Malva.
This place has been one of the most important pilgrimage centers of Jainism since the 11th century and there are many white marble Jain temples.
The oldest is Vimal Vasahi, build in 1031 by Vimal Shah and dedicated to the first Tirthankara. The second one is, the Lun Vasahi, build in 1231 by the brothers Vastupal and Tejpal, ministers of Vir Dhawal, a râja from Gujarat belonging to the Porwal Jain community.
Located about 1220 meters (4000 feet) above sea level on Lake Nakki, Mount Abu has been a favorite vacation spot for the region’s aristocracy for hundreds of years. As evidenced by the honeymoon trip of the famous Hindu emperor Prithviraj Chauhan in 1778.
It is, however, during the British Raj that the city knows an important tourist development. Indeed it became the capital of the agency of Rajputana. It was also the place of residence of the Residents (colonial representative), and sheltered many sanatoriums for the troops fleeing the unbearable heat of the Indian summer.
The princely families of the various Rajput states (such as Jaipur, Kishangarh, Bharatpur, or Bikaner) had summer palaces on the banks and at the heights of the city.
How to get to Mount Abu?
The majority of tourists come from Rajasthan itself and neighboring Gujarat. The city is only accessible by road. It has a bus station where buses leave for most of the major cities in the state. The road to Mount Abu starts in Pandoori.
Indeed, the nearest station is Mount Abu Road and the closest airport is Udaipur.
Here is an article about another road in India : Mumbai to Pune Expressway.
You can visualize how to get there on this map of the drive:
A preview of the drive:
If you don’t have the possibility to travel to Rajasthan, or you just want to watch a video of it, you can obviously just take a look at this video on Youtube :
Is Mount Abu road open?
The road is open all year round. Although, always check the weather before driving there as it is a zone known for its speed-changing weather conditions.
Also, be aware of other people: as it is a tourist place, many tourists park on the road which can obstruct the passage. It can create dangerous situations. You could find many hotels near Abu road for your accommodation.
Today, Mount Abu is mostly frequented by tourists during the Indian summer holidays. The winter months are also an important time. It should also be noted that important pilgrimages are organized according to religious festivals which can cause big traffic jams. Also, in recent years, ecotourism has been on the rise in the region, focused on-mountain activities such as hiking and wildlife observation.
Pictures sources: By Camaal Mustafa Sikander aka Lens Naayak – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40356908 / By Andreas Kleemann – Own work (Original text: eigene Fotografie), CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22820800
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