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| General Information |
Location: Mount Abu
(509 km from Jaipur)
Date: 1st - 3rd June
Population: 20000
STD code: 02974
Famous for: Only hill resort of Rajasthan
and Dilwara temples.
Temp: 30C - 20C
Rainfall: No
Airport: Air Strip
(Aburoad 22 Kms)
Regular Flights from
(Nearest Udaipur 185 km)
Getting There: By road
Shopping: handicarfts, textile and other
items.
Next Year: 1st - 3rd June 2003
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| About the Fair & Festivals |
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Mount
Abu- Fairs & Festivals organised by Tourism Department
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Summer
Festival - (1-3 June)
The Summer Festival is held every year in the
month of Aashadh (June). The steep rocks, tranquil lakes,
picturesque locations and the pleasant climate of Mount
Abu make it an ideal location for the festival.
The three-day festival is a feast of folk and classical
music and a window to the tribal life and culture of Rajasthan
The festival begins with the singing of a ballad, which
is followed by Gair, Ghoomar and Daph folk dances, which
enthrall the spectators.
Sporting events such as the boat race on the Nakki Lake
add variety to the festival. The Sham-e-Qawwali is a much-awaited
musical extravaganza, as renowned qawwals regale the audience.
The grand finale of the festival is a display of dazzling
fireworks, which adds to the tourist's delight.
A special occassion for the hill resort,
as the people throne from all parts of the country to escape
the sizzling heat of the plains, and rejuvenate their snapping
energies. They are treated to one of the most exotic festival
which lingers in their minds for long.
Gangaur Festival - (March - April)
A festival for young maids and married,
dedicated to Gauri, the incarnation of Goddess Parvati.
Women pray for prosperity and long life of their husbands,
while girls seek good husbands from the goddess. A colourful
procession are taken out with pomp and gaiety.
Gangaur hold a special place for
the Garasia tribal, inhabitants of the Siorhi - Mt. Abu
region. They celebrate this festival over one month. The
unusal and interesting feature of their celebration is the
procession of the Gangaur image from village to village.
The tribal youth get an opportunity to meet and mingle freely,
select a life partner of their choice and marry by eloping.
A romantics but stange custom, sanctioned by the society.
Patotasav
- (March)
Celebrated at Shri Raghunathji
Temple.
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| History & places to see |
The history of Mount Abu is as diverse as the
city itself. It was once a part of the Chauhan kingdom
of Rajasthan and served as a summer resort for the Rajput
kings of the region. After that, it was leased by the British
government from the then Maharaja of Sirohi for use as the
headquarter of the resident to Rajputana (another name
for Rajasthan).
During the British rule in India, it
was the favorite summer destination of the British, who came
here to escape the dusty, dry heat of the plains particularly
Rajasthan. It also served as a sanatorium for the troops. The
small huts and cottages here tell stories of those times even
today.
Mount Abu was the home of many saints and sages
in the old days. Legend has it that all the 330 million gods
and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon used to visit this holy
mountain. It is also the place where the great saint Vashishth
lived and performed a yagna (sacrificial worship on a
fire pit) to create four Agnikula (four clans of fire)
to protect the earth from demons. The yagna was
supposed to have been performed near a natural spring, which
emerged from a rock shaped like a cow's head.
According
to another legend, once sage Vashishth's cow Nandini was
trapped in a deep gorge and could not free herself. The sage
appealed to Lord Shiva for assistance. The Lord sent
Saraswati, the divine stream, to help flood the gorge so that
the cow could float up. Vashishth then decided to ensure that
such mishaps did not occur in future. He asked the youngest
son of Himalaya, the king of mountains to fill the chasm
permanently. This he did with the assistance of Arbud, the
mighty snake. This spot came to be known as Mount Arbud
and was later changed to its present form - Mount Abu.
This place is held in reverence by Jains as well since
Jain scriptures record that Lord Mahavira, the 24th Jain
Tirthankar (spiritual leader), also visited Mount Abu
and blessed the city.
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| Places to see |
| There are a number of sites to visit in and
around this small city. Besides being a hill station, Mount
Abu is also regarded as an important pilgrimage site, with the
Dilwara Jain temples, ashrams of saints and some Hindu temples
within its boundaries. The landscapes, mountains and the holy
Nakki Lake are some of the sites that would make the trip to
this place a delight. | |
| Getting there |
| By air |
| Udaipur is the nearest airport to Mount Abu, 185
km away. Tourists can easily opt for various road transport
facilities available at the airport for reaching Mount Abu. A
number of domestic airlines have their scheduled flight to
Udaipur, which connect the city to the major cities in the
country. | |
| By road |
Mount Abu is well-connected by roads, as it is in
close proximity to National Highway No 8 and 14. A small
roadway connects the city to National Highway no 8, which in
turn connects it to major cities like Jodhpur and Delhi. There
is also a good network of roads making it accessible to other
important places in the state.
With good road
conditions you can also travel by private
car/taxi. | |
| By rail |
| The railway station at Abu Road is a two-hour
drive from Mount Abu and is well-connected to the rest of the
country through a number of trains. It is a major stoppage for
a number of important long-distance trains of the Western and
Northern Railways. | |
| Hotels & restaurants |
| Hotels |
| You will not find luxurious 5 star accommodation
in Mount Abu, but you will find good hotels in the range of
2-4 Star hotels. There are many budget hotels also. |
| Restaurants |
| You will find all type of food which includes
Indian, COntinental and Gujarati
Food. | |
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©
All rights reserved,
Designed and Administered by -
National Informatics Centre, Collector
Office, Sirohi
E-mail:dio-sir@raj.nic.in
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