Nakki
lake: It
is said that the small lake in the middle of Abu was
scooped out by God using his Nakh (nail). Today,
Nakki is the throbbing heart of the pleasant town. The
lake is surrounded by hills. There are several parks
around and a major tourist attraction is the strange
rock formations that resemble animals they are named
after. Captivated by the beauty of the lake, a number
of Maharajas built summer houses around it
Viewpoints:
There are various viewpoints around Mount Abu with the
Sunset Point being the most famous. Other popular spots
include Honeymoon Point, The Crags and Robert's Spur.
The
Adhar Devi Temple, only 3 km north of the town,
is an ancient Durga temple built in a natural cleft
in a rock. The place affords excellent views of Mount
Abu.
Nobody
who comes to Mount Abu leaves the place without a mandatory
visit to the famous Dilwara Jain Temples. The
main attraction of Abu, these temples rank amongst the
finest specimens of Jain architecture in India. Of
the two temples, the Vimal Vasahi is the older
one dating back to the 11th century AD. It
is dedicated to the first Tirthankar, Adinath. The later
Tejpal Temple is dedicated to the 22nd
Tirthankar, and was built in 1230 by two brothers, Tejpal
and Vastupal, both ministers of the ruler of Gujarat.
The fantastic intricacy and delicacy of the marble
carvings in the temples is something that has to be
seen to be believed.
The
Brahma Kumaris Spritual University & Museum
attracts hordes of visitors from India and abroad. The
Brahma Kumaris hold that all religions lead to God and
are therefore equally valid. They accordingly put emphasis
on studying principles of all religions. The University's
stated aim is the establishment of universal peace through
spiritual knowledge and training of yoga meditation.
AROUND
ABU :
There
are several places around Abu that are worth visiting.
The Shiva Temple of Achaleshwar Mahandeva at Achalgarh
lies 11 km north of Mt Abu and offers good views of
over the plains. Guru Shikhar, 15 km from Abu
is the highest point in Rajasthan at 1721m. Eight km
from the town, the Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary
harbours panthers, sambars, wildboars and birds.
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