Mount Abu

Mount Abu, Rajasthan’s only hill station, rises from the Aravalli Range near the Gujarat border. In ancient times it was known as Arbuda or Arbudaranya (“forest of Arbuda”) and is linked in legend to the sage Vashistha and to a serpent named Arbuda who saved Shiva’s bull Nandi, giving the mountain its sacred aura.

Early inhabitants included Bhil and Naga tribes; later the region was ruled by local chiefs and then the Paramar/Parmar line, who fortified nearby Achalgarh and patronised temples. Over centuries Mount Abu lay within wider Rajputana politics, at times under Chauhan and Sisodia influence. It became revered by Jains; between the 11th and 13th centuries, wealthy patrons built the exquisite Dilwara Jain Temples, which turned the plateau into a major pilgrimage centre.

Under the British, Mount Abu developed as a summer resort and sanatorium for the Rajputana Agency, mirroring Shimla’s role in the Himalayas. After Independence it remained a popular retreat and spiritual centre, also hosting the Brahma Kumaris world headquarters. Today Mount Abu town, around Nakki Lake, blends resort, pilgrimage and wildlife, with the surrounding highlands protected as Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary.