Being the only hill station within driving range from Ahmedabad and a weekend off and a new car on hand for the run, there was nothing to do but to pack our bags and spend the weekend in Mount Abu. It was like an opportunity had been handed to us on a platter and all we had to do was take it and that is exactly what we did. It is about 228 Klms away from Ahmedabad and the road is said to be fantastic. We have been to Mount Abu so many times but every time has been an experience better than the last. We have in our earlier days with friends made this trip on Bikes and to recent times also(Refer to the travelogue BIKING TO MOUNT ABU) It being the monsoon season we were extra cautious and started early about 6 in the morning on Saturday as we wanted to avoid any delays or reroutes. In this journey we were accompanied by our family friend and his family which consisted of his son and wife, Kiran Uncle, Jagruti Aunty, Keyur their son & my mom.
We took the route that took us from Kalol, Mehsana, Siddhpur, Palanpur but enroute we decided to take a short 56 klms detour and go visit the famed temple at Ambaji. We stopped at the famous restaurant in Palanpur called WAY WAIT. We all had knickknacks to eat and started on our way. There r 2 ways that comes after Palanpur 1 goes towards the Rajasthan border and the other towards AMBAJI. Take the turn right after passing Palanpur and this road leads to Ambaji. This is a famed temple of the Goddess Ambe Ma also known as Sherawali in the north. The temple is beautiful and we took the blessings and said our prayers and headed towards our destination of Mount Abu. There is a back road from Ambaji that goes to Abu Road; this is the land point and the train head to reach Mount Abu which is 27 Klms from Abu Road. We reached Abu Road mid day and were greeted by the usual rail crossing which we have experienced always closed and this time was no different. Agonizing wait for 20 mins and negotiating traffic from the other side as they would not scratch my new car we reached the slopes which is a climb of 25 klms. Switching off the air conditioner in the car we started to climb. Slow and steady kilometers started to wipe off on the milestones and we reached a temple of Hanumanji which is famed by tales of which people say when 1 asks for something here it comes true and yr wishes r fulfilled, so we stopped here and said our prayers and headed to mount Abu, we reached the check post and paid the entry tax to mount Abu, this is used to upkeep the hill station and pay for the repairing and rebuilding the roads and civil services.
After paying the tax we head to our guest house which was pre arranged by Kiran uncle and we headed directly towards it which I had seen before so we did not need to ask for directions. We reached the guest house and checked into a room which was a suite room and we were informed our lunch was ready and we were very hungry and we hogged like mad the fare was basic Daal – Chawal, Roti - Subji simple but tasty. Came back the room and rested for some time and then decided to go for a picnic. Packed all our picnic gear which we were already carrying from home which consisted of snacks, cold drinks, ice and Orange flavored vodka and headed to this amazing picnic spot named JAWAI VIEW POINT(AKA AAMIR KHAN SPOT in our group) enroute to Gurushikhar the highest point of the Aravali Mountain Range which also houses a Temple and a mountain observatory owned and operated by the Space Department. This picnic spot has some gazebos on the side of the road which are covered and they over look a valley. Knowing it is the monsoon season we predicted that we would meet with dense fog at the picnic spot and we wanted it that way, the moment we reached the spot it was covered in dense fog, the fog was rolling and it kept coming and going which added to the beauty even more. Mom set up shop and started with the snacks and the drinks, this was a pleasurable 3 hours we spent here after listening to music and photos in all poses imaginable we decided to pack up and go to town and spend the evening in and around the Nakki lake. Legend has it that this small lake, virtually in the center of Mount Abu, was scooped out by god using only his nails, or nakh. Some Hindus thus believe it to be a holy lake. The lake is surrounded by hills, parks and strange rock formations. The best known, Toad Rock, looks just like a toad about to hop into the lake. There are two ways to go up and down the rock; to climb the rocky hill side or to use the steps leading down to Nakki Lake. At the cross junction of Nakki lake we decided to go the other way to ANADRA Point which is very famous for its views and the mountains end here and all u can see till yr eye can see is endless landmass also u can see the sun set here every evening if the clouds permit, we were not so lucky as it was the monsoon season and there was heavy cloud cover but we could see the beautiful valley beyond this point. Again the photo secession began and after snapping endless photos we finally decided to go into town and have dinner and try our hand the traditional Rajasthani dish called DAL – BATTI which was superb, having visited Mount Abu so many times I already knew which restaurant to go to. We immediately went to that restaurant and ordered our food which was served piping hot and in the traditional way we were very hungry so ate like there was no tomorrow, with food in our tummies and an expense of Rs.158 for 5 people we headed to our guest house and decided to call it a evening and relax there only. Reaching the guest house we took hot showers as the weather had become cold and we needed to freshen up. All squeaky clean we all decided to play cards and judgment was the game for the evening. Around 11 every1 tired from the long journey from Ahmedabadand being out all day in and around were tired so called it a night. Sleep came very easily to me having driven over 300 klms in a day.
I had purposely put an alarm in my cell phone for 5:30 in the morning so I can get up and go to the lake and see the fog and experience the morning freshness of the mountain air. My alarm rang and I got up, kiran uncle was also awake by that time and inquired y I got up this early I told him my plan to which he also wanted in, he woke up aunty also and we all 3 headed to the lake in the car for hot BOURNVITA and BATATA POHA at lucky tea centre which is like an institution and 1 has to drink bournvita and eat poha here for sure. This is exactly opposite to the lake garden entrance and falls on the right hand side once u climb down the market slope. We reached and it was densely covered in fog. Lucky tea stall was still setting up shop for which we decided we would wait. Parked our car and uncle said he wanted to take a walk to which we all agreed. After taking a short 20 minute walk we came to lucky and he had already started to prepare his fare and we ordered tea and bournvita as well as poha for me. Having gobbled that down and making plans for the day to what is to be done today we went to the guest house and woke up mom and keyur they were still sleeping. The plan for the day was to visit the famous Dilwara Jain Temples. Dilwara Jain temples are 2.5 km away from the Mount Abu, which in ancient Hindu and Jain scriptures is referred to as Arbudgiri. The Dilwara temples were dedicated to the Jain tirthankars and also served as storehouses of illustrated manuscripts and treatises. The temples at Mount Abu were constructed between 800 AD and 1200 AD. Traditionally, Gujarat and Rajasthan were the centers of the merchants and princes and became great centers of architectural activities. Vimala Shah, Vastu Pala and Teja Pala contributed a lot toward the development of Jain art and architecture. The Jain temples at Mount Abu are built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. The earliest temple of this group can be dated back to the same period as Brihadeeswar temple at Thanjur in Tamil Nadu. The inscription at Mount Abu suggests that it was basically the seat of Shaivism and Jainism made its appearance in the 11th century AD.
It was 11 am by the time every1 got ready, we packed our knick knacks in the car and headed to the temple which is very very famous for its sculptures in marble dated in the times when there was no computer aided design, no modern tools and only mode of transport was 2 or 4 feet. We entered the temple and there r volunteers in the temple who would explain what is what something like a tour guide and 1 needs to pay them when the tour ends the rates are Rs.10 per person, the complex is huge and without a tour guide u would be lost as it needs to be explained how everything was made and what all the carving is about. A highly recommended place to see and experience if u r in Mount Abu. A good 2 hours passed within the temple and we came out it started to drizzle a little, we headed to the car and we all were very hungry so decided to head to the lake to have lunch, Mount Abu is like any other hill station in India, A lake, Market, Restaurants in and around that place and hotels all around. We headed to a restaurant named ARBUDA near the main taxi parking, we ordered various dishes and had them to our fill and as we were worn out we headed to the hotel for some rest and relaxation. Rested for some time and then headed out to the lake as mom and aunty wanted to do some shopping and browsing in the market, the ladies as usual stop at each and every shop and do not buy anything which was bugging me and I decided to go it alone with keyur so we headed to this pizza joint called US pizza outside the MAHARAJA hotel and ordered personal pizzas which he made in front of us and we enjoyed it sitting on the walls of the polo ground. Got 1 packed for the ladies and headed to meet them near the lake they were also hungry so they ate the pizza quickly and then we decided to go to the lake garden for another photo secession of every1 together. There I met a school friend who I was in school with since I was a small kid I think in the KG class. It was good catching up. We ended up spending the evening near the lake and just sitting around and gossiping and making merry.
It was around 7:30 pm to which Kiran uncle said that we need to be heading back to the guest house as dinner was ordered there and we had to be there by 8:30 to have dinner on time, so we said good bye to the lake and the people there and headed to the guest house and freshened up and had a wholesome dinner consisting of Bhakri, Kadhi, Khichdi and Subji which was filling and soul food. After dinner we headed to the room to pack as we had to leave for Ahmadabad the next day morning.
This trip was rejuvenating and help us ease the stress and the daily problems we have in our lives. Mount Abu is like a magical place and the best thing it is in reach of Ahmadabad to which we can go easily when a long weekend is heading our way. Best time to visit Mount Abu is in the monsoons and the winter pack yr bags accordingly as it rains all the time in the monsoons and dips well below zero in the winters.
We took the route that took us from Kalol, Mehsana, Siddhpur, Palanpur but enroute we decided to take a short 56 klms detour and go visit the famed temple at Ambaji. We stopped at the famous restaurant in Palanpur called WAY WAIT. We all had knickknacks to eat and started on our way. There r 2 ways that comes after Palanpur 1 goes towards the Rajasthan border and the other towards AMBAJI. Take the turn right after passing Palanpur and this road leads to Ambaji. This is a famed temple of the Goddess Ambe Ma also known as Sherawali in the north. The temple is beautiful and we took the blessings and said our prayers and headed towards our destination of Mount Abu. There is a back road from Ambaji that goes to Abu Road; this is the land point and the train head to reach Mount Abu which is 27 Klms from Abu Road. We reached Abu Road mid day and were greeted by the usual rail crossing which we have experienced always closed and this time was no different. Agonizing wait for 20 mins and negotiating traffic from the other side as they would not scratch my new car we reached the slopes which is a climb of 25 klms. Switching off the air conditioner in the car we started to climb. Slow and steady kilometers started to wipe off on the milestones and we reached a temple of Hanumanji which is famed by tales of which people say when 1 asks for something here it comes true and yr wishes r fulfilled, so we stopped here and said our prayers and headed to mount Abu, we reached the check post and paid the entry tax to mount Abu, this is used to upkeep the hill station and pay for the repairing and rebuilding the roads and civil services.
After paying the tax we head to our guest house which was pre arranged by Kiran uncle and we headed directly towards it which I had seen before so we did not need to ask for directions. We reached the guest house and checked into a room which was a suite room and we were informed our lunch was ready and we were very hungry and we hogged like mad the fare was basic Daal – Chawal, Roti - Subji simple but tasty. Came back the room and rested for some time and then decided to go for a picnic. Packed all our picnic gear which we were already carrying from home which consisted of snacks, cold drinks, ice and Orange flavored vodka and headed to this amazing picnic spot named JAWAI VIEW POINT(AKA AAMIR KHAN SPOT in our group) enroute to Gurushikhar the highest point of the Aravali Mountain Range which also houses a Temple and a mountain observatory owned and operated by the Space Department. This picnic spot has some gazebos on the side of the road which are covered and they over look a valley. Knowing it is the monsoon season we predicted that we would meet with dense fog at the picnic spot and we wanted it that way, the moment we reached the spot it was covered in dense fog, the fog was rolling and it kept coming and going which added to the beauty even more. Mom set up shop and started with the snacks and the drinks, this was a pleasurable 3 hours we spent here after listening to music and photos in all poses imaginable we decided to pack up and go to town and spend the evening in and around the Nakki lake. Legend has it that this small lake, virtually in the center of Mount Abu, was scooped out by god using only his nails, or nakh. Some Hindus thus believe it to be a holy lake. The lake is surrounded by hills, parks and strange rock formations. The best known, Toad Rock, looks just like a toad about to hop into the lake. There are two ways to go up and down the rock; to climb the rocky hill side or to use the steps leading down to Nakki Lake. At the cross junction of Nakki lake we decided to go the other way to ANADRA Point which is very famous for its views and the mountains end here and all u can see till yr eye can see is endless landmass also u can see the sun set here every evening if the clouds permit, we were not so lucky as it was the monsoon season and there was heavy cloud cover but we could see the beautiful valley beyond this point. Again the photo secession began and after snapping endless photos we finally decided to go into town and have dinner and try our hand the traditional Rajasthani dish called DAL – BATTI which was superb, having visited Mount Abu so many times I already knew which restaurant to go to. We immediately went to that restaurant and ordered our food which was served piping hot and in the traditional way we were very hungry so ate like there was no tomorrow, with food in our tummies and an expense of Rs.158 for 5 people we headed to our guest house and decided to call it a evening and relax there only. Reaching the guest house we took hot showers as the weather had become cold and we needed to freshen up. All squeaky clean we all decided to play cards and judgment was the game for the evening. Around 11 every1 tired from the long journey from Ahmedabadand being out all day in and around were tired so called it a night. Sleep came very easily to me having driven over 300 klms in a day.
I had purposely put an alarm in my cell phone for 5:30 in the morning so I can get up and go to the lake and see the fog and experience the morning freshness of the mountain air. My alarm rang and I got up, kiran uncle was also awake by that time and inquired y I got up this early I told him my plan to which he also wanted in, he woke up aunty also and we all 3 headed to the lake in the car for hot BOURNVITA and BATATA POHA at lucky tea centre which is like an institution and 1 has to drink bournvita and eat poha here for sure. This is exactly opposite to the lake garden entrance and falls on the right hand side once u climb down the market slope. We reached and it was densely covered in fog. Lucky tea stall was still setting up shop for which we decided we would wait. Parked our car and uncle said he wanted to take a walk to which we all agreed. After taking a short 20 minute walk we came to lucky and he had already started to prepare his fare and we ordered tea and bournvita as well as poha for me. Having gobbled that down and making plans for the day to what is to be done today we went to the guest house and woke up mom and keyur they were still sleeping. The plan for the day was to visit the famous Dilwara Jain Temples. Dilwara Jain temples are 2.5 km away from the Mount Abu, which in ancient Hindu and Jain scriptures is referred to as Arbudgiri. The Dilwara temples were dedicated to the Jain tirthankars and also served as storehouses of illustrated manuscripts and treatises. The temples at Mount Abu were constructed between 800 AD and 1200 AD. Traditionally, Gujarat and Rajasthan were the centers of the merchants and princes and became great centers of architectural activities. Vimala Shah, Vastu Pala and Teja Pala contributed a lot toward the development of Jain art and architecture. The Jain temples at Mount Abu are built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. The earliest temple of this group can be dated back to the same period as Brihadeeswar temple at Thanjur in Tamil Nadu. The inscription at Mount Abu suggests that it was basically the seat of Shaivism and Jainism made its appearance in the 11th century AD.
It was 11 am by the time every1 got ready, we packed our knick knacks in the car and headed to the temple which is very very famous for its sculptures in marble dated in the times when there was no computer aided design, no modern tools and only mode of transport was 2 or 4 feet. We entered the temple and there r volunteers in the temple who would explain what is what something like a tour guide and 1 needs to pay them when the tour ends the rates are Rs.10 per person, the complex is huge and without a tour guide u would be lost as it needs to be explained how everything was made and what all the carving is about. A highly recommended place to see and experience if u r in Mount Abu. A good 2 hours passed within the temple and we came out it started to drizzle a little, we headed to the car and we all were very hungry so decided to head to the lake to have lunch, Mount Abu is like any other hill station in India, A lake, Market, Restaurants in and around that place and hotels all around. We headed to a restaurant named ARBUDA near the main taxi parking, we ordered various dishes and had them to our fill and as we were worn out we headed to the hotel for some rest and relaxation. Rested for some time and then headed out to the lake as mom and aunty wanted to do some shopping and browsing in the market, the ladies as usual stop at each and every shop and do not buy anything which was bugging me and I decided to go it alone with keyur so we headed to this pizza joint called US pizza outside the MAHARAJA hotel and ordered personal pizzas which he made in front of us and we enjoyed it sitting on the walls of the polo ground. Got 1 packed for the ladies and headed to meet them near the lake they were also hungry so they ate the pizza quickly and then we decided to go to the lake garden for another photo secession of every1 together. There I met a school friend who I was in school with since I was a small kid I think in the KG class. It was good catching up. We ended up spending the evening near the lake and just sitting around and gossiping and making merry.
It was around 7:30 pm to which Kiran uncle said that we need to be heading back to the guest house as dinner was ordered there and we had to be there by 8:30 to have dinner on time, so we said good bye to the lake and the people there and headed to the guest house and freshened up and had a wholesome dinner consisting of Bhakri, Kadhi, Khichdi and Subji which was filling and soul food. After dinner we headed to the room to pack as we had to leave for Ahmadabad the next day morning.
This trip was rejuvenating and help us ease the stress and the daily problems we have in our lives. Mount Abu is like a magical place and the best thing it is in reach of Ahmadabad to which we can go easily when a long weekend is heading our way. Best time to visit Mount Abu is in the monsoons and the winter pack yr bags accordingly as it rains all the time in the monsoons and dips well below zero in the winters.
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