Nestled in the Aravalli range this famed and only hill station in Rajasthan fell so below my expectations. To start with, I was disappointed because I have never seen a hill station so dry…. I could see only rocks and date trees. I can still make peace with that because after all it’s in Rajasthan and frankly I wouldn’t see evergreens there. However, the town itself is extremely small with narrow and relatively dirty streets.
The center point of the town is the Nakki Lake, which has boating facilities and there is horse riding around the lake. There are these shops around the lake selling anything from ice creams to dresses, but the entire place is so crowded that I honestly didn’t see any beauty in the place and it felt like I had landed in some “mela”.
There are these view points, like sunset point and honeymoon point, however t reach these places, you will have to battle out the huge traffic jams created by hoards or cars and pedestrians. With so much of honking and chaos, how would you enjoy the view?
The only good thing about Mount Abu that made the visit worthwhile is the Dilwara temple. This Jain temple built between the 11th and 13th century is one the most beautiful temples in the country. The carvings are so detailed and exquisite.
The ornamental detailing is extraordinary and the temple itself is well maintained. Well the food is very average and way too over priced. You will find more of Gujarati cuisine than Rajasthani in Mount Abu. We stayed in Udaigarh cottages, which has very hospitable staff and the rooms are really nice.
Visiting Mount Abu makes sense only if you hail from somewhere close to the place and do not have any other option for a weekend getaway. For people visiting Rajasthan, I suggest this is one destination, you should definitely avoid.
Rajasthan is a beautiful state and there are far better places in the state than this so called hill station and if a hill station is what you seek then head out further North. Do not waste your time, effort and money here.