It was my birthday and I wanted to do something different than the routine birthday party and the cake cutting. I had planned for something which I had never done before. I had planned to be with just myself and almighty. I had booked a ticket on the auction deals for a flight from Bangalore to Ahmedabad. It was for just 2500/- Rs. Once I reached Ahmedabad I took a cab from there to Mt Abu. The journey was beautiful on the Indica Car. The roads were fantastic. Looking at the roads I felt that the government does take care of these things. Though a small toll is taken to use the road, I guess it is worth it rather than spend probably 10times the amount on repairs. I had a small sleep also in the car. It took me around 3 and half hours to reach the bottom of the peak. There I saw the headquarters of Brahma kumaris , which was very distinct due to its white coloured huge buildings. The folks out there too were wearing white only. The symbol of peace that’s what I learnt. I decided to have a look inside. It was a huge and a massive place. Many buildings neatly designed and maintained. But one single thing that took my notice was the huge number of people out there and there wasn’t even a bit of chaos. I learnt that there were 20k people out there, but the noise level was at its lowest. Later I carried on with my upward journey. The ghats then started. It was view was becoming better and better as I moved to the top. The roads were narrow and making the journey all the more exciting. There are quite a number of buses plying up and down, but I guess the general preferred method is to take the jeeps . They charge 10/- per person and the frequency is quite high. They go at high speeds too. That’s the disadvantage. The curves being quite sharp and heights increasing there is a high probability of throwing up. So be careful and be prepared in such cases. Once I reached the top, it was just amazing. Everything looked so nice and serene. As if I had reached a different part of the world altogether. I took up a nice hotel. The rates are reasonable out there. I guess since it was off season. The rest of the day I relaxed.
The following days I spend a lot of time seeing places. I preferred to walk to most of the places which were close by. Local transport is also available. The places not to miss are the Dilwara Temple. It has got one of the best carvings on marble ever seen by me. But yes, you cannot take your camera inside, and if u have you have to surrender before entering. The carvings are exquisite. It will take one a long time to see in detail and also one needs to have a love for art to appreciate them. Om Shanti Bhavan is the first building of Brahma Kumaris and is a must see. The Peace Park is a huge Garden with a lot of variety of flowers and plants. It is a paradise for nature lovers, and can spend hours together with the nature’s beauty. I spent a lot of time taking pictures. From this park one can see the last Indian Military base on the indian border to Pakistan. Nakki water falls is also on the tourist agenda. Global Hospital and Gyansarovar are other establishments of the Brahma Kumaris which one must see.
One must also observe the rocks in this place. They all have beautiful contours on them. It must definitely been due to erosion from water. Which means at some point in time this place was below water. Or rather water did cover this entire area. I cant really imagine a mountain so high so be covered with water. What I understand is that either this place was near sea level at some time and has come up due to tectonic pressure.
Visit the local markets for some shopping. They do have good clothes, sweaters etc But don’t forget to bargain to get a good deal.
IT was definitely one of my best trips which I had made all by myself .