Location |
Abu
(Sirhori district), Rajasthan |
Altitude |
1220
meters above the sea level |
Description
Mount
Abu, Rajasthan’s only hill station is situated at the southern
tip of the Aravalli ranges. The mountain forms a rocky plateau
about 9km wide. The highest peak on the mountain is Gurushikhar,
which is the highest point between the Nilgiris in the south and
the Himalayas in the north.
Mt.
Abu is one of the major pilgrimage destinations in India. It
is home to several Hindu and Jain temples including the famous
Dilwara Jain temple, Gaumukh temple, Sri Raghunathji temple and
the Adhar Devi temple.
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Legends
and Mythology
As per the legends, Mt. Abu came into existence when
Nandini, Sage Vashishta’s wish-fulfilling cow, fell into a deep lake. Sage
Vashishta appealed to the Gods for help, who sent Arbuda, the celestial
cobra. Arbuda, carried a huge rock on his head and dropped it into
the lake, displacing the water. Thus, Nandini was rescued. The spot
came to be known as ‘Arbudachala’ (Hill of Arbuda) after
the mighty serpent.
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Ecological
attributes
Mt. Abu sanctuary, situated in these hills has a rich floral biodiversity
with xenomorphic subtropical thorn forests at the foothills to subtropical
evergreen forests at higher altitudes. It has about 820 species of
plants. It is the only place in Rajasthan where one can find a variety
of orchids. The sanctuary also provides habitat to a variety of fauna
including the endangered sloth bear.
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