An ‘Extraordinary Day’ in Mount Abu

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Mt Abu sunset, mount abu sunset point

“Iss hi doobte hue suraj ne hum mein pehli baar milaya tha … dekh lena, yahi doobta hua suraj hum mein ek din hamesha ke liye mila dega”

The dialogue from a popular Bollywood movie of the 80s, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, was resonating in my ear as our bus was approaching to the hills of Mount Abu. It was the place where some scenes of QSQT, including my favourite number “Gazab ka hai din...” was picturized. While our bus was running up the hills I was expecting a “gazab ka din” (meaning “an extraordinary day” in Hindi) in Mount Abu. As the height increased the air got cooler and the plantations along the slopes of the hills thickened. Ah…finally, I am in Mount Abu!

view from Adhar devi

We stayed at Hotel Abhishek Palace, a budget hotel with standard accommodation (room rate was Rs 800/-) It was an okay type of hotel which is about 10 minutes walk from Mount Abu’s bustling heart, Nakki Lake.

Mount Abu, being the sole hill station in this region, is a popular tourist destination. Vacationers and affluent local businessmen swarm in on weekends; hence it is an expensive place for shopping. Anyway, let’s come back to where we were. We reached Mt Abu just before sunset. After dumping our luggage at the hotel when we reached by the Nakki Lake it was already dark. I wish I had a boat ride in the lake. But boating is not allowed after sunset. 😦

nakki lake at night, mt abu, mount abu

Nakki Lake is a natural rainwater lake. The myth about the creation of this lake goes like this. Lord Bramha (of Hindu mythology) dug this lake with his nails. Nail is “nakhun” in Hindi and “nakki” in local dialect, hence the name. 🙂  With food stalls, eateries, cafes and clothing and handicrafts shops all around the decorated garden and entrance to the boat pier this is place to feel the pulses of Rajasthan’s lively hill station, Mt Abu. From dining to shopping to magic tricks performed by young boys – you’ll have many things to do and enjoy at Nakki Lake.

nakki lake in the morning, nakki lake, mt abu

Next morning started our Mount Abu Sightseeing.

Our first stopover was Om Shanti Bhawan which has a huge assembly hall called the Universal Peace Hall. The institution providing meditation facility was established in 1983 with an objective of educating and enlightening people about peace, spirituality and Paramatma (meaning ‘the Almighty’ in Sanskrit).

Universal Peace Hall, Om Shanti Bhawan, Mount Abu

Adhar Devi Temple – The temple is situated on top of a hill and you need to climb 365 steps to reach there. It was a hard but rewarding task as the view from top is very nice. The temple is built along a natural cave has unique structural feature inside.

Adhar devi temple, Mt abu

Dilwara Temple – This is the brightest jewel on the crown of Mount Abu. This Jain temple is famous for its stunning and exquisite marble carvings all over the interior walls, columns and ceilings. Unfortunately, the temple authority does not allow camera inside. Charges for camera and mobile deposit was Rs 50/- per person.

dilwara temple, jain temple, mount abu

Achalgarh Fort – The ancient fort town of Achalgarh was not originally had the present name. It was initially built by the Paramara Dynasty in the early medieval period. Later it was renovated by Rana Kumbha but most of the structures are in dilapidated condition. There is a temple of Lord Shiva known as Achaleshwar Mahadeva temple where devotees still offer worship regularly. The taxis (jeeps) to Achalgarh are available from the stand near Dilwara Temple. Each taxi carries 6-8 passengers and fare is Rs 800.

The same taxi will also take you to Guru Shikhar, the highest point of Aravalli Range. The peak is about 5600 ft from the sea level. The journey to Achalgarh and Guru Shikhar was remarkable and so was the view from Guru Shikhar.

Mt Abu, Guru shikhar, highest peak of Aravalli

After a daylong sightseeing in Mt Abu we returned to our hotel for lunch. Post lunch session was most memorable because of sunset viewing from the Mt Abu Sunset Point. We reached early, before 5 pm, as our tour guide warned us that crowd will start gathering after 5:30 and you may not find a convenient position if you don’t go early. He was correct. When we reached at around 4:45 I merely saw a few couples here and there. I was so absorbed in enjoying the view down the hill I didn’t notice when the place was filled with so many people. To my surprise, the place was jam-packed with sunset viewers after 5:30 pm.

Mt Abu sunset, mount abu sunset point

When the sunset was over we went to Nakki Lake before returning to hotel and thus ended my “gazab ka din” at Mount Abu. J In late November, the nights were cold in Mt Abu even though the days were hot just like any other places in Rajasthan. As the night grew older the wind became chillier and I went to bed with my socks and scarf on under the blanket. 🙂

By the way, before I stop here is the song for you.

Disclaimer: Dilwara Temple and Nakki Lake (day) images are taken from the internet. 

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60 thoughts on “An ‘Extraordinary Day’ in Mount Abu”

    1. Yes, right! 🙂 A blogger friend has already corrected me about the actual shooting spot for the song. Thanks. I am glad you liked my blog.

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  5. Nice place, it great to know it’s relation with Quayamat se Quayamat movie… the veiw from the cave temple must have been great, since since so many stairs turnedwas rewarding for you(:

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    1. Yeah… the view was great! And the temple itself was a bit unusually structured around a natural cave. So, it was unique experience for me 🙂 Thank you for the comment.

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  14. Beautiful post Moon! I have been here as a kid, and it was nice to go over the places again through your post. 🙂

    I had forgotten why it is called Nakki lake, though. Helpful job you did by sharing the logistics details…!

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    1. Glad to know you have been there and yet liked my travelogue… 😛 😉 Jokes apart, I found there is a mythological story behind most of the old structures and tourist spots in Rajasthan. 🙂

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    1. Yes, you are right… the sunset at Mt Abu is absolutely different from what I experienced in the desert in Jaisalmer. That’s why I love Rajasthan…so versatile 🙂 I heard about Rajasthani food being spicy never tasted it except the ‘Mirchi Vada’. I liked it. 🙂

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  20. Rajasthan is so enchanting…Loved the photos Moon, especially the sunset. 🙂

    Had been to Mt Abu years ago..was merely a kid then. But I do remember the cold nights as my Maa used to force me to wear the monkey cap 😥 (typical thanda lege jaabe Bangali syndrome)

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  21. Nice! But no portions of QSQT were shot in Mt. Abu. They onky mentioned Mt. Abu in the film, but everything was shot in Ooty. Anyway, nice review of the place, and I loved the sunset shots.

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      1. Yep. In fact, some of the portions of QSQT were shot in Karnataka also – I hope you noticed the boulders. 🙂 It’s typical of bollywood filmmakers to shoot at a location and mention another location – Kuch Kuch hOta hai second half was shot in Ooty and they mentioned Shimla, and also Yeh jawani hai deewani was mostly shot in Kashmir but they mentioned only Manali. Apparently, Kashmir tourism was angry with Karan Johar about it.

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      2. Why do they do that? Shoot somewhere and mention somewhere else! It directly or indirectly affect the tourism of those places. I believe Kashmir tourism had reasons to be angry.

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  22. Mout Abu is among the most deserving tourist spots of India but highly undersold. Perhaps royalty sells better hence hills pale into insignificance. Royalty helps you travel down the memory lane while as hills help you swing effortlessly between past, present and future. Royalty is yet preserved but hills tend to be vandalized. Hills need to be romanced from a distance. Hills are an infatuation and would love it to be like that. Never bring an infatuation home…love it in your heart and mind…

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    1. Yes, hills and forests also need to be preserved the way we protect our classic architectures. I love mountains and hills. So Mount Abu was a special attraction for me in Rajasthan. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and giving your valuable comments.

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    1. Exactly, the delicate stone carvings all over the walls and ceiling will blow your mind. The guide said, crores of bucks were spent in building the temple for years. Thank you for the visit, Antonina 🙂

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  28. Is this where QSQT was shot? I loved the songs in this movie and also the movie as well. The pictures as always are amazing Moon Sen. Mount Abu is on my list from a long time. Hopefully that happens soon 🙂

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    1. Yes …this is the place 🙂 Since when I saw the movie I had dreamt of visiting Mt Abu someday. Happy that it happened finally 🙂 Thank you for stopping by Vinay.

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    1. Yes it was quite an experience climbing up to Adhar Devi, occasionally stopping for rest and having lime juice on the way… 🙂 Nice to know you have been there too. Thank you.

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    1. Among the last three the Dilwara Temple shot isn’t mine. They don’t allow camera inside. So, borrowed it from internet. 🙂 The movie is still my favorite 🙂 Thank you.

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