CorrectKnowledge · Nakki Lake from Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary.JPG · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) · cropped and resized · https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nakki_Lake_from_Mount_Abu_Wildlife_Sanctuary.JPG
Mount Abu
Rajasthan’s one hill station: a rocky plateau in the southern Aravallis with a small lake, cool evenings and five marble Jain temples.
Mount Abu
A hill town in a desert state, and a place of pilgrimage long before it was a holiday. A small town in Sirohi district, set on a forested plateau at about 1,200 metres in the southern Aravallis. Rajasthan has no other hill station. Everything turns on Nakki Lake in the middle of town. The Dilwara temples sit about 2.5 km away, and the peaks and the old fort lie further out along the plateau. It is a working religious centre as much as a resort: Jain pilgrims come for Dilwara, Shaiva pilgrims for Achaleshwar, and the Brahma Kumaris have had their headquarters here since 1950. The temples are the reason to come; the town is not. The lakeside is a compact bazaar of boats, snack stalls and horse rides, pleasant for an evening and not much more. Cool is relative. The height takes the edge off the plains’ heat, but this is a modest height, not the Himalaya, and summer days are still warm. The last stretch is a ghat road. The climb from Abu Road runs through a long series of hairpin bends, and anyone prone to car sickness should plan for it.
Explore Mount Abu on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What Mount Abu is for
One extraordinary temple complex, one high viewpoint, and a lake to walk around in the evening.
The marble temples
- The Dilwara temples — five Jain temples in white marble inside one walled compound. Plain outside, and carved on almost every interior surface.
- Vimal Vasahi, the earliest, dates from the 11th century and is dedicated to Adinath, the first Tirthankara. Give its ceilings the most time.
- Luna Vasahi, built in the 13th century by two minister brothers of a Vaghela ruler of Gujarat, follows the same plan with finer cutting; look up at the pendant in the central dome.
- Pittalhar, Parshvanath and Mahavir Swami are the three later temples. Pittalhar takes its name from the brass in its large image of Adinath.
The high ground
- Guru Shikhar, about 15 km from town, is the highest point of the Aravalli range at 1,722 metres. Roughly 300 steps lead up to the Dattatreya temple at the top.
- Achalgarh — a fort first built by the Paramaras and rebuilt and renamed by Maharana Kumbha in 1452. The Achaleshwar Mahadev temple stands just outside it.
- The Peace Park of the Brahma Kumaris, between the two, is a quiet garden stop if the day has room.
- Adhar Devi, a temple cut into a large rock, is the other shrine most visitors add.
The lake and the forest
- Nakki Lake for a boat in the late afternoon and a slow circuit on foot afterwards.
- Toad Rock, the boulder above the lake that gives the town its mascot, is a short climb with a view back over the water.
- Sunset Point and Honeymoon Point are the two named viewpoints. Go for the last light, and only in clear weather.
- Trevor’s Tank, about 5 km out, is a man-made crocodile-breeding pool in the forest, and a place to look for birds.
How long to give it
Up the hill, round the lake
Arrive by early afternoon, settle in, then walk to Nakki Lake for a boat and the climb to Toad Rock. Finish at Sunset Point if the sky is clear.
Peak, fort and temples
Guru Shikhar first, while the air is clear, and Achalgarh on the way back. Be at the Dilwara gate for the midday opening and give the carving an unhurried hour or two. The evening is free for the bazaar.
Down to the plains
Leave after breakfast for Udaipur, about 165 km by road, or for the railhead at Abu Road at the foot of the hill.
How to reach and move
No airport and no railway on the hill: every arrival ends with the climb from Abu Road.
Getting there
- Abu Road (ABR) is the railhead, about 28 km below the town on the Delhi–Ahmedabad line.
- Udaipur (UDR), the Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok, is the nearest airport, roughly 180 km away; Ahmedabad is the alternative, at around 220 km.
- By road it is about 165 km from Udaipur. We plan on about four hours, which is our working assumption, not a published figure.
Getting about
- The lake, the bazaar and Toad Rock are walkable from most of the town.
- Dilwara, Guru Shikhar and Achalgarh need a vehicle. One car and driver for the day is the simple way to link them.
- The final approach at Guru Shikhar and at Toad Rock is on foot and up steps in both cases.
When to visit
The season decides the views; the temple clock decides the day.
The cool, clear months, and the best ones for sightseeing. Mornings and evenings are properly cold, so pack a warm layer.
Warm, but markedly easier than the plains below, which is the old reason for coming up. Evenings are the comfortable part of the day.
Green hills, mist and fewer visitors. Also fog at Guru Shikhar and slippery steps; views are a matter of luck.
Dilwara admits visitors who are not there to worship from midday. The closing hour is reported differently by different sources, so go at opening time.
The Summer Festival is tied to Buddha Purnima; Incredible India listed it for 9–10 May in 2026. The Winter Festival closes the year. Dates are announced annually.
The hill’s character
Three kinds of pilgrim and a great many holidaymakers share one small plateau.
A Jain tirth
- Dilwara is a living temple complex run by a Jain trust based in Sirohi, with a pilgrims’ rest house and dining hall in the compound. Worship comes first and visitors fit around it.
- Photography is forbidden inside the complex. Do not plan on any pictures of the carving, and dress as you would for any working temple.
Legends of Arbuda
- The old name, Arbudaranya — the forest of Arbuda — comes from the serpent said to have rescued Shiva’s bull Nandi here.
- The sage Vashistha is said to have retired to the mountain, and one legend has the first fire-born Rajput rising from his sacrificial fire on the summit.
- Nakki Lake has its own story: that it was scooped out with fingernails — nakh. It is also one of the places where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed.
A spiritual headquarters
- The Brahma Kumaris run their worldwide organisation from Pandav Bhawan in the town. Their Peace Park, out towards Guru Shikhar, offers guided visits.
- The hill has long been a retreat: British-period bungalows and royal holiday lodges are part of its building stock.
Practical tips
Two things decide a good visit: the temples’ midday opening and the season.
Before you book
- Build the day around noon. Do the peak and the fort in the morning and arrive at Dilwara as it opens to visitors.
- Carry a warm layer from November to February, and something waterproof in the monsoon.
- Who should come: anyone with an interest in temple architecture, and families wanting a cool break inside a Rajasthan or Gujarat trip.
- Who should skip it: travellers short of time who have no particular interest in the temples. The drive is long for a lake and a viewpoint.
- Mobility: Guru Shikhar ends in about 300 steps, and Toad Rock is a short climb over rock.
On the hill
- The hills here are a wildlife sanctuary, and leopards and bears do live in it. Keep to used paths, and do not walk out to the viewpoints alone after dark.
- Entry to the Dilwara temples is free, according to the temple trust.
Nearby
What lies below the hill, and how far.
Related to Mount Abu
Journeys that include Mount Abu — each one visits the city as part of its itinerary.
Common questions
Plan your journey
Our travel designers turn knowledge and inspiration into a journey crafted entirely around you.
Plan My Journey →