Mount Abu Travel Guide: Nakki Lake, Dilwara Temples and Guru Shikhar

Mount Abu is small, so its sights cluster around Nakki Lake and the road up to Guru Shikhar, with the fort and several temples a short drive out. Many are religious sites with rules on dress and cameras, which are listed under the tips below.

Nakki Lake and Toad Rock

Nakki Lake is the centre of the hill station. Rajasthan Tourism calls it the first man-made lake in India, and Incredible India says it is believed to be; it is also one of the places where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were immersed. Visitors take boat rides and watch the sun set behind the forested hills. Toad Rock, a toad-shaped igneous formation on the main trekking trail beside the lake, is the informal mascot of Mount Abu. It is easy to climb, and the top looks over the lake and the greenery.

Dilwara Jain Temples

Five white-marble Jain temples stand about 2.5 km from the town, dating from the 11th century. Their doorways, pillars and lotus-carved ceilings are covered in intricate designs, and Incredible India counts them among the finest examples of architecture in India. They are open to tourists from noon to about 5 or 6 pm; Jain worshippers enter from 6 am. Entry is free, but cameras, mobile phones and leather items are not allowed, and shoulders and knees must be covered. Lal Mandir, a small red-painted Shiva temple, stands on the same road.

Guru Shikhar

At 1,722 metres, Guru Shikhar is the highest peak of the Aravalli range. A winding road climbs through forest, and the last stretch is about 300 steps up to the temple of Guru Dattatreya, an incarnation of the Divine Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Pilgrims and walkers come for the temple and the wide views. Incredible India gives the opening time as 6 am and October to March as the best season, when the skies are clearest.

Achalgarh Fort and Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple

About 26 km north of the town, Achalgarh was built by the Paramara dynasty and renovated and renamed by Maharana Kumbha in 1452. Rajasthan Tourism lists it among the most visited places in Mount Abu. The Achaleshwar Mahadev temple stands just outside. It is dedicated to Shiva, who is worshipped here in a naturally formed linga, and local legend says the temple is built around the god's toe print. Nandi statues and fine filigree work line the shrine.

Adhar Devi Temple

This cave shrine to the goddess Durga sits on a rocky hill, reached by 365 steep stone steps. The final approach is a narrow crevice where visitors bend or crawl before the cave opens into the sanctum. Incredible India recommends October to March for the climb, says the temple is crowded during Navratri, in March or April and September or October, and warns that the steps can be slippery in the monsoon.

Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary

The sanctuary was established in 1960 and covers nearly 288 sq km around the town. Incredible India lists leopards, sloth bears, sambar, chinkara, wild boar, jungle cats and striped hyenas, and more than 250 bird species. Marked trails lead to viewpoints, among them Sunset Point and Honeymoon Point. The best months are October to March. In the monsoon the forest is green, but leeches, slippery trails and limited access can spoil a walk.

Peace Park and Trevor's Tank

The Brahma Kumaris run Peace Park, set between the Guru Shikhar and Achalgarh peaks, with a cactus rock garden, an orchard and a rose garden. They offer a guided tour and a short film on meditation. Trevor's Tank, about 5 km from the town, is a man-made crocodile-breeding pond where birds and other wildlife, even the black bear, are sometimes seen. Rajasthan Tourism suggests avoiding the monsoon season there.

Incredible India says Mount Abu can be visited all year. November to February is the most popular period, with cool, pleasant weather for sightseeing. March to June is a comfortable summer escape from the plains, especially in the evenings, and Rajasthan Tourism lists Mount Abu among the places that stay pleasant in summer. July to September brings the monsoon, which turns the hills green but makes trails slippery. The sanctuary, Guru Shikhar and Adhar Devi are all best from October to March.

We have not found official temperature averages for Mount Abu, so we give none; Incredible India says its elevation keeps it distinctly cooler than Rajasthan's plains. For the rest of the state, see our best time to visit Rajasthan guide.

One night is enough for the lake, the Dilwara temples and Guru Shikhar; a second adds Achalgarh, Adhar Devi and a sanctuary trail. A day trip from Udaipur is possible but leaves little time after about 165 km each way.

Day 1: Nakki Lake and Toad Rock in the morning, the Dilwara temples from noon, and a boat on the lake at sunset.

Day 2: Guru Shikhar early, when the temple opens at 6 am, then Achaleshwar Mahadev and Achalgarh Fort, with Adhar Devi if you are up for the steps.

Mount Abu lies outside the usual Jaipur–Jodhpur–Jaisalmer–Udaipur loop, so treat it as an extra night on a longer trip. The wider route is in our Rajasthan travel guide. For the Aravalli range's other high points, see our article on famous mountains in Rajasthan.