06.02.2012 ►Udaipur To Mount Abu

2012 Karuna's Mewar Tour

The day before, I had organized the details of my tour to Mount Abu with the travel agent recommended by the hotel. We already had talked on phone together, and with the help of my friends in Amet we roughly had contoured my trip to Mount Abu. It is very easy to realise travel plans in India, if the traveler knows where to go and how the visit should be framed. The negotiations were very professional, reliable, trusty, and easily done. My experience as a lady travelling on her own in India is very good, although I am not able to talk in any Indian language.

Many before me had travelled to Mount Abu, so did many at the same time, and so will do many after me. Understandable, as Mount Abu is a beautiful holiday region. Its highest peak is Guru Shikhar with 1750m height. Mount Abu further is a world famous Jain pilgrimage site, the Mount Abu Dilwara Temples, renowned for its finest marble carvings. I had read and heard a lot on these five temples and had the wish to see this legendary site with my own eyes. I wanted to experience the vibrations there, if any, apart from the tourists’.

In Ranakpur I had found it difficult to find the spirit, apart from the most inspiring motives of depiction and the marvelous architecture. Marvelous architecture can be found at many, in ancient times, sacred places. Most of them actually are presentations of a disappeared culture with an obviously contemporary marketing and management. In Ranakpur, from my point of view, were too many Pujaris asking too many tourists too often for money. Anyway is it worth multiple visits, not only a single one. As for me, I will try my best.

In my preparations I had seen on the map that the distance from Udaipur to Mount Abu and vice versa was the longest of my tours. So I knew that there would not be too much time for the famous Dilwara Temples without staying overnight. This was no option for various reasons. So I decided to start at 09:00am and to be back in the evening.

I was a little nervous, but without reason. 09:00am sharp the driver picked me up. In the car I relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful day with perfect weather for a trip. The landscape was more barren than that I had seen before, and the highway resembled very much to a German autobahn. Two lanes for every side, hardly pedestrians and animals, no trespassing of villages or towns - there were none!- and recreation areas with extra exit. After 100 km a signboard explained the highway as a showcase of Indian Government for infrastructure development of rural areas. This was visible, but there was not much traffic using the infrastructure.

About noon we arrived at the first destination. Nakki Lake is a beautiful holiday destination offering a bundle of activities as pony riding, boat trip, and one hotel beside the other. The climate had become milder and softer, contrary to my experience that it becomes rougher and colder with increasing height. I had lunch on the terrace of a nice and clean restaurant over Nakki Lake and then had a little walk in the sun. Thereafter we took the road to Dilwara Temples. This rather, but not too small road resembles with its many curves very much to a meandering river or a snake.

Some hundred years ago, when the temples had been built, there was no road, there were only small trails. I wondered how they had managed to train the elephants to transport the marble rocks uphill. It takes about 12 years to teach an elephant such lessons. What foresight, what patience was needed for such a majestic building project, and how much cooperation, not only between men, but also between men and animals.

Finally we reached Dilwara Temples. There people were queuing at the entrance, although it was after 12:00, the official opening time. Everybody has to leave shoes, bags, and cameras at a place near the entrance, but is reminded to take out the values. I was admitted to enter the temple area after telling that my time was limited due to meeting with the driver.

Inside, an elderly gentleman presented himself as an experienced guide to the temple and offered his service to me. This was my good luck, as I asked him to tell only particular stories of these temples to me, which he did. In one hour I got a variety of informations on the temples, the builders, the workers, including the elephants, and the application of the meticulously carved sophisticated garlands connecting columns. Without pictures this is difficult to comprehend. So I advise to everyone interested in these legendary stories to go there and experience oneself.

Last stop was at Brahma Kumari Peace Park. I visited this beautiful location in front of Brahma Kumari University and headquarter in the afternoon before going back to Udaipur.