Sunrise at Mount Abu
Our unplanned trip to Mount Abu recently came up good. We picked up Rishi from his school after his last exam and started off from Ahmedabad at 11:00 AM. It was hot, but the AC in our car did not let us down. The Expressway from Mehsana onwards is an absolute beauty.
We reached Mt. Abu by 3:00 PM and approached the Circuit house for our stay. Its difficult (read impossible) to get an accommodation in a circuit house unless you are a senior government employee or a politician of some repute (or disrepute). We were surprised to be accorded with a cordial reception.
The circuit house is located at a good location away from the noise and crowd. The main building dates from the British era and is maintained as per government standards. The rooms and facilities are ordinary, but the whole atmosphere is pleasantly different from run-of-the-mill hotels scattered around the Nakki Lake. The Manager at the Circuit house informed me that Acharya Rajneesh used to regularly stay here during his yearly visits.
Mount Abu is the obvious quick-get-away for people from Gujarat and after a few visits it can become boring. Especially on weekends if you go to Nakki Lake, Gurushikhar, delwada temple or sunset point you can be assured of unruly crowds and meeting some acquaintances. So, we try to work out a not-so-obvisous itenrary while in Mount Abu.
We prefer going to Gaumukh – believed to be origin of the Mythological river Saraswati. Nestled here, amidst the cool and natural green surroundings is an ancient Ashram (hermitage) of sage Vashihshta and Vishwamitra. You reach this place after alighting about 750 steps into the valley. You can enjoy the descent as you encounter black monkeys, birds, butterflies, jungle fruits, fig and Mango trees. The Ashram has many jack-fruit trees laden with huge jack-fruits during the rains.
To be continued
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