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Hisory of Mount Abu
The history of Mount Abu is as diverse as the city itself.
It was once a part of the Chauhan kingdom of Rajasthan and served as a summer
resort for the Rajput kings of the region. After that Mount Abu was leased
by the British government from the then Maharaja of Sirohi for use as the
headquarter of the resident to Rajputana (another name for Rajasthan). During
the British rule in India, it used to be the favorite summer destination
of the British who came here to escape the dusty, dry heat of the plains
particularly Rajasthan. It also served as a sanatorium for the troops. The
small huts and cottages made by the British here tell the story of those
times even today.
Mount Abu used to be the home of many saints and sages in the old times.
Legend has it that all the three hundred and thirty million gods and goddesses
of the Hindu pantheon used to visit this holy mountain. It is also the place
where the great saint Vashishth lived and performed a yagna (sacrificial
worship on a fire pit) to create four Agnikula (four clans of fire) to protect
the earth from demons. The yagna was supposed to have been performed near
a natural spring, which emerged from a rock shaped like a cow's head.
According to another legend, once sage Vashishth's cow Nandini was trapped
in a deep gorge and could not free herself. The sage appealed to Lord Shiva
for assistance. The Lord sent Saraswati, the divine stream, to help flood
the gorge so that the cow could float up. Vashishth then decided to ensure
that such mishaps would not occur in future and asked the youngest son of
Himalaya, the king of mountains to fill the chasm permanently. This he did
with the assistance of Arbud, the mighty snake. This spot came to be known
as Mount Arbud and was later changed to its present form-Mount Abu.
This place is held in reverence by Jains as well since Jain scriptures record
that Lord Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankar (spiritual leader), also visited
Mount Abu and blessed the city. |
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