Resting at an altitude of 1,220 metres above sea level, Mount Abu is Rajasthan's only hill station, rightly called the ‘Verdant Oasis in the Hills of Rajasthan’. It is one of the major pilgrimage sites in India for the Hindu as well as Jain religions.

Besides being a hill station, Mount Abu is also famous for the numerous temples it houses. The first to cross one’s mind is the exquisitely carved Dilwara Temples, which are the finest examples of Jain architecture and creativity, visible both at the exteriors and interiors.

Another spot of tourist attraction is the serene Nakki Lake, which is believed to have been scratched out of the soil by the Gods to quench their thirst.

Mount Abu used to be the home of many saints and sages in the ancient 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. Mount Abu 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.

Another legend has it that 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 gorge 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.

The Dilwara Temples is a legend in marble created over a period of several years. A sacred pilgrimage of the Jains, the five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are an overpowering mix of simple beauty and delicate style. The amount of ornamental detail spread over these structures in the minutely carved decoration of ceilings, doorways, pillars, panels and niches is simply marvellous, while the crisp translucent shell-like treatment of the marble surpasses anything seen elsewhere, and some of the designs are just dreams of beauty.

In the heart of Mount Abu is located the serene Nakki Lake, which has an interesting history. It is believed that the gods formed the lakebed by digging it with their fingernails (nakh), hence the name, Nakki Lake. Picturesquely set, with the hills rising all around it, the lake has several islets to which boats can be hired. A fascinating feature of the lake is the several rock formations around it. They have been named Toad Rock, Nun Rock, Nandi Rock and Camel Rock because of their likeness to these figures. Nun Rock is a large smooth rock, as it evidently resembles a woman with a veil. The climb up to these rocks, through the wooded forests is a beautiful one, with each of the rocks on the way making unique formations, fissures and shapes.

Down on the Abu Road side of Mount Abu, a small stream flows from the mouth of a marble cow, giving the shrine its name, Gowmukh. There is also a marble figure of the bull Nandi, Shiva's vehicle. The tank here, Agni Kund, is said to be the site of the sacrificial fire, made by sage Vashistha, from which four of the great Rajput clans were born. An image of Vashishtha is flanked by the figures of Rama and Krishna. To reach the temple you have to take a path with 750 steps down to the valley.

The Hindu temples in Mount Abu include the Adhar Devi Temple dedicated to Goddess Durga. Carved out of a single rock, it has 400 steps leading to it. A well at the bottom of the steps, Doodh Baori has milk-colored water and is believed to be the source of milk for Gods and sages.

The temple complex at Achalgarh Fort houses the well-known Achaleshwar Mahadeo Temple believed to have been created by Lord Shiva when he put his foot down to stop an earthquake. Nearby is the Jamadagani Ashram, where the sage Vashishtha conducted a yagna that created the Rajput clan.

Mt. Abu is also the centre of an international spiritual movement called the Brahma Kumaris. The Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya Academy lies in a quiet valley behind the Nakki Lake.