Nakki(the
lake) : n the heart of the town, at one
end of the Mall is Nakki Lake, which has an interesting
history. It is said that it was drawn by the finger
nails (nakk) of a sage, Balam Rasia, in response
to the demands of the stepmother of the girl he
wished to marry. The girl, a princess, and a daughter
of the then King of Abu, was also in love with
the sage, but because of the evil stepmother the
affair ended in tragedy, and has been immortalized
in a temple of the Kunwari Kanya, alongside which
stands a statue of her lover.
Gaumukh Temple : A natural spring
flowing through a sculpted cow’s head gives
the shrine its name. The famous ‘yagna’
of sage Vashishtha was performed here. A beautifully
sculpted hill temple of Arbuada-the mighty serpent
stands against the beautiful backdrop. Nearby
is the magnificent marble image of Nandi, the
celestial bull rescued by Arbuada.
Delwara Jain Temple : These beautifully
carved temples built between 11th and 13th century
A.D. are sheer elegance in marble, dedicated to
the jain Tirthankaras. The Vimal Vasahi temple
is the oldest of these dedicated to the first
Tirthankara. Built in 1031 A.D.
Guru Shikhar(Highest peak) : Guru Shikhar,
the highest peak of Mount Abu, is also perhaps
the most beautiful. There is certain serenity
about the temple built atop this peak. The temple
might just have stepped out of a fairy tale, with
only a small portion in pink jutting out of an
otherwise plain white chalk building.
|
