Mount Abu winter festival (December 29 – December 30, 2022.)

 Fly to Mount Abu: Experience a Magical Christmas in the Abode of Gods.

Mount Abu Snapped from Achalgarh

Looking for the perfect destination to celebrate the holiday season? Fly to Mount Abu, the serene hill station often referred to as the “Abode of Gods,” and let the magic of Christmas and winter festivities sweep you off your feet. 

          Why Abu Should Be Your Holiday Haven 

Nestled in the heart of Rajasthan, Mount Abu is more than just a retreat from the hustle and bustle—it’s a sanctuary that blends cultural richness, natural beauty, and festive cheer. This year, Abu promises to be more dazzling than ever, offering visitors a unique chance to celebrate in a ‘virus-free’ atmosphere because there have been no reports of new coronavirus concerns. 

   The Winter Festival: Celebrate Culture and Joy 

The Winter Festival, set to be a grand spectacle, will start on December 29. Musicians and performers from across the country will take center stage, enchanting audiences with their melodies, vibrant traditional attire, and accessories. Picture this: the soulful sound of ‘shehnais’ welcoming you as you step into a celebration filled with lively performances, Rajasthani spice, and a warm, festive vibe. 

This year’s program includes a variety of events for visitors of all ages, ensuring an unforgettable experience. Whether you’re drawn to cultural performances, local cuisine, or simply the charm of Mount Abu in winter, there’s something here for everyone. 

A Safe Celebration 

While Mount Abu invites you to enjoy its vibrant festivities, safety remains a top priority. Remember to: 

   Wear your mask

Avoid the three Cs: crowds, closed spaces, and close contact 

Follow simple safety guidelines to ensure a joyful and healthy holiday experience

 Be Free, Be Merry 

This holiday season, come to Abu, and let the spirit of Christmas and the warmth of Rajasthani hospitality fill your heart with joy. 

  “Be safe, be happy, take care, and enjoy your holiday cheer!” 

"BE SAFE BE HAPPY TAKE CARE ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY CHEER"

Cheers to a festive season to remember!

CHEERS 🥂

Weather update for Mount Abu [ 02/12/2022 ]

 Cold Wave Grips the Hills: Mercury Dips to Zero.

The chill is back in Abu! Bonfires glow, tea stalls buzz, and the air smells of roasted peanuts. While the rest of Rajasthan shivers, our little hill station turns into a cosy corner of winter delight.

The temperature on December 1, 2022, at Mount Abu Raj.

Photo, per kind favour, Anil Babar  

A green mantle adorns Mount Abu.

Mount Abu, Rajasthan’s lone hill station, is once again in the grip of a biting cold wave. The Meteorological Department has issued an alert for severe cold across the state, as icy winds sweeping down from Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh make their presence felt in the Aravalli ranges.

In the last two days of November, the temperature began its steady descent, and by the first day of December, Mount Abu recorded a chilling zero degrees Celsius. Last night, it hovered just above freezing, hinting that sub-zero temperatures are only days away.

Each winter brings a familiar flurry of reports and social media captions declaring, “Snowfall in Mount Abu!” or “Abu turns white this winter.” While these headlines make great tourism buzz, they’re far from the truth. It doesn’t snow in Mount Abu. What visitors see blanketing the fields in white is frost—frozen dew and moisture that accumulate overnight, transforming the landscape into a shimmering, snow-like spectacle by dawn.

This natural illusion, however, works wonders for tourism. The “frosty hills of Rajasthan” draw visitors in droves, eager to experience the chill and click photographs that could be mistaken for scenes from the Himalayas.

For travellers planning a winter getaway, warm clothing is a must. The mornings and evenings are cold, though the days remain pleasant. Whether you’re strolling around Nakki Lake, hiking to Guru Shikhar, or soaking in the forest silence trails, Mount Abu in December has its own serene magic.

As for the locals, they greet the season in their own timeless ways. Bonfires flicker in the lanes after dusk, children huddle around steaming cups of chai, and the smell of roasted peanuts drifts through the bazaar. Woollen caps, mufflers, and laughter are everywhere. In the crisp night air, Abu feels both ancient and alive — a place where winter doesn’t just visit, it settles in with quiet dignity.

Rajasthan’s desert chill finds its most enchanting form here — in this Abode of the Gods, where frost glitters like snow and warmth comes not just from fire, but from the spirit of the people.

Read more stories and seasonal updates from Mount Abu at:

mountabuabodeofthegods.com

MOUNT ABU BIRDS MY PERSONAL COLLECTION: Checklist of Mount Abu birds.My collection [ 08/07...

Checklist of Mount Abu Birds

Mount Abu Birds.

"Explore the stunning bird life of Mount Abu with my detailed blog posts"

MOUNT ABU BIRDS MY PERSONAL COLLECTION: Checklist of Mount Abu birds. My collection [ 08/07...: 

Checklist Mount Abu Birds Updated [ 8 July 2022 ] I recorded species of birds in Mount Abu over the years To view, the ...

Mount Abu The Abode: THE GREEN MONSTER IS HERE TO STAY Mount Abu

Mount Abu The Abode: THE GREEN MONSTER IS HERE TO STAY Mount Abu: The Green Menace has spread its tentacles in Mount Abu. Water hyacinth Abu Streams. The spread of the Water hyacinth in all our streams.

Mount Abu echoes with the roar of the monsoons. [August 2022]

 The monsoon is active again in Mount Abu. There will be more showers to come.

The roar of the monsoons Mt Abu. 2022

It has been raining since 1 July 2022 on Mount Abu. It poured relentlessly with a vengeance on the hilltops, dales, gorges, and plains. There was a roaring river on Abu Road. It flowed from bank to bank, just below the bridge. The rainfall roared in Abu, bringing the hills and cataracts to life, spewing fiercely with fury, threatening ridges, bridges, roadways and pathways with intensity.

There is JOY and anxiety in the monsoon in Abu for the Aam Abuites. The showers exhilarated the jungle with their life-giving water. The reservoirs of Abu overflow to everybody’s delight. Rationing of the water supply will remain the same, “Every Second Day.” Tourists enjoy the falling rain like fish leaping out of the water. The gushing waters, waterfalls, and whirling mist are a welcome alleviation from the sweltering hot weather of the plains. 

The Abuites won't get a break from the rainy weather as the Met Department forecasts another round of rainfall next week. advise Mount Abu guests that while dancing and frolicking under waterfalls in a realistic area can be thrilling, they must avoid entering the rapids rushing downstream at all costs as it can be treacherous. Monsoons have already taken three lives this year with their rushing intensity. BE SAFE, TAKE CARE, AND DO NOT DO THE DARE.

Paddy's Bridge submerged, day scholars, get a holiday

Paddy's Bridge St Mary's Road.mp4

Per kind favour Sahil via WhatsApp 

Keep tuned will add more snaps and videos of events as they unfold.

Monsoons in Mount Abu [ 3/08/2022 ]

Monsoons in the Abode of Gods 

Orange sky at night, tourist delight

In Rajasthan—the land of warrior kings and sunbaked fortresses—water is a gift more precious than gold. And even Mount Abu, the jewel of the Aravallis, known both as the Oasis of the Desert and the Abode of Gods, must bow to the mercy of the monsoon.

The first showers of June arrive like a soft whisper, falling upon hills that have baked under a relentless sun. The charred slopes, still bearing the scars of summer fires, drink deeply. Within days, the brown gives way to emerald; the forest blooms as though Eden itself had been planted anew. The air smells of wet earth, and for the first time in months, the mountain breathes.

Then, on the first morning of July 2022, the true monsoon arrives—not with a single burst, but with a steady, daily rhythm. Some days the rain is a silver curtain, drifting gently through the valleys; on others, it is a roaring downpour, drumming against rooftops and swelling the rivers. Clouds sink low, brushing against the treetops as if in greeting. Waterfalls leap from the cliffs, streams begin their cheerful chatter, and the mist rolls in like a memory from the sixties. The entire mountain sighs with relief.

By the second of August, the lakes and reservoirs are brimming, their mirrored surfaces holding the promise of life until the next rains.

Gauge Report – Mount Abu

Tuesday, 2 August 2022

☔ Rainfall: 22 mm

🌧 Total Rainfall: 42 inches

Lower Kodra Dam 58'/59'

(1153.53/1188ML)

Lower khodra Dam an inch to overflow 3 Aug 2022
Per kind favour, Crescentia teacher, St Mary's school 

Upper Kodra Dam=28/33'

(302.4/414ML)

NAKKI LAKE=12.25/12.25Mtr

(1215/1215ML)

August is always the hill station’s month of joy—and this year, the rain gods have been generous. From across Gujarat and beyond, travellers arrive in colourful waves, drawn by the emerald hillsides, the foaming waterfalls, and the romance of walking through rain-washed streets with the scent of chai in the air. Independence Day week is a festival in itself, with every hotel and guesthouse filled to the brim. For the unprepared, finding a room is as rare as finding a clear blue sky in the middle of the season.

And yet, while tourists revel in the mist and monsoon magic, the people of Abu quietly long for one or two sunlit days, just enough to dry their clothes, warm their bones, and let the golden light kiss the hills again.

Until then, we live in a world painted in a hundred shades of green, under skies heavy with blessings—our mountain wrapped in the music of falling rain.

The Hills of Abu Ablaze. [ 30 April 2022 ]

  The Hills of Abu Ablaze.

Fire in Achalgarh 

Forest fire in Achalgarh

The fires that were spreading yesterday towards Gurmukh and the dams have burned out. Videos of the latest fires that are presently ongoing are just coming in kind in favour of Sahil Zutzi. The videos posted right now are of forest fires started in Achalgarh. 

A forest fire blazing right now at Achalgarh 

Video per kind favour Sahil

I will keep you abreast as and when I receive the latest.

The forest fire fighting unit is battling this latest ongoing blaze.

Forest Fire Achalgarh.

Massive forest fire in the hills of Mount Abu [ 29 April 2022 ]

 The Hills of Abu Ablaze.

Fire in the Hills

Per the kind favour of my niece Crescentia 

The current fire blazing through the hillsides of Abu occurred yesterday. Abuites urgently phoned the various departments to take control of the fire. Yesterday afternoon, officials updated all relevant departments about the jungle fire. The breeze at the moment is quite strong, so containing the fire is going to be serious and troublesome.

The fire is developing behind the Lower Khodra Dam and is heading towards the higher Kodra Dam. Over 100 individuals are striving to check the fire. I will keep you posted on the condition.

Siddharth, a teacher in Abu Road, forwarded me the photograph last night. He has been keeping me informed about the fire in the hillsides since the first day.

Abu Hills on fire

Happy Easter from The Abode of Gods Mount Abu [14/04/2022 ]

 Wishing All a "Happy Easter" from Mount Abu.

The Easter Moon or Pink moon

 “Just wanted to say a warm springtime hello and wish you a happy 

Easter"

MAY YOUR TROUBLES BE LESS

AND YOUR BLESSINGS BE MORE

AND NOTHING BUT HAPPINESS

COMES THROUGH YOUR DOOR

Springtime and Easter symbolize renewal and new beginnings. Rejoice!

The Pink moon or the Easter moon

May this year 2022 be less stressful than the previous two years. May you keep riding the winds of fortune and may COVID shy away from your family and friends 

The Abu Bunny wishes you all well have a great weekend.

The wild hare of Mount Abu 

Photograph in favour of Sahil Zutzi.

Achalgarh Set Ablaze: Negligence, Silence, and a Forest Under Siege Mount Abu | 24 March 2022

 Wildfire in the Achalgarh zone

Wildfire Achalgarh zone
Per kind favour, Sahil Abu Birder

Wildfire Achalgarh zone

Per kind favour, Sahil Abu Birder

Fire has arrived too early in the “Abode of Gods”—and it has not come alone.

Forest fires in Mount Abu are the cruel signature of peak summer, when months of relentless heat drain every drop of moisture from the land. But this year, summer has begun, and yet the forests of Achalgarh are already burning. That is not just unusual—it is alarming.

On 22 March, a fire broke out in the Achalgarh region. Before the embers could cool, the following evening—around 6 pm on the 23rd—three separate fires ignited almost simultaneously, burning well into the night until 2 am. One crept close to the Achalgarh temple, another rose behind the Safari cottages, and a third flared near Veer Baba.

 Three fires. Three locations. One evening.

Coincidence feels like a straightforward answer—perhaps too easy.

 They have offered familiar explanations. Carelessness—tourists and locals flicking away lit bidis and cigarettes into dry grass. Quiet resentment—whispers of deliberate fires in response to restrictions imposed by the Forest Department, Rajasthan, on wood collection.

 But explanations, however convenient, do little to douse flames once they take hold.

 Year after year, this cycle repeats itself. Fires break out, officials release statements, and the forest pays the price. Meanwhile, the larger questions remain suspended in the smoky air. Are preventive measures keeping pace with the changing climate? Are fire lines being maintained with urgency, or as a seasonal formality? And how prepared is the administration when multiple fires erupt at once?

 Many already know that officials admit manpower is thin, equipment is stretched, and response capacity often reacts rather than anticipates. Despite frameworks laid out under national forest protection guidelines and disaster response protocols, the reality on the ground tells a different story—one where terrain outpaces teams and flames outrun planning.

 Forest firefighting in Mount Abu is not just difficult—it is perilous. Steep slopes, unpredictable winds, and limited access turn every blaze into a gamble. And yet, the scale of preparedness seems unchanged, even as the frequency of fires rises.

 What is being lost is not just forest cover, but an entire living system. The rare woodland flora turns to ash in hours. Nesting grounds vanish overnight. Birds scatter, animals flee, and some never make it out. For those who have spent years observing these forests—their rhythms, their quiet resilience—this destruction cuts deep.

 Mount Abu’s forests are not vast to begin with. They are fragile, finite, and fragmented. And each fire leaves them weaker.

 The troubling part is not just that fires are happening—but that they are happening earlier, more frequently, and with a disturbing sense of inevitability. This is no longer an occasional crisis; it is becoming a pattern. A failure to adapt. A failure to expect.

If this is how the season begins, it raises an uncomfortable question: are we witnessing isolated incidents—or the slow normalisation of ecological neglect?

One hopes these fires are not the opening chapter of a harsher summer. But hope alone will not hold the line.

At some point, responsibility must move beyond attribution—beyond blaming a stray cigarette or an unseen hand—and settle where it truly belongs: in sustained prevention, stronger enforcement, and a system that acts before the forest burns, not after.

Until then, the hills will continue to smoulder—quietly, repeatedly, and far too soon.

Mount Abu city roads in Shambles. [ 15/03/2022 ]

 The pathetic state of Mount Abu roads.

Mount Abu city roads are in Shambles
Photographs per kind favour Jennifer

When RUIDP was given the task of constructing the sewage system in Mount Abu, the condition of the city's road network, which had been declining for some time, became much worse. The incompetence of the government and the commercial telecom sector, which has resulted in haphazard road excavations that seriously jeopardise Abu's fragile ecology, has made the problem worse. The condition of their roadways, which seem to be in a continual state of chaos, appalled residents of Abu, despite ambitions to turn the city into a classy one.

The excavation of all the city's roads has left behind big holes, craters, and loose gravel that is especially dangerous for two-wheelers. the constant rock blasting interrupts everyday life and frequently results in traffic congestion, particularly on weekends when the city draws a sizable number of tourists.

When worried locals voice their displeasure about the frequent digging of their streets, they are told that it's a necessary component of a smart city initiative. A lot of locals doubtfully wonder if a new village is being built, which calls into question the effectiveness of the smart city project.

Potholes and patches abound on the roadways, making daily living difficult for locals like traversing a battlefield. Even if the Abu government is committed to creating a "SMART CITY," the roads are in poor shape because of the influence of state and private contractors, which changes less likely. There are still questions regarding these projects' viability and profitability, and locals worry that they could end up being ghost projects. The previously bright silver line in the distance now seems blemished, casting doubt on the durability and significance of the city's development projects.

Nakki Lake as of today
Photographs per kind favour of Harnam.

MOUNT ABU RAODS 25 March 2022 
Per kind favour Jennifer 

Curfew in Mount Abu:[ 17 Jan 2022. ]

 The market closed on Sunday. They confined tourists to their hotels.

Mount Abu 17 Jan 2022.
Curfews and lockdowns are like the clouds that visit the Abode of the Gods

“Salutations from Mount Abu”

As it is my initial post of the year 2022, I cherish all my readers an outstanding year 

“Happy New Year To All of you!” Stay blessed and remain safe this winter. May you all escape the COVID-19 infection?

Mount Abu was under a weekend curfew yesterday, enforced by the authorities

There were several visitors who weren’t aware that Mount Abu was under a curfew yesterday. The curfew restricted all movement for them, which they found extremely unpleasant. The town was absolutely closed except for essential goods, medical care, vegetable shops, milk booths and the petrol pump.

Police and the administration team were out cruising the streets to ensure the curfew remained in place. They imposed fines on those caught without their masks. Law enforcement fined visitors and residents who roamed around without a legitimate reason. Police gave visitors who didn’t know about the curfew a warning and summoned them to remain in their various hotels. 

Different residents in Abu reacted differently to the curfew imposed on their city. It pleased some that the authorities imposed a curfew in place as they aspired to curb the enormous crowds touring this hill station on weekends. However, some residents were vexed that their livelihoods depended on tourists, and were being targeted by the authorities to disrupt their lives. 

Please note that if you are planning a pleasant trip to Abu, it is best to avoid the weekend. Be conscious that there is a curfew each night from 8 pm to 6 am. The curfew is in place to restrain the virus from being extremely active during these hours or for the animals to prowl freely in the sanctuary without human conflict.