Spring is here in the Abode of the Gods.

 Mount Abu Welcomes the Season of Renewal

Spring is here! Spring is here in the Abode of the Gods.

Spring in Mount Abu

 With Chaitra, the first month of the traditional lunar calendar, the rhythm of nature shifts once again. Chaitra begins with the new moon that falls in March or April and marks the beginning of a new year in many parts of India. People consider it an auspicious time—a moment when the earth awakens, and life begins anew.

 People in several regions of the country celebrate the first day of Chaitra as New Year’s Day. Festivities take different names but share the same spirit of renewal and hope.

 Warm wishes to everyone celebrating:

 Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra

Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

Puthandu (Tamil New Year) in Tamil Nadu

 Across India, these celebrations herald spring, a season when nature magnificently renews itself.

 Here in Mount Abu, the only hill station in Rajasthan, spring transforms the landscape into a vibrant sanctuary. Blossoms burst open across gardens, forest edges, and rocky hillsides, spreading colour like a painter’s brush across the granite canvas of the Aravalli hills.

 With nectar flowing, the hills come alive with movement and sound. Butterflies flutter from flower to flower, honeybees hum among the blossoms, and birds fill the air with song. For wildlife, this is a season of abundance. Warmer temperatures and plentiful food make spring the perfect time for many animals and birds to breed and raise their young.

 Spring in Abu is not a season; it is celebrating life itself. The hills breathe freshness, the forests shimmer with colour, and every corner of nature seems to whisper the same message: renewal has begun.

 Nature is beckoning us to step outside and become part of this great rebirth.

 So why wait?

 Let’s celebrate the season. Let’s celebrate spring.

 Cheers from the Abode of the Gods.

The Hillsides of Abu.

THE SPRING SEASON IN ABU – Spring is here in the Abode of the Gods.(19/02/2016)

Embracing the Beauty of an Early Spring in Abu - A Renewal Paradise

Spring arrives in most areas of the world in March, bringing new vitality to nature and symbolising a new beginning. However, if you are fortunate enough to find yourself at the lovely Abode of the Gods this year, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. I've noticed that spring has come early to this beautiful place, giving us a delightful sneak peek.

Just yesterday, I felt a warmth in this wonderful house that hinted at the impending approach of spring. I couldn't help but notice the small hints of spring when I stepped outside. The graceful Daman, a rat snake, appeared as an excellent sign in local legend. A mongoose hid nearby, watching the Daman as it moved into the warmth of the sun. As fresh shoots sprang, it painted the landscape with bright colours of green, a monument to nature's tenacity. A profusion of blossoming trees about to explode in a blaze of colour accompanied these comforting views. It felt as if the air itself was pulsating with anticipation of the approach of spring.

It overjoyed the occupants of the Abode of the Gods as the recent temperature increase leaves little doubt—spring is in the air. They slated it for the official celebration of this wonderful season on March 20th, which is a Sunday. By 10 a.m., local Abuites would have gathered to celebrate this momentous event with tremendous zeal and fervour, creating a spectacle you won't want to miss.

St. Mary's High School, an institution profoundly knit into the fabric of our town, chose to deviate from tradition in 2016 by opening its doors on February 14th. It has become a treasured ancient spring festival for the students, particularly the boarders and staff, a time of regeneration and togetherness.

A springtime visit to Abu is an opportunity not to be missed by those looking to renew their spirits and revitalise their beings. The location remains peaceful and enjoyable, unaffected by the overwhelming tourist crowds often found at popular attractions. Accommodations in nearby hotels are widely available, so you can fully immerse yourself in the calm serenity of this magnificent region.

Abu welcomes you with open arms this early spring, inviting you to experience the season of regeneration, indulge in its captivating natural beauty, and engage in the local festivals that define the Abode of the Gods. It's a piece of heaven on Earth, and it's waiting for you to discover and enjoy its own appeal. So, gather your belongings and let the spirit of spring take you to this wonderful spot!

The fresh shoots of spring

Daman or the Rat Snake

The Mongoose was eyeing the Daman for some time

Well, it's spring catch up with you later!

The Daman is on the move

Going for a spring walk

Red-wattled Lapwing announcing spring

White-eyed Buzzard a token for spring

The small video I took of the Daman

Spring in the Abode Mount Abu.

Pine trees in Mount Abu

Pine trees in Mount Abu

Hillside with a mixed bag of trees

Flame of the Forest 

Indian Coral Tree

Blue Jacaranda

A Season Out of Balance

Spring in the Abode of the Gods was once a gentle transition—a pause between winter’s bite and summer’s blaze. Not anymore. What we are witnessing now is not a season, but a warning.

This year, winter arrived. It seemed the cold no longer permeated the hills as deeply as it had in the past. As temperatures failed to reach their previous extremes, the once resilient forests seemed subdued and hesitant. The changing climate pushed even the sloth bears, creatures of instinct and rhythm, out of their natural cycle, causing them to wander into human spaces in search of food. When wildlife breaks its own ancient rules, it is not adaptation—it is distress.

 Nature Out of Sync

After some time away, I’ve returned to the field, to the forests, to the silence—and the silence speaks. The patterns are shifting, and not subtly. Birds that should be waiting for the monsoon are already nesting, raising fledglings far too early, as if racing against an invisible clock.

This is not a quirk of nature. This is disruption.

The delicate timing that governs life in these hills—rain, bloom, breeding, migration—has unraveled. And once that rhythm is lost, the consequences cascade. Fewer insects, fewer seeds, less water, weaker forests. It is a chain reaction, and we are already somewhere in the middle of it.

Meanwhile, in the town, water arrives every alternate day. That alone should be headline enough. A hill station, once known for its springs and lakes, now measures survival in buckets and schedules.

 The Cost of Looking Away

It would be easy—convenient, even—to lay all the blame at the feet of global warming. But that would only be half the truth.

What about unchecked construction ? Concerning the decline in forest cover? What about the problems of poor water management, encroachment, and the steady erosion of natural drainage systems? What about the policies that exist on paper but vanish on the ground?

Mount Abu is not just being changed by the climate—it is being weakened by neglect.

The signs are everywhere: drying water sources, increasing human-wildlife conflict, rising temperatures, and a growing dependence on an unreliable monsoon. And yet, the response remains fragmented, slow, and often cosmetic.

The Summer Ahead

If current trends hold—and there is little reason to believe otherwise—the coming summer will be unforgiving. Heat will intensify. Dust storms will become more frequent. Forest fires will lurk at the edges of every dry patch of land.

It feels as though the desert is not just nearby—it is advancing.

 Conclusion: A Hill Station at a Crossroads

Spring should have been a season of renewal. Instead, it has become a mirror—reflecting the cost of years of imbalance, oversight, and indifference.

Mount Abu stands at a crossroads. What happens next will depend not on hope, but on action—real, sustained, and accountable action. Protecting forest cover, restoring water systems, enforcing environmental regulations, and rethinking how development is allowed to unfold in fragile ecosystems like this one.

Because if the Abode of the Gods begins to fail, it will not be sudden. It will be slow, visible, and entirely preventable.

And perhaps the most troubling part is this: the warning signs are no longer subtle. They are all around us.

The question is no longer what is happening.

The question is—who is willing to act before it is too late?