“Children of Abu” is the most apt name for this story. Simply because the smiles of the children you see in the photo are the most honest and bright smiles I have ever seen.
Mt Abu is a hill station (as mountain resorts are called in India) near Udaipur. It is one of the few in western India and perhaps the only one in Rajasthan. The swanky new highway provides a nice escape to the small hill resort from the heat of Udaipur. Mt Abu is ideal for family picnics and weekends, so try and make it on a weekday if you can. The hotels are really nice and even the best ones are not very expensive.
The major attractions of the town, as of any other hill town are Nakki Lake, the main market street, the telescope viewing points and the sunset points. I can guarantee that you will find at least 3 out of 4 of these in any hill station in India.
The market here is very colourful. Full of Rajasthani Handicrafts and clothes and toys, it also has great places to eat. Don’t miss out on the Jodhpuri thali, which any local would be able guide you towards. See the photographs to really get the feel of the place. The sunset point is particularly famous because of the shooting of a famous Bollywood film, Qayamat se Qayamat tak.
There are also the great Dilwara temples which are brilliantly carved. It’s a pity though that you are not allowed to take cameras or even wallets, purses or belts inside. A visit here however, is a must just to see how great ancient Indian architecture was.
The picture of the kids, the one that makes my visit complete was taken at Achal. Forgive me though, for not having taken pictures of the usual hill landscapes, I got lost in the shops and streets and the daily life of Abu.
(‘Children of Abu’ was written by Sanibh Aryan on BatchBuzz.com. The content has been edited to suit requirements.)