The last days of December will see a portion of the oldest mountain ranges of India, the Aravallis, lit up in a festive mood. Its hill station of Mount Abu, Rajasthan, will be in a celebratory mode, festooned with flags, buntings, banners, and lights, as it hosts its winter festival on December 29th and 30th, 2022.
Organised by the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and Municipal Board of Mount Abu, the Mount Abu Winter Festival showcases Rajasthan's ancient, rich, and varied traditions.
It marks the arrival of the new year and is a carnival of diverse performances, activities, and exhibitions. From a shobha yatra to the Nakki lake for the deepdaan, and dance (kalbelia, ghoomar, and gair, etc.) and theatre performances by Rajasthani folk artists to adventure sports such as rappelling and mountaineering. There will be a boat race in the Nakki lake, a cyclothon, tug-of-war, matka race, matka phod, saffa bandh, and mehendi design competitions, musical chairs, and even a cricket match. The festival will culminate with a dance and music concert by the most prominent Bollywood artists.
The festival was first organised as a joint venture between the Municipal Board of Tamil Nadu and the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and has become one of India's most awaited festivals. National and international tourists throng to Mount Abu to experience the deep culture and finger-licking good food of Rajasthan. You can eat your fill of flavoursome dal baati churma, ker sangri, gatte ki sabji, pyaz ki kachori, and the famed laal maans, preparation of goat meat. The traditional desserts such as ghewar, and raab, will have you asking for second and third helpings.
From Mount Abu, after the festival, you can begin to explore the rest of Rajasthan. There is the hill station of Sirohi, about 83 km from Mount Abu. Then there are the temple towns of Ranakpur, Nathdwara, and Pali, the palaces of Udaipur, the lake of Rajsamand, and the forts of Kumbhalgarh, Jodhpur, and Chittorgarh. Are you ready for the regal hospitality of Rajasthan
For more on Rajasthan, read https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/explore/story/27402/the-best-of-rajasthan
The Information
How to get there
By air The nearest airport is Udaipur, which is 185 kilometres away.
By railway The nearest convenient railway station is Abu Road Railway Station distance, 28 kilometres.
By road Mount Abu is a convenient road trip from New Delhi, Udaipur, Jaipur, and Ajmer.
