Hin: माउंट आबू mā’uṇṭ ābū
‘Serpent Forest Mountain’ [Arbudaranya. Arbuda-anchal] Hill Station, town, Rajasthan
From Skt: arbuda, ‘snake’, ‘(name of a) serpent-demon’; and Skt: araṇya, ‘forest’; or Hin: anchal, ‘region’.
In ancient times Mt Abu was called Arbudaanchal or Arbudaranya. There is a myth of Arbuda the serpent-demon who saved the life of Nandi the bull (Shiva’s attendant and vehicle).
Mt Abu is a hill station sitting on a plateau at an altitude of 1,200m. It is famous for its rock-carved Hindu temple and a group of exquisite Jain temple carved out of white marble.
Mount Abu Andreas Kleemann
