Hill Station
Mount Abu is not just about religion and legends; it has also served as an important hill station for the various kings that ruled Rajasthan, and for the British. In 1845AD Mount Abu was leased by the British and was developed as a hill resort ("a sort of Shimla for Rajputana") to escape the heat and dust of the Rajasthan plains. Many maharajas and princes like that of Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Alwar, Tonk and Dholpur built their summer resorts in Mount Abu. With all these maharajas in one place Mount Abu must have been a real happening place for high society. We know of this waggish story about a maharaja who hosted a dinner to which he pointedly did not invited Maraja Jai Singh the Maharaja of Alwar. Maharaja Jai Singh bought up all the food supplies for miles around, forcing the dinner to be canceled. He then added insult to injury by inviting everybody to his place instead.