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Holy Åbu
144 Shukla 15 ( November to June)...
Climatic conditions at Achalagaờh are good and healthy. Every year the flag-hoisting ceremony is held on the Vasanta Panchami when a big fair (melā) is held. The Kārakhānā is being managed by a committee elected by the Jaina Samgha of Rohida (Sirohi State, a few miles from Mount Abu.) As already noted it manages the watershed at Oriyā, the shrine at Oriyā, the Jaina Dharmashālā on the road to Abu ( Āraņā-taļāți where Jaina pilgrims are also supplied free meals.
Formerly, there were many Jainas at Delvādā , Oriya Achalagadh, Sālagrāma and other villages of Ābu. There are records of five Jaina monks staying at a time at Delvādā or Achalagadh which would not have been possible in olden days in absence of a fairly large Jaina populace. Some metal images at Modherā and Bhoyaņi are the gifts of Sravakas of these two places. Only about fifty years back, there lived at least ten Jaina families at Achalagadh, where today not a single Jaina native family exists. This migration is possibly due to the growth of the Ābu-camp area, some people having migrated to the Abu-Road area at the foot of the mount Ābu.
The Achalagadh fort was built by Rāṇā Kumbhā (Kumbhakarņa ) of Chitor in V. S. 1509 (1452-3 A. D.) and the Prince often used to stay here. This two-storeyed Chaumukha shrine was built by Samghavi Sahasā of Māļļavagadh. One can easily imagine that Achalagadh at one time was a flourishing spot, inhabited by rich and pious Jainas as also by other people, including warriors, Brāhmins, merchants, artisans and others since it was a place of resort for the king and on account of such magnificent shrines built here pilgrims flocked from distant lands.
