Udaipur, May 6, 2025 – Rajasthan government is planning to change the name of the State’s only hill station – from Mount Abu to Abu Raj Tirth, according to media reports. Apart from this, the plan is also to ban liquor and non-vegetarian food there.

This proposal has sparked intense controversy, drawing mixed reactions from political leaders and local stakeholders.

According to a ToI report, around 23 organisations in Mount Abu organised protests yesterday, May 5, warning that such changes could shift the hill station’s identity from a lively tourist hotspot to a religious pilgrimage site and undermine its popularity among visitors.

Mount Abu hoteliers are strongly protesting such a move saying it could lead to collapse of tourism in the area thereby creating unemployment.

The protestors say no public consent has been taken for this change and that a local MLA and a State Minister were pushing for it. The proposal had first been discussed in a Municipal meeting in October 2024, say sources. The two had reportedly written to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma emphasising the place's religious significance with the presence of revered temples such as Devlwada Dahera, Achalgadh Shiv Mandir, Gaumukh and Guru Shikhar

Reports say the Department of Local Self Governance wrote to the Mount Abu Municipal authority on April 25 to ask for input on the proposal. This led to the dispute to intensify. The Chief Minister's Office has been involved in talks since last year, according to official papers, and a decision could be made when CM Sharma visits the area some time after mid-May.

Source: Media Reports