The Travel Point

Overview

Gujarat is a home to incredible diversity due to its geographic and strategic location. Its Gujarati pride and rich cultural heritage is reflected in the arts, music, literature, religious traditions, cuisine, fairs and festivals of every city and place.

Ensembles, lifestyles and ways of living vary all over Gujarat. The fairs and festivals are full of enthusiasm, entertainment and spirituality. Gujarat is known world over for its Navratri celebration which sees people immersed in the spirit of dance for nine nights. The dance forms depend on the unique styles that have emerged in different cities. people have adopted this traditional dance and its varied forms by the name of ‘Garba’ and ‘Raas’.

Things to do in Gujarat

Visit Girnar Hill : There are plenty of Hindu and Jain temples on top of this Girnar hill. Apart from that, this hill holds some beautiful sceneries which can always hold you back.
Sabarmati Ashram : This is the place where Gandhiji used to stay, even today there are certain things which have been preserved. If you are planning your trip down to Ahmedabad make sure Sabarmati Ashram is not missed.
Visit Diu Fort : Visit the Diu Fort and you will realise that many films have been shot here. One of the very ancient places, Diu Fort is the pride of Gujarat.
Attend the Rann of kutch Festival : Sleep in the tents and be in the Rann of Kutch in the festival where a large number of people come here to simply be a part of the tradition and learn a number of new things and interact with the locals.
Celebrate Navratri : Navratri and Gujarat are inter-related, so you need to be here during the time of Navratri and play dandiya or do garba and involve yourself into this festive season.
Eat good food : When in Gujarat you can be dead sure that you are going to taste good things. Be it the street food or the Gujarati Thali, everything seems to be nailed at when it comes to food in Gujarat.

Areas in Gujarat

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, located on the banks of Sabarmati is one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city Ahmedabad is closely associated with Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of the nation. The city is popular as the Manchester of the East as it is famous for its textile mills.
The history of Ahmedabad dates back to 15th century when it was known as Karnavati named after King Karandev. Later when Sultan Ahmed Shah, conquered the place it was renamed as Ahmedabad.
Ahmedabad is famous for typical Gujarati festivals i.e. navratras and garba which attracts huge number of masses all over the world. The famous Makar Sakranti fair is held in Ahmedabad during the month of January which features the Kite festival which is held between 9th and 11th January 2012, music and folk dance festival etc.

Ahmedabad Tourist Places:

Hathisingh Jain Temple, Sabarmati Ashram, Sidi Saiyyad Mosque, Teen Darwaza, Shaking Minarets, Akshardam Temple, Vastrapur Lake, Bhadra Fort, Kamla Nehru Zoo, ISKCON Temple, Science City, Vaishno Devi temple & Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary

Vadodara

Vadodara, also known as Baroda, is one of the popular cities in. The city is located on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, the water stream named after rishi Vishwamitra.
The name Vadodara is a dedication to its former ruler, Sayajirao Gaekwad III (1875-1939 AD). It was called as Chandravati, after its ruler Raja Chandan, which means ‘house of the brave’ and Vadpatra, as it featured plenty of banyan trees. The present name of Vadodara originated from Vadpatra.
According to historians, Vadodara's history is over 2,000 years old and the city has been ruled by Hindus, Pathans, Mughals and Marathas. The city houses different language speaking populace such as Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi and English.

Vadodara Tourist Places:

Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara Museum and Picture Gallery, Sayaji Baug, Kirti Mandir, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Khanderao Market, EME Temple

Bhuj

Bhuj is a city situated in the Kachchh district. The city is famous for its Hindu temples, palaces and wooden pavilions. The houses of Bhuj are decorated with mud and mirrors on both the interiors and exteriors.
Bhuj is also home to the oldest museum of Gujarat. It is also distinguished for its handicraft and embroidery. The bandhani and batik textiles along with silk embroidery on leather are the specialties of the place.
The Kachchh Festival held in Bhuj from 29th February to 5th March depicts the cultural heritage of the city and is a major tourist attraction. This festival is held during Shivaratri in honour of Lord Shiva.

Bhuj Tourist Places:

Aina Mahal, Prag Mahal, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary & Banni Grasslands Reserve

Dwarka

Dwarka (once referred as Golden City) is located on the tip of the Saurashtra peninsula on the Arabian Sea. Dwaraka has remarkable significance as per Hindu lore since the place is categorised under both the ‘Chardham’ sites and the ‘sapta-puris’ (seven sacred cities).
The name ‘Dwarka’ that came from two words – dwara (door) and ka (Brahma) – stood for ‘gateway to the spiritual union with Brahma’. Dwarka is associated with the life of Lord Krishna, who is believed to be one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
According to legend, Dwarka was submerged in water after the death of Lord Krishna and the demise of the Yadava Dynasty. It is believed that Dwarka was rebuilt six times by different civilisations and the present-day Dwarka is the 7th one.

Dwarka Tourist Places:

Dwarkadish Temple, Nageshwara Jyotirlinga Temple, Gomati Ghat, Gita Mandir & Beyt Dwarka

Gandhinagar

The city of Gandhinagar, situated on the west bank of the Sabarmati River, is the state capital of Gujarat. It is a well-planned city designed by two Indian architects, Prakash M. Apte and H.K. Mewada.
The destination is spacious, with beautiful architectural landmarks, including shopping centres, health centres, primary schools and both government and private housing. The beautiful Akshardham Temple is the key highlight for tourists visiting this city.
Ahmedabad, which is considered to be the commercial hub of Gujarat, was the state capital, but a proposal was put forward for constructing a new state capital, similar to that as Chandigarh. This new state capital was named after Mahatma Gandhi and the foundation stone was laid in 1965.

Gandhinagar Tourist Places:

Akshardam Temple, Sabarmati Ashram, Indroda Nature Park, Sarita Udhyan, Hanumanji Temple & Science City

Girnar

Girnar is a mountainous region located in Junagadh district at a height of 3660 ft and the region is popular for its lush green forest cover of Gir and for several places of religious importance. The Girnar hills are a collection of five hills, and on each hill, there is an ancient Jain temple belonging to the 12th century.
There are several temples here that are of importance to the Hindus and Jains along with the presence of mosques for Muslim pilgrims, making the place an example of unity in diversity.
Standing 1031 meters tall, the mountains in Girnar are the highest peaks in Gujarat. There are numerous temples and tourist attractions here including Bharathari Gufa (cave), Mali Parab, Ramchandra Temple and Hathi Pashan, enroute to the summit.

Girnar Tourist Places:

Goddess Ambe temple, Lord Neminath temple, Mount Girnar, Tonks of Girnar Hill & Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple

Kutch

This district of Gujarat brings to mind a unique landscape with salty marshlands and no vegetation. Situated on the Gulf of Kutch, leading to the Arabian Sea, it is also known as the Rann of Kutch. The word Kutch or Kachchh means tortoise in Sanskrit, and interestingly the shape of the region is rather like a tortoise.
The word also means something that becomes alternately wet and dry, and it is true that the Rann of Kutch becomes submerged under water during the rains. Kutch is the second-largest district in India after Leh. The headquarters of the district are at Bhuj town.

Kutch Tourist Places:

Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch Museum & Aina Mahal

Somnath

Somnath or Pattan Somnath is located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra It is situated on the confluence of the mythological Saraswati, Hiranya and Kapila rivers. The temple of Somnath is one of the holiest pilgrimage spots for Hindus and is visited by pilgrims all-round the year.
Somnath had been destroyed quite a few times by its invaders who were attracted by its treasures and wealth. As per the ancient inscriptions and carvings found in Somnath, it is clear that the place was originally inhabited by Aryans.
Somnath was a princely state of Junagadh before Indian Independence. The place received its name from the Somnath temple. Somnath is also known by names like Deo Pattan, Prabhas Pattan or Pattan Somnath.

Somnath Tourist Places:

Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple, Prasuram temple, Bhalka Tirth, Lakshmi-Narayan Mandir, Triveni Ghat, Gita Mandir, Suraj Mandir, Panch Pandava Gufa, Kamnath Mahadev temple & Junagadh gate