Gujarat: Road Ahead to Glory

The seventh-largest state in India, Gujarat, is one of the worth visiting places for all history lovers. There is a wide variety of archaeological sites along with several other attractions including wildlife sanctuaries, mountains, hill stations, temples, mosques, and beaches. All these attractions make Gujarat one of the major tourist attractive states in India. According to the census, various provisions and facilities made by the Gujarat Tourism Department have increased its tourism rate by 14 percent per annum. These statistics can make us realize the number of attractions this state possesses to increase its tourism rate up to such a height. Tourists visiting Gujarat have always given positive reviews about their journey through this state. Thus, this state has become a major tourist attraction for people all over the world. Let us now see some of the major cities and tourist attractions in the state of Gujarat.

Major Cities in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: The former capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad was founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411. This city is also known as the “Manchester of the East” for its huge textile industry. The importance of a city is always predicted by its historical importance, culture, rich architecture, art, and imposing monuments. Ahmedabad holds all the above important aspects and qualifies as one of the most beautiful cities in India. Some of the places of interest in Ahmedabad include Ahmed Shah’s Mosque, Dada Hari Vav, Balvatika, Siddhi Sayed Mosque, Bhadra Fort, Teen Darwaza, Sabarmati Ashram, Gita Mandir, Swami Narayan Temple, Rauza of Shah Alam, Hathisinh Mandir, Rani Roopmati Mosque, Jhulta Minar, Rani Sipri’s Mosque and Tomb, Jama Masjid, Kankaria Lake, Calico Museum of Textiles, Shreyas Folk Art Museum, and Natural History Museum. The architecture of the historical monuments present in this city is worth watching. One must definitely visit this city on their tour to Gujarat.

Surat: This is one of the oldest cities and traces back its presence to Mahabharata. This city has seen the reign of several kingdoms including Hindu, Mughal, Portuguese, Marathas, and British. Surat was one of the important trading centers from olden times and thus attracted several empires to it. It also was a major port and was used as a gateway to Mecca and Hajj Pilgrims. Preserving its importance, the city today is a major tourist attraction in Gujarat with several places of interest including the Chintamani Jain Temple, Dutch Garden, Surat Fort, Sardar Patel Museum, Jawaharlal Nehru Garden, Gaurav Path, Saputara, Wilson Hills, Vansda National Park, The Dutch Cemetery, Science Centre, Dumas Beach, Suvali Beach, and Magdalla Bridge. The city of Surat is also famous for its Surati Cuisine and one cannot miss various types of delicious sweets available here including Ghari, Rasawala Khaman, Surati Chinese, Locho, Undhiyu, and Ponk.

Vadodara: This is the third-largest city in Gujarat and was formerly known as Baroda. The city dates back its presence to the 5th Century CE and has been the home of several Jain clans. Since then the city has been ruled by Raja Chandan from the Dor tribe of Rajputs and later by the famous Maratha ruler, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. The city today is one of the biggest industrial hubs with several major industries including plastics, pharmaceuticals, engineering, petrochemicals, and Forex. The city is also famous from a tourism point of view, as it holds several attractive spots such as the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Nazarbaug Palace, Pratap Vilas Palace, Makarpura Palace, Kirti Mandir, Hazira Maqbara, Kirti Stambh, Khanderao Market, Aurobindo Ashram, Motibaug Palace, Kala Ghoda, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Sayaji Baug, Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, and the Sindhrot Check Dam.

Bhavnagar: Another rich port and city since olden times, the city of Bhavnagar was founded by Bhavsinhji Gohil in 1723 AD. The district is famous for the two natural heritage sites of Velavadar Black Buck National Park and Piram Island. This national park is famous for blackbuck, wolves, hyenas, fox, jackals, wild boar, Nilgai, and antelopes, whereas Piram Island is said to be created about 3.5 million years ago and has a ruined fort constructed around 1300 CE. The other tourist attractions of Bhavnagar include Takhteshwar Temple, Nilambag Palace, Mangalsinhji Mahal Palace, Bhav Vilas Palace, Ghogha Beach, Barton Library, Gaurishankar Lake, Hazrat Mohammad Paigambar Mosque, Malnath Shiv Temple, Trambak Water Fall, Khodiyar Temple, Palitana, and Pillgarden.

Jamnagar: Famously known as the “Oil City”, Jamnagar holds the largest oil refinery in the world. This city is also famous for several tourist attractions including the Darbargadh Palace, Lakhota Fort, Willingdon Crescent, Pratap Vilas Palace, Kotha Bastion, Dhanvantari Mandir, Solarium, Bhujio Kotho, Bohra Hajira, Mota Ashapura Maa Temple, Shantinath Mandir, Vardhman Shah’s temple, Bala Hanuman temple, Khijadia Bird Sanctuary, Marine National Park, Rozi and Bedi Ports, Cremation Park, and Jogger’s Park. Jamnagar is one of the developing cities in Gujarat and one must definitely visit this place to experience its historical monuments and other modern developments.

Junagadh: This is a must-visit place in Gujarat. Junagadh literary means “Old Fort”, as it has a fort that dates back to 319 BCE. This fort was built by the great Mauryan Ruler Chandragupta and is an impressive fort with a large boulder having Edicts of Ashoka carved on it. There are also several rock-cut Buddhist caves on the fort that are worth visiting. The city of Junagadh was ruled by several dynasties including Mauryan, Solanki, Chudasama, Mughal, and British. Some of the major tourist attractions in this city include Girnar Mountain, The Wild Museum, Uperkot Fort, Gayatri Mandir, Vagheshwari Mandir, Damodar Kund, and Damodarji Temple, Dataar Hills, Science Museum, Wellington Dam, Moti Baug, Mujkund Caves, Ayurvedic Museum, and Narsinh Mehta Lake.

Major Airports and Railway Junctions in Gujarat

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad) (This city also has a major Railway Junction)
• Bhavnagar Domestic Airport
• Deesa Domestic Airport
• Kandla Domestic Airport
• Keshod Domestic Airport
• Porbandar Domestic Airport
• Rajkot Domestic Airport (Railway Junction)
• Surat Domestic Airport (Railway Junction)
• Vadodara Domestic Airport (Railway Junction)
• Mehsana Domestic Airport

Must-Visit Tourist Attractions in Gujarat

Sabarmati Ashram: The ashram is one of the residences of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, alias Mahatma Gandhi. The ashram today is preserved by the Government of India and possesses a museum named Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalay. The other attraction here includes Hridaya Kunj, Namdini, Vinoba Kutir, Upasana Mandir, Magan Kutir, Udyog Mandir, Somnath Chattralaya, Library and Archives, Painting Gallery, and the Teacher’s Niwas. The place is one of the most visited places and one must definitely visit this place on their trip to Gujarat.

Somnath Temple: One of the most important religious destinations for Hindu pilgrims, the Somnath Temple is the first out of twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. The temple is built in the Chalukya style with magnificent carvings and architecture. One of the worth visiting artifacts to see here is the Baan-Stambh or the Arrow Pillar, which depicts that there is no land in a straight line between Somnath seashore till Antarctica. A huge number of pilgrims all over India visit this temple every year and one must definitely visit this place on their trip to Gujarat.

Sun Temple: This temple is dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya and was built by King Bhimdev in 1026 AD. The temple is divided into three major parts, Surya Kund, Sabha Mandap, and Guda Mandap, and has a unique architecture. The massive tank in front of the temple and the lavishly carved pillars and ceiling are the must-experience qualities of this temple. The Sun Temple has been a major attraction in Gujarat and attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. One must definitely pay a visit to this temple to experience the magnificent architecture of this temple.

Mandvi Beach: This is one of the enchanting beaches and has the finest coastline in India. This beach has a pleasant climate throughout the year and is a major tourist spot in Gujarat. Some of the other places of interest here include Vijar Vilas Palace, Mazar-e-Noorani, Swaminarayan Temple, Wind Farms Beach, Topansar Lake, Bandhni Bazaar, Kranti Trith, Kasi Vishvanath Beach, and Lighthouse.

The above-mentioned information about Gujarat will help you in planning your tour of this state. The Gujarat Tourism Department provides several tourism packages, accommodation services, and transport facilities for its tourist to make their journey in this state a memorable one. You will definitely enjoy your stay in this state, as it will give you many unforgettable lifetime memories.