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| Ahmedabad
| Gandhinagar
| Surat | Panchagani
| Ratnagiri |
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Area : 196,000 Sq.kms.
Language : Gujarathi
Best Season : October to March
Gujarat the glorious land of India is situated on the western coast
of Indian sub-continent. It is bounded on the northwest by Madhya
Pradesh and on the east by Madhya Pradesh and on the south and
southeast by Maharashtra. The state gets its name from “Gujjar
Rashtra” the land of the Gujjars a migrant tribe who came to India
in the wake of the invading Huns in the 5th century.
The west coast state of Gujrat is conveniently situated between the
golden triangle of Delhi-Agra-Rajasthan and the popular triangle of
Mumbai-Goa-Aurangabad. It stretches out into the Arabian Sea like an
open jaw of a lion the Saurashtra peninsula and the Kutch desert
marking the mid-western border of the state of Gujarat home to one
of the most enterprising communities of India. Ancient
archaeological sites historic and architecturic natural beauty
religious places, hills, beaches, palaces, forts, temples, havelis,
wildlife sanctuaries , handicrafts, cuisines, colourful cultures and
a tradition of hospitality blended with modern amenities like
airports railway stations bus connections and so on make it a
paradise for a contemporary traveller.
Gujarat has some fascinating and distinctive architecture a wide
variety of scenery and some superb beaches. The new city of
Gandhinagar 20 kms. north of Ahmedabad is the state’s capital.
Gujarat’s ports have been important centres of trade and embarkation
points for Muslim pilgrims bound for Mecca while European colonial
nations established factories and trading bases around the coast
from the late 15th century onwards. Lothal was the site of a
Harappan or Indus Valley Civilization more than 4000 years ago.
Gujarat has also been featured in the exploits of the Buddhist
Emperor Asoka and one of his rock edicts is found near Junagadh.
Later the state suffered due to the aggression of various Mughal
rulers including Muhammad Gazni and again battles between the
Mughals and the Marathas were fought in this region.
Gujarat has some vivid historical associations ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ –
the ‘Father of the Nation’ was born at Porbandar and had his ashram
at Sabarmati near Ahmedabad. It has always been a home for the Jain
Temple centres at Palitana and Girnar Hill near Junagadh are worth a
visit. The Jains are an influential and energetic group and as a
result Gujarat is one of India’s wealthier and most industrialized
states.
Other major attractions include the Gir National Park and many other
wildlife sanctuaries at the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch the
coastal marshes of Porbandar and Jamnagar and the southeastern tip
of the Little Rann of Kutch. One can explore the excellent examples
of the fascinating Indo-Saracenic architecture of Ahmedabad the fine
beaches at Tithal, Ubharat, Khambhat, Diu, Chorwad and Mandvi, the
shore temples of Dwarka . Somnath and Harshad Mata , picturesque
harbours stupendous work of medieval princely architecture at
Jamnagar Junagadh, Rajkot, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Limbdi, the
architecture in north Gujarat-temples of Modhera, Patan, Taranga,
Kumbhariya, Siddhpur and many more.
Ancient archaeological sites, historic architecture, natural beauty,
religious places, hill stations, beaches, forts, temples, havelis,
wildlife sanctuaries, handicrafts, cuisine, colourful cultures and a
tradition of hospitality blended with modernity makes Gujarat rank
high on your list of priorities!
Geographically Gujarat can be divided into three areas. The eastern
(mainland) region includes the major cities of Ahmedabad Surat and
Vadodara (Baroda). The Gulf of Cambay divides the mainland strip
from the flat often barren plains of the Kathiawar peninsula also
known as Saurashtra from Kutch (Kachchh) which is virtually an
island cut off from the rest of the Gujarat to the east and Pakistan
to the north by the low-lying Ranns (desert) of Kutch. |
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