Gujarat is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about 1,600 km is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. The following outline is an overview of and topical guide to the state of Gujarat in Western India, sometimes called the “Jewel of Western India“. It has an area of 196,024 km² (75,685 sq mi) with a coastline of 1,600 km (990 mi), most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula, and a population in excess of 60 million. Gujarat draws its name from the Gurjara (supposedly a subtribe of the Huns), who ruled the area during the 8th and 9th centuries ce. The state assumed its present form in 1960, when the former Bombay state was divided between Maharashtra and Gujarat on the basis of language. It is renowned for its beaches, temple towns and historic capitals. Wildlife sanctuaries, hill resorts and natural grandeur are gifts of Gujarat. Sculpture, handicrafts, arts, festivals also make the state rich.

Gujarat offers scenic beauty from Great Rann of Kutch to the hills of Saputara. Gujarat is the one and only place to view pure Asiatic lions in the world. During the Sultanate reign, Hindu craftsmanship mixed with Islamic architecture, giving rise to the Indo-Saracenic style.

ATTRACTIONS

Gandhinagar – Akshardham Temple

Ahmedabad – Sabarmati Ashram / Mahatma Gandhi’s Home, Calico Museum of Textiles, Adalaj Step-well, Hathee Singh Jain Temple, Kankaria Lake, Bhadra Fort, Shaking Minarets

Bhavnagar – Palitana Temple

Patan – Old Fort near Kalka, Rani-ki-Vav and Trikam Barot-ni-Vav (Step wells), Sahstraling Sarovar, Anand Sarovar, Kalka Mandir, Mahalaxmi Mandir, Hingaraj Mandir

Vadodra – Laxmi Vilas Palace, Baps Swaminarayan Mandir, EME Temple Vadodara, Baroda Museum and Art Gallery, Sayaji Bagh Vadodara, Khanderao Market, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Champaner

Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach – Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach

Jamnagar – Kotha Bastion, Willington Crescent, Lakhota Fort, Solarium, Jamsaheb’s Palace, Bohra Hajira, Lakhota Museum, Ranmal Lake, Adinath Mandir, Bala Hanuman Temple, Bhid Bhanjan Temple, Shantinath Mandir, Bet Dwarka Beach Rozi, marine

Bhuj / Dwarka / Wild Ass Sanch / Saputara Hills / Gondal

Porbandar – Kirti Mandir, Arya Kanya, Gurukul, Sudama Mandir, Bharat Mandir, and the Planetarium.

Surat – The Chintamani Jain Temple, Dutch Garden, The Sardar Patel Museum, Jawaharlal Nehru Garden

Junagarh – Akshar Mandir, Bhavnath Temple, Datar Hill, Durbar Hall Museum, Emperor Ashoka’s Rock Edicts, Girnar Mountain Junagadh, Intala the remains of Harappan Age, Sakkar Baug Zoo, Gir National Park, Somnath Temple

Rajkot –The Watson Museum, Kaba Gandhi No Delo, The Rajkumar College, Mohandas Gandhi Vidyalaya, Rashtriya Shala, Aji Dam, Race Course of Rajkot, Rotary Midtown Dolls Museum, Jagat Mandir

Mandvi – Vijay Vilas Palace, Shyamji Krishna Verma Smarak, Rukmavati Bridge, Kasi Vishvanath Beach, Mandvi beach, Topansar Lake

Kutch – Hodko, Nirona, Mandvi and Bhujodi,  Kutch. ApartNarayan Sarovar, Koteshwar temple and Bahuchara Mata temple.

Modhera – Sun Temple

CHAMPANER – PAVAGADH  KNOWN FOR AWESOME EXPERIENCE – OFF BEAT DESTINATION OF INDIA

Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park is famous because it is home to several historic monuments dating from the 8^th to 16^th centuries that represent a unique fusion form of Indo-Islamic architecture. Also, Champaner is also the only unchanged, pre-Mughal, Islamic city that we can see in India today. During this period, Champaner was famous for mangoes, sandalwood trees (used then for house building and sword blades), and colourful silks. Merchants and craftsmen prospered. Mahmud died in 1511 and his successors continued to rule from Champaner until the death of Bahadur Shah . The Champaner – Pavagadh Archeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and was bestowed with this status in 2004. It is widely believed that the 8-9th Century fortress town of Pavagadh was first ruled by Solanki Kings and then by Khichi Rajputs .

Champaner flourished as the vibrant capital of Pavagadh under the aegis of Chauhan Rajputs during the late 1400s. Replete with the ruins of a fortress, numerous mosques, temples, tombs, and step wells, the area is a historical feast and is a must visit.

PATAN KNOWN FOR AWESOME EXPERIENCE – OFF BEAT DESTINATION OF INDIA

Patan, the former capital of Gujarat, is a place famous for Patola sarees, one of the finest hand-made textiles in the world. One can see this exquisite fabric being woven here. The Patan Patola is one of the finest hand-woven textiles produced the world over. With a rich history, vibrant culture, beautiful architecture and an impressive tradition of folk art, Patan in Gujarat, is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the state. Home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Rani-ki-vav, an exquisite stepwell, Patan has many legendary monuments to its credit. This district is located in northern Gujarat and bounded by Banaskantha district in the north and northeast, Mehsana district in the east and southeast, Surendranagar district in the south and Kutch District and the Kutch nu Nanu Ran (Little Rann of Kutch) in the west.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Gujarat is during the winter season i.e from October and February. It’s a dry region and experiences high temperatures and humidity. Visiting Gujarat during monsoon (July to September) may also be a good idea and especially in this region there is less rainfall.