India > Gujarat

Gujarat

Capital : Gandhinagar.

Area : 1, 96, 024 sq.km.

Literacy : 69.9%.

Languages : Gujrathi, Marathi, Hindi.

Roads : 1, 33, 850 km.

Railways : 5, 322 km.

Airports : Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Keshod, Rajkot, Porbandar, Kandla, Surat.

When to visit : Oct to Mar.

Climate(in °C) : Summer 41 to 27 Winter 29 to 14.

Monsoon : June to Sept.

Districts :25, Ahmedabad, Amreli, Anand, Banas Kantha , Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Dohad, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kutch, Kheda, Mahesana, Narmada, Navsari, Panch Mahals, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Rajkot Sabar kantha, Surat, Surendranagar, The Dangs, Vadodara, Valsad.

Tourist Places

AHMEDABAD - Jumma masjid having 15 domes supported on 260 pillars, Siddi Sayed mosque, Bhadra fort, Hateesingh Jain temple near the Delhi gate, Shaking minarets at the siddi Bashir's mosque, Tripple arched gateway, Calico textile museum, Rani ki Vav, Akshardham temple and Adlaj Vav (Steped well) at Gandhi nagar, Modhera Sun temple (104 km), Lothal (80 km, 5000 year old dockyard).

VADODARA - Nazarbaug palace, Kirti mandir, Maharaja Fateh Singh museum, Makarpura palace (now an Air Force school), Pratap Vilas palace at Lalbaug, Vadodara museum & pictutre gallery.

PAVAGADH (CHAMPANER) - A world heritage centre by UNESCO, archaeological park with forts, temples, mosques & palaces , hill station.

RAJKOT - Gandhiji's home, museum, palace.

JAMNAGAR - Palaces, forts, temples, museum, lake.

DWARKA - One of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrim centres, beach, Janmastami is celebrated in Jagat Mandir (1400 years old), Shankaracharya Ashram - Sharda Peeth. Beyt Dwaraka (5 km) - temple. Ahmedabad (450 km)

PORBANDER - Birth place of Gandhiji, temples, palace, beach.

JUNAGADH - Upperkot fort (5 km) : Jami masjid and Buddhist caves are nearby, 14 Ashoka rock edicts of 250 BC on the way to Girnar, gardens, Maqbara (tombs of Nawabs). GIRNAR (8 km, 600 m ASL, 2 hour climb) - From the Damodarkund climb the 10,000 steps for 16 Jain temples in white marble, muslim pilgrim centre at Datar.

SOMNATH - One of the 12 jyotirlingas : temple, Bhalka tirth, museum and beach, 80 km from Junagarh.

GIR FOREST - Wild life sanctuary for Asiatic Lion at Sasan Gir (Sept to May), Lion Safari, Tulsi Shyam with hot springs in the heart of Gir forest. Diu island fort.

PALITANA - Jain exquisite temples (863 in number) by one hour trek, Muslim shrine of Angar Pir. Ahmedabad (210 km).

FESTIVALS - Navaratri (Sept/Oct), Dussera, Diwali.