Places of
Tourist Interest
This
is the capital city of Gujarat. It is famous for the Akshardham Temple
which has been built in the memory of Lord Swaminarayan.
Kankaria
Lake
Constructed
by Sultan Qutub-ud-Din, this lake is a popular recreational spot for people
of Ahmedabad. The lake is surrounded by landscaped garden, terraced slopes,
zoo, aquarium and balvatika.
Teen
Darwaja
His
triple-arched gateway was originally meant to serve as the royal
entrance
to the Maidan Shahi or Royal Square.
White
marbled Hathee Singh's Temple
This
temple is dedicated to the 15th Jain apostle - Dharamnath. It is built
in pure white marble and embellished with intricate carving.
Sarkhej
Roza
Sarkhej
comprises one of the most elegant architectural complexes of Ahmedabad.
The buildings are remarkable for the complete absence of arches and the
use of pierced stone trellises.
Mosque
of Sidi Saiyad
Ahmedabad
has a large number of mosques but the most famous is the Sidi Saiyad Mosque
built in 1571 AD, which is acclaimed for its splendid filigree screen,
framed in the ten semi-circular windows.
Dada
Hari Vava
This
step-well manifests a unique architectural feature of Gujarat. Step-wells
were built to provide travellers with water and cool resting place.
Jumma
Masjid
It
is considered to be one of the most beautiful mosques in western
India. This mosque, built in 1423 AD, is outstanding for its grand scale,
superb proportions and exquisite workmanship.
Rani
Sipri Mosque
A
small, exquisite mosque built in 1514 by a queen of Mehmud Shah Begda.
The queen herself lies burried here.
Shaking
Minarets
The
shaking Minarets of Sidi Bashir's Mosque have generated tremendous curiosity.
The two minarets are designed such that if one of them is shaken, the other
trembles as well.
The
Gandhi Ashram along the Sabarmati river, was once Gandhiji's nerve centre
for the Indian freedom movement. The Gandhi Memorial Centre, Library and
much more can be seen at the Ashram.
Porbandar
This
place is famous as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Kirti Mandir , where
he was born, today, houses a photo exhibition on the life and times of the
Mahatma, a library, a prayer hall are other memorabilia.
One
can also take the Gandhi route and this would cover Anand, Baroda, Surat,
Navsari, Dandi, Saputara.
This
city is mainly known for the handicrafts, bead and mirror work, tie and
dye fabric(Bandhani), silk embroidery and applique work. Other places to
see would be Alfred High School(where Gandhiji did his schooling) and Kaba
Gandhini Delo street.
Lothal
In
Lothal excavations have brought to light an ancient port complete with
dockyard measuring 218 x 37 metres connected to sea through
river Bhagava. Streets laid out in chess-board pattern, dividing the town
into many blocks, houses with bathrooms and underground drainage
system are identical to the ones found at Mohenjodaro and various arts
and artifacts are the interesting features of this place.
Modhera
97
kms from Ahmedabad, it has one of the most magnificent monuments of Gujarat.
The Modhera Temple, built by the Solanki kings in 1025 AD was
dedicated to Surya - the Sun God. The temple was constructed in such a
manner that the rising sun at the equinoxes shines straight
into the shrine and illuminats the image of Surya. The temple is profusely
and intricately carved.
Somnath
The
legendary shore temple of Somnath is one of the most sacred
Shiva shrines in India. According to legend, Somnath is as old
as creation, built by the Moon God himself. Through the turbulent centuries,
Somnath was sacked and rebuilt seven times. The present temple known as
the Maha Meru Prasad was rebuilt about 25 years ago on the location of
the original shrine in accordance with ancient plans.
Patan
This
city is famous for its architectural wonders built during the Solanki dynasty.
Patan is an important weaving centre for geometrically patterned Patola
Sarees.
Sasangir
Gujarat
can really boast of a rich variety of wild and rare fauna. Gir forest is
the only place in the world, outside Africa, where the lion can be seen
in its natural habitat. Also one might come across a host of other herbivores
like Chital, Nilgai, Blue Bull and rare four horned antelope.
Baroda
This
was once the capital of the princely Gaekwads, and today is a graceful
city of palaces, parks, temples and museums.
Surat
This
city is known for its textiles, zari work, and diamond cutting and polishing
industry.
Dandi
Along
the coastline, Dandi has been known as the salt centre. It gained a place
of pride after the famous Dandi March Satyagraha,in 1930, by Mahatma Gandhi.
Saputara
Literally
the abode of the serpents, Saputara is Gujarat's best known hill resort
offering breathtaking views of the sunrise and sunset.
Palitana
The
architectural grandeur of nearly 863 Jain temples on the Shetrunjaya Hills,
have few parallels. These temples, dedicated to various Jain Saints and
Deities, is an important place of pilgrimage on the Jain circuit.
Dwarka
The
ancient sacred city, on the edge of the Saurashtra peninsula was once the
capital of Lord Krishna's empire where he had shifted from Mathura thousands
of years ago. The main attraction is the Dwarkadhish Temple.
Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar is known for Gandhi Smriti, an institution built in memory of
Mahatma Gandhi.
Junagarh
To
the west of Bhavnagar, situated at the base of Girnar hills is Junagarh. Its special
claim to fame is the rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka, dating back to 250
BC.
Chorwad
Once
the royal summer retreat of the pleasure loving Nawabs of Junagadh, the
imposing Chorwad palace and the lovely expanse of beach before it combine
to make Chowrad unique.
Ahmedpur
Mandvi
Just
125 kms along the coastline from Chorwad lies this unusual beach resort
designed as a traditional ethnic Saurashtrian village.
Jamnagar
This
city was built by the Jadeja Rajputs, Known as jams, as their capital in
the 16th century. It is famous for its lake which is surrounded by two
buildings called Kotha Bastion and Lakhota Palace.
This
is an experience in itself, on one of the most exotic trains in the world
which takes travellers back in the age of Maharajas.
|
