Despite the communal riots of 2002 which cast a long shadow over Gujarat, its kinder and gentler image endures. The state attracts over a million domestic and foreign tourists annually

Since the turn of the new century the western India state of Gujarat (pop. 60.4 million) has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. In particular the communal riots of 2002 allegedly conflagrated by the BJP state government has cast a long shadow over this region, until recently widely admired for its gentle, enterprising people and as the native state of Mahatma Gandhi. But despite its recently acquired notoriety, the state’s gentler, kinder image endures. This explains why Gujarat continues to attract over 36 million domestic and 16 million international tourists annually — an inflow which increases as the Navratri festival and Rann Utsav begins (October-February).
Locationally situated in the area which hosted the Indus Valley and Harappan civilizations, even before the Aryan occupation, Gujarat is reported to have developed trade linkages with Sumer (Iraq) in the Persian Gulf as early as 1000-750 BC. Subsequently in 250 BC the mighty Emperor Asoka imposed his suzerainty over this west coast state and during Mauryan rule, the region experienced the benign influence of Buddhism.

In 150 BC Bactarian Greeks under the leadership of Meander imposed their rule upon the region and continued to reign till about 40 AD. Later Scythians took over and ruled from about 130-390 AD. About a century later the Guptas kings established their supremacy over the region until 460 AD. Soon after fall of the Guptas, the Vallabhi dynasty took over and held sway from 500-700 AD. After the death of Harshvardhana, Gujjars kings reigned until 746 AD followed by Solankis until 1143.

The era of Muslim rule in Gujarat began when Muhammud of Ghazni invaded the state and ransacked Somnath temple in 1024, precipitating the downfall of the Solanki dynasty. The conquest of the region by Ala-ud-din Khilji in 1288 formally imposed the rule of the Delhi sultanate which ruled Gujarat from 1298-1392. Ahmad Shah I, the first independent Muslim ruler of Gujarat founded the state’s premier city Ahmedabad in 1411. Two centuries of Mughal rule was terminated by the Maratha kings in the 18th century. The era of British rule in Gujarat began when the British East India Company sited its first headquarters in Surat in 1612. Following independence, the state of Gujarat was carved out from the north and west portions of the Bombay presidency on May 1, 1960.

Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is a city that blends ancient heritage with a vibrant present. Built in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah to serve as his capital, Ahmedabad has since transformed into a major textiles manufacturing centre and hosts prestigious educational institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management, National Institute of Design and the Mudra Institute of Communications, among others.

Currently, though one can only see the ramparts of the 600-year-old Bhadra fort built by Ahmed Shah, eleven of the twelve gates have withstood the ravages of time and are well maintained. But more than its architectural heritage, latter-day Ahmedabad is better known for its festivities starting with the Makar Sankranti kite-flying festival in January, and peaking with the nine-day Navratri festival with its dandiya ras garba folk dance melas in October-November followed by the dazzle and glitter of Diwali, the celebrations of which last until Christmas.

Nevertheless its veneer of modernity hides 600 years of history, immortalised by the city’s magnificent monuments ranging from grand havelis to majestic mosques. The havelis (wooden mansions) of Ahmedabad provide an insight into the lofty lifestyles of the rich during the early 19th century. Exquisitely worked havelis jostle for space in the narrow pols of the walled city. A typical haveli comprises a columned verandah that leads into the otlo (courtyard), the divankhanu (formal drawing room), the service area and other rooms.
Likewise in the mosques and mausoleums of Ahmedabad, one is likely to discover the contribution of Gujarat to Islamic architecture — austere Islamic principles of design combined with traditional Hindu art of sculpted ornamentation. Fusion architecture at its best is on display in the stone tracery of the windows of Siddi Sayed Mosque (constructed in 1571); Jumma Masjid (1424) and Sarkhej Roja (1445). Also worth a visit are the shaking minarets of Sidi Bashir’s Mosque which are a mystery to this day. When one minaret is shaken, the other resonates in harmony while the interconnecting terrace stands still. On the other hand Ahmedabad’s Jain temples also present distinctly different architecture. The Hatheesing Jain Temple is a grand marble structure built in 1848 at the then astronomical cost of Rs.10 lakh.
Besides mosques and temples, one can visit several museums and art galleries. Among them: Calico Textiles Museum, one of the finest of its type showcasing an impressive collection of rare garments and costumes dating back to the early 17th century; the Utensils Museum with 2,000 varieties of traditional Indian cookware in curious shapes and sizes; the Shreyas Folk Art Museum houses a collection of Gujarat’s folk culture.

A must-visit on the itinerary of most visitors to India’s textile city is Sabarmati Ashram, home of Mahatma Gandhi from 1918 to 1930. Tucked away in a quiet corner by River Sabarmati, the ashram served as the base for the Mahatma’s historic Dandi salt march, which signalled the beginning of the end of the British Raj in India.

Ahmedabad offers several day and weekend excursion options. Among them: Lothal (79 km), a site which houses remains of a Harappan settlement dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. The show-piece of Lothal is a fairly well-preserved 4,000-year-old dockyard. The Akshardham Temple (29 km) built in 1993 is one of the most popular temples in the state. Nalsoravar (37 km), a seasonal lake spread over 115 sq. km is an eco-tourism hotspot where one can view over 250 species of bird life from as far afield as Siberia.

Other interesting excursions are the Balasinore Fossil Park (85 km), a natural reserve displaying fossilised dinosaur eggs; Modhera (104 km) with its 900-year-old Sun Temple. On the days of the solar equinox, sunrays bathe the east-facing deity in the pitch-dark inner sanctum. Gujarat Tourism organises a classical dance festival during January every year.

Accommodation. Top-end: Courtyard by Marriot Ahmedabad (Rs.17,999 per night), Taj Skyline (Rs.36,000), Fortune landmark Ahmedabad (Rs.11,700). Mid-range: The Ummed Ahmedabad Airport (Rs.4,650), Lemon Tree Hotel Ahmedabad (Rs.6,513), Inder Residency (Rs.5,798). Budget: Urbane the Hotel (Rs.2,373), Antarim Express (Rs.2,723), Comfort Inn Sunset (Rs.3,290).

Vadodara (Baroda)
Baroda (pop. 4 million) aka garden city of Gujarat and former capital of the princely Gaikwad rulers, boasts beautiful gardens, magnificent palaces and renowned institutions of higher learning. Baroda is a western version of Vadodara, which translates into ‘city of banyan trees’. The fine arts faculty of MS University attracts students from India and abroad.

There are several places of tourist interest in Baroda. Among them: the Nazarbaug Palace built in old classical style used by Gaikwad princes on ceremonial occasions; the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, an extravagant building of the Indo-Saracenic school and current residence of the erstwhile royal family, and Pratap Vilas Palace, former residence of the royal family which showcases a remarkable collection of old armoury and sculptures in bronze, marble and terracotta. Moreover there is the Baroda Museum and Art Gallery founded in 1894 by the Gaikwads.

Excursions. Baroda lies in close proximity with several interesting sites. Among the more popular excursions ex Baroda are: Jambughoda Sanctuary (161 km) famous for the four-horned antelope, panthers and rare birds; Lasundara (67 km) known for its hot and cold springs whose waters are believed to possess curative properties for skin ailments, and Dakor (83 km) a pilgrim centre, where a unique image of Lord Krishna believed to be the original from Dwarka, is enshrined in the Ranchodrai temple.

The Ratan Mahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary (199 km) is a haven for naturalists. Several species of sloth bear, panther, chinkara, nilgai, wildboar etc live here. The tourism season is from November to March.

Accommodation. Top-end: Lemon Tree Vadodra (Rs.6,314 per night), Vivanta Vadodra (Rs.7,000), Hyatt Palace Vadodra (Rs.5,399). Mid-range: Royal Orchid Central (Rs.3,404), Hotel Express Residency (Rs.2,848), Ginger Hotel Vadodra (Rs.2,618). Budget: Clarks Collection (Rs.1,504), Hotel Vintage (Rs.1,838), Hotel GRG (Rs.808).

Surat
Gujarat’s famous textiles and diamonds processing city, Surat (pop.7.1 million) has a fair share of historical monuments, forts, places of worship and gardens for the tourist. Surat Castle is the most important monument with an interesting history. Annoyed by the destruction of Surat by the Portuguese, the king of Ahmedabad ordered construction of a bastion on the site of Ferozeshah Tughlaq’s castle on the left bank of the Tapti. This task was successfully completed by the year 1546 by Khudawand Khan. On the two landward sides was a 60 ft. wide moat, which was filled as recently as 1959. The entire masonry is connected by bars of iron or lead. On each corner of the castle is a rotund watchtower 40 ft. tall.

While in Surat don’t miss the city’s chaklas or squares. Some of the more prominent ones are the Chowk Bazaar Chaklo, the Bade Khan and the Mulla Chaklo. Gopipura Chaklo was renowned for its pearl market throughout Europe. The interesting A’surbeg Chaklo now houses Rang Upvan, the first open air 4,000 seat auditorium built in 1954.

The Mughal Caravanserai was built in 1634 and offered non-European travellers and merchants the facilities enjoyed by the Dutch, Portuguese, English and French travellers. This huge inn was constructed during the Mughal era and now serves as the office of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).

Surat has more than 40 exquisitely landscaped gardens. The most popular among them are the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Udhyan, Jawaharlal Nehru Udhyan, Lal Bahadur Shastri Udhyan, Priyadarshini Udhyan and Shanti Kunj.
Among the several temples in the city the most interesting is the 15th century Chintamani temple with wooden carvings and portraits of Solanki kings.

Excursions. Surat is the base point for several day and weekend excursion options. Dumas (16 km) is a popular health resort on the Arabian Sea; Ubharat (43 km) has a fine sandy beach with a backdrop of shady palm groves and ruins of the resplendent mansion of the Maharaja of Baroda, and Unai is noted for its hot water springs, believed to have sprung from the notch made by an arrow shot into the ground by Lord Rama.

Another popular getaway is Bardoli (34 km) which shot into fame after the Bardoli satyagraha spearheaded by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1921-22. The Swaraj Ashram here is worth a visit.

Dandi (55 km) is a destination of every student of Indian history. The salt satyagraha initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad ended in Dandi.

Udvada (112 km) is the Vatican of India’s small (200,000) but influential Parsi community. Located close to Vapi, a busy industrial centre of Gujarat, this seaside town dotted with quaint bungalows is famed for the Sacred Iranshaw Fire Temple. Housed within the temple is the sacred fire smuggled into India from Iran in 1742.

Accommodation. Top-end: Greenotel Rooms, Hazira Surat (Rs.12,881 per night), Surat Marriot (Rs.9,999), Orange Megastructure LLB (Rs.6,768) Mid-range: Weekend Address (Rs.3,289), Lords Plaza (Rs.3,932), Ginger Surat City Centre (Rs.2,992). Budget: OYO Town Park 145 The Infinity (Rs.1,933), 7 Orbit Hotel (Rs.1,819), Hotel Urban (Rs.1,385).

Statue of Unity
The Statue of Unity, an emerging tourist destination, was built in 2018 in memory of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, independent India’s first deputy prime minister and home minister, fondly regarded as the ‘Iron Man of India’. The 182-metres tall monument located on the banks of the Sardar Sarovar Dam overlooking the river basin of the Narmada River, is the tallest statue in the world. The footfalls at this statue have already crossed the 5 million mark.

Dwarka
This small town located in the peninsular region of Gujarat is a revered pilgrimage centre for millions of Hindus. It is believed to have been the capital of Lord Krishna’s kingdom thousands of years ago.

Inevitably the Dwarkadish and Bhadkeshwar temples are the showpieces here. The Dwarkadish temple aka Jagatmandir is sited on the Gomti Creek leading into the Arabian Sea. Believed to have been built more than 2,500 years ago, this is an architectural marvel supported by 60 pillars of granite and sandstone. The seven-storey edifice rises 170 ft. high, and is crowned with pre-Christian era spires.
Another attraction in Dwarka is Sharda Peeth, commissioned by Adi Shankaracharya for the propagation of Hinduism in 700 BC. Other sites of interest include the Indological Research Institute, Light House, the Shri Jagatguru Shankara-charya Math and Ved Bhavan.

Excursions. The Nageshwar Mahadev temple (13 km) with one of the 12 jyotirlings and Gopi Talav Teerth are popular pilgrimage destinations. A visit to Dwarka is not complete without taking in Beyt Dwarka (32 km), an island which features temples of Shankh Narayan (the Matsya or fish incarnation of Lord Vishnu); Laxmi, Satyabhama, Jambuvanti and Devaki.

Accommodation. Top-end: Lemon Tree Dwarka (Rs.7,154 per night), Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Drawrka (Rs.5,850), Hotel Sky (Rs.6,580). Mid-Range: Hotel Manek The Ocean View (Rs.2,820), Hotel Fortune Palace (Rs.2,310), Ginger Dwarka (Rs.2,244). Budget: Hotel Swati (Rs.1,222), Hotel Shree Gurukrupa (Rs.846), Hotel City Palace (Rs.940).

Somnath
Somnath aka Prabha Patan and Deva Patan is a small town of great religious and historical significance for Hindus. The Somnath Temple is one of the 12 jyotirlings (Shiva shrines) and an important pilgrim centre. The temple was ransacked and destroyed 17 times by Muslim invaders between 1024-1706 AD, most famously by Mohammed Ghazni in 1024, but was rebuilt at the same spot each time. The present structure was rebuilt in 1950.

There is an interesting mythological story behind the construction of the Somnath temple. According to legend, Soma the Moon God, married all the 27 daughters of King Daksh. However, he was enamoured only of Rohini. As a result, the other 26 daughters complained to their father. Enraged by this injustice King Daksh cursed Soma who took ill and gradually began to lose energy. Soma then prayed to Lord Shiva to restore his health and vigour and undertook severe penance. Lord Shiva manifested himself and blessed Soma. The Somnath temple was built on the site of his manifestation.

In the immediate vicinity is the Ahilyabai Temple which was built by Ahalyabai Holkar of Indore. It is believed this temple contains the original jyotirling, which was carefully concealed and preserved after every destruction of the Somnath temple. Also worth a visit is Bhalka Tirth, situated between Somnath and the ancient Veraval port. This is where Lord Krishna is reported to have spent his last few hours on earth under a pipal tree, before he was mistakenly shot by a poisoned arrow.

The Triveni Ghat is the cremation site where Lord Krishna’s mortal remains were consigned to the flames. The ghat is at the confluence of three rivers — Hiranya, Saraswati and Kapila and is a sacred spot since antiquity.

Excursions. Somnath offers numerous excursion options. Among them: Chorwad (25 km) is a salubrious resort on the sunny coast of Gujarat. It is also the site of the summer palace of the former Nawab of Junagadh, which has been converted into a hotel. Sasangir Wildlife Sanctuary (48 km) is the home of the Asiatic lion and Ahmedpur Mandvi (79 km) boasts one of the most pristine beaches in the country. It is a centre for water sports with facilities for water skiing, speedboats and water toboggans.

Accommodation. Top-end/mid-range: The Grand Daksh Mannsingh Inn (Rs.2,189 per night), Regenta Central Somnath (Rs.3,076), VITS The Somnath Gateway (Rs.2,970). Budget: Hotel Suresh Plaza (Rs.1,314), Hotel Shri Rudraksh (Rs.1,433), Hotel Bansidhar (Rs.1,159)

Sasangir
The Gir forest is the only surviving habitat of the endangered Asiatic lion. The forest, which has shrunk to 1,412 sq. km, from its original spread of 5,000 sq. km, was notified a wildlife sanctuary in 1969. Six years later, its core area of 140 sq. km was constituted into a national park, which has since been expanded to 258.71 sq. km. Though famed the world over mainly for its rare Asiatic lion, Gir also harbours a variety of smaller animals and birds. Other predators are the powerful panther and the ungainly striped hyena. The sambar (largest Indian deer), chital, nilgai, chinkara and the unique chowsingha co-exist in these forests with the bear and the long tailed langur. The peacock, India’s national bird with a resplendent plumage is a common sight in Gir.

Excursions. Sirvan (12 km) is a unique village, inhabited by people of African origin who have preserved their distinctive culture. Satadhar Temple, (23 km) dedicated to a saint and Kankeshwar Mata (25 km) are interesting places to visit.
Accommodation. High-End: Woods At Sasan (Rs.20,000 per night), The Fern Gir Forest Resort (Rs.6,477), Gir Serai (Rs.6,000), Lion Park Hotel and Resort (Rs.4,254). Mid-range: Hotel Anil Farm House (Rs.3,572), Sterling Rudra Gir (Rs.3,839), Amidhara Resort (Rs.3,008). Budget: Jenish Farm Resort (Rs.1,689), Gir Forest Pride (Rs.2,820), Glorious Gir Resort (Rs.1,194).