Gujarat with an amazingly varied topography ranging from the deep green of the dense forests to stark white at the salt plans. Its coastline is home to some of the most unique marine species and geographical locations at the state makes it an ideal matrix, a melting post of vast variety of culture, people, places and history due to eons of migratory influences. Along with all the migrations came in various ritual practices, cuisines, style of dresses, fairs and festivals, celebrations all of which were amalgamated and become a part of what this amazingly diverse state has to offer to you. “Aavo Padharo”, words of welcome in the language of Gujarat because it is here that these words ring truly and the guest is ‘God’ and the people of Gujarat are gregariously friendly, inviting and will entice you to come again and again.
Stretches out into the Arabian Sea, with a hint of the desert and with a coastline of 1666 kms long is Gujarat, the home state of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of National. It is renowned for its beaches, temples 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 is also among the most technologically advanced, housing the largest petrochemical complex in the country.
The breath-taking state of Gujarat situated in the western coast of India is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The state is reputed for its rich cultural heritage, historical significance, handicrafts and innumerable tourist attractions. Apart from being one of the most industrialised region in India, Gujarat is also a major tourist hub of the National. A land of romance, charisma, mysticism, vibrant colours and infinite natural beauty Gujarat never fails to charm its many visitors.
With the longest coastline in the country, Gujarat is renowned for its beaches, holy temples and historical architectural assets, wildlife sanctuaries and hill resorts. The most famous religious places are Dwarakadheesh temple in Dwarka, Palitana Jain Temples, Somnath Temple in Saurashtra, Modhera Sun Temple, Shankheshwar Jain Temples, Girnar Hill Temple, Ambaji etc. Makar Sankranti and Kite Flying Festival is the main attraction in the state. It is also famous for its historical buildings like Surat Fort, Laxmi Vilas Palace at Vadodara and Watson Museum at Rajkot etc.
Gujarat is straddling over two worlds, on the one hand it is a world of vibrant economy with fastest industrial and agricultural growth and on the other it is the world of yester-years, replete with heritage sites and ancient temples and thriving rich traditions of handicrafts festivals and fairs. Gujarat with its high concentration of heritage and historical sites is certainly a most rewarding destination for tourists interested in culture and history. Some of these sites are Lothal Dholavira where the most ancient sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation were discovered. The remarkable feature of Lothal is dockyard which had channels through which ships could sluice from the sea and offload their cargo when the gates were locked. The town, besides the dockyard include a residential area and a lower township. The latter has remains of the factories that would have produced beads, earthenware and metalware of the period. The excellent system of sanitary drainage can be seen even now. The museum on the sites offers an insight into the town planning industries and trade of Lothal when it was at tis peak from 2400-1600 BC. Dholavira located near Khadir belt in the great Rann of Kutch is an incredible example of the Indus Valley Civilisation. It was a parallelogram and buildings there were made of sun dried mud bricks and stones. Some of them are in good condition even today.
