In History Gujarat was the main center of Indus Valley Civilization.It contains ancient big city of Indus valley civilization such as Lothal, Dholavira and Gola Dhoro. Lothal was India's first port was established. Dholavira is one of the largest archaeological sites in India.About 50 Indus Valley ruins have been discovered in Gujarat. Gola Dhoro was most recent discovery.
Places To VISIT
Ambaji Temple
It is one of the most oldest temple of ancient India, there is many myths attaches to this temple some of them are at the time of lord Rama in search of Sita worship goddess Amba , goddess present them an arrow called Ajaya with which RAMA killed Ravana.
at the time of Mahabharata Rukmini, the daughter of King Bhishmak of Vidarbha, worshipped goddess Ambaji here to make Lord Krishna her husband.
Bhuj
Bhuj having part of Indus Valley Civilization (Harappans), Mahabharata and Alexander the Great's march into India and tombs. Buildings from the rule of the Naga chiefs, the Jadeja Rajputs, the Gujarat Sultans and the British Raj.Over the 4000-year in-habitation of Kutch it developed trading and migratory relationships with ancient civilizations.
Champaner & Pavagadh
The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the Panchmahal district of the Indian state of Gujarat. Centered around the city of Champaner or Muhammadabad built by Sultan Mahmud Begada of Gujarat, it’s a very significant place historically and culturally.
Dakor
On purnima (full moon) every month tempel full of visitors. Rishi Dank (In the times of Mahabharata) had his ashram here so the temple and the village are named after him as Dankpur or Dakor, and the Danknath Mahadev temple stands on the banks of Gomti Lake.
Dholavira
Dholavira is the similar to Indus Valley Civilization or Harappan culture, back to 4500 years ago. Other site, Lothal sarounded with Great Rann of Kuch with best planned water conservation systems and what might be the world’s first signboards, written in ancient Indus script.
Dwarka
Back at the time of 1500 BC, kingdom of Lord Krishna. The city's Dwarkadhish Temple dedicated to Krishna was originally built around 2,500 years ago, but was destroyed by Mahmud Begada rulers and subsequently rebuilt in the 16th century.
Great Rann of Kutch
The Government of Gujarat hosts an annual 3 month long festival called the Rann Utsav (festival of the Rann), where tourists can see the various sights of the Rann and feel and taste the real local culture. Specially built local houses for tourists. Many adventure clubs and travel clubs organize expeditions.
Junagadh
Mt. Girnar, a holy place for both hindu and jains to reach you have to climbe 9999-step staircase. The main center of the city, the fort Uparkot, was built by Chandragupta of the Mauryan empire around 320 BC. The name Junagadh, which means “ancient fort.” Under the Mauryans, Junagadh was a regional capital, and Emperor Ashoka had stone edicts placed there, still visible today.
Lothal Museum
The museum was setup in 1976 in order to display the excavation conducted from 1952 to 1961. The Museum has three galleries. In the front gallery nature of artist and idea of Harappan town of Lothal. The gallery at left side has showcases with beads, terracotta ornaments, replicas of seal and sealings, shell and ivory objects, copper and bronze objects, tools and potteries yielded from excavations. The gallery at right has game objects animal and human figurines, weights, painted potteries, objects recovered from burials and ritual objects, miniature potteries, bricks besides a replica of a joint burial and a scaled model of Lothal site
Mandvi
Most things in Mandvi revolve around the water. A visit to the beach, exploring the shipbuilding area, a walk along the river; all these are indispensable.
Narmada River
Narmada as a mythological being, called Ma (Mother) Narmada by her devotees, means "one who endows bliss". She is believed to have been born from Shiva's sweat as he danced his tandava, and so is referred to as his daughter.
Northwest Kutch
Northwest Kutch having four sites of interest: Narayan Sarovar, one of Hinduism’s holiest lakes; Koteshwar Temple, virtually next door, connected to legends of Lord Shiva and Ravana; Lakhpat, a major port city before the Great Rann dried up in 1819, now a ghost town of ruins; and the Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to many species of birds and the chinkara gazelle, along with other wildlife.
Palitana & Shatrunjaya
The climb up Shatrunjaya is no doubt the primary activity of a Palitana visit, for Jains and non-Jains alike. The hill is 3 kms from Palitana proper, and the 600 m climb over 3000 stairs to the top of the mountain is an unforgettable experience.
Patan
The ancient city of Anahilvada Patan was founded by Vanraj Chavda, the first of the Chavda dynasty. Legend has it that he laid the foundation at the place pointed out by Anahil, a shepherd friend from his younger days, and named the city after him.The city was the capital of Gujarat for 650 years, from 746-1411, after the center of power moved from Saurashtra around the same time that the separate kingdoms of the area were integrated into roughly what we today call Gujarat.
Polo Monument and Vijaynagar Forest
The ancient Polo city was built around the river Harnav, an ancient water body spoken of in the Puranas. It is believed to have been established in the 10th century by the Parihar kings of Idar, and was then conquered in the 15th century by the Rathod Rajputs of Marwar. The name is derived from pol, the Marwari word for "gate," signifying its status as a gateway between Gujarat and Rajasthan
Porbandar
The site of Gandhi’s birth, now called Kirti Mandir, has been converted into a small museum about him, with an exhibit of old photographs, some of his very few possessions and a nice library of books either by him or relating to Gandhian philosophy and practice. The room where his mother gave birth to him has, as expect able, nothing special about it. It was the family home.
Shamlaji Temple
The temple of Shamlaji stands on the banks of the river Meshwo, of Vishnu. The river Meshwo turn over its rocky bed in the valley immediately below, and the waters of a delightful natural lake.
Somnath
In the Shivapurana and the Nandi Upapurana, Lord Shiva is quoted as saying, 'I am omnipresent, but I am especially in twelve forms and places.' These places are known as jyotirlingas, and Somnath is the first to be found in the world. Around the linga the moon god Soma built a mythical temple of gold.
Taranga Hills
Taranga tirtha is considered one of the most important Shvetambar Jain temples, one of the five most important mahatirthas of the Jains.The Svetambara compound consists of 14 temples in all. But there are also five other Digambara-affiliated temples at Taranga hill. The place was historically associated with Buddhism also.
The Gir National Park
Many come to Gir because, outside of Africa, it is the only place with wild lions. In Gir you touch the history of India before humanity itself.
Vadnagar
Vadnagar is mentioned often in the Puranas and even in the travelogue of the great Chinese traveler, Hieu-en-Tsang (7th century), as a rich and flourishing town. The inscription on the Arjun Bari Gate shows that King Kumarpal fortified the city in 1152 AD. Some other names attributed to Vadnagar in history are Chamatkarpur, Anandpur, Snehpur and Vimalpur.
Velavadar Blackbuck National Park
If you’ve always dreamed of visiting the African savannah, but haven’t quite managed to make the trip, a journey through Saurashtra may help quench your wanderlust. Here, at the Velavadar you find Black Buck Sanctuary and National Park, you'll find where spiral-horned antelope or the Black Bucks can be seen bounding up out of the grasses.
