Gujarat Information :

Visit Gujarat and explore a land of many colors. It offers everything that will capture the canvas of your imagination. It is the place where sea meets sparkling sand, lush green jungles are populated with a variety of wild species and white marble temples mirror the glory of the Golden past. Roam in and around the ancient Palaces that still reverberate with the glory of the past. Water parks invite you to have a day of fun. In addition to this tribal life, Gujarat presents a celebration of music, dance and multicolored traditions. You are invited to discover the many colors and revel in them. Visit Ahmedabad and watch the buildings and other monuments that are an example of excellent Indo-Saracenic style. The Somnath and Akshadham Temples in Gandhinagar are the center of pilgrimage for the Hindus that come here from across the world. Head off to Sabarmati Ashram that gives the minutest details about the life of Mahatma Gandhi.

Gujarat Facts & Figures :

Gujarat History :

Throughout its history, spanning more than four millennia, Gujarat has attracted immigrants from all over the world. They came to trade, to plunder, to conquer, to colonise, to seek refuge and to find their fortune on the west coast of India. Each community brought with them a distinct style of art and architecture, making Gujarat's many monuments an interesting blend of internal and international influences. Provincial wooden architecture of Gujarat can be seen in haveli's and Darbargadh fort complexes throughout the states, and unique blends like the Indo-Saracenic and Mughal styles, both combining Hindu and Muslim elements, developed within the confines of the state. Architecture became more eclectic with the coming of the Europeans, and it is quite possible to see palaces that freely mix Hindu, Islamic and European architectural styles, without a single feature seeming out of place in the entire facade. Gujarat has stone age sites in Rajkot district and eastern Gujarat, and the red ware culture existed in the state before 2400 BC. But it was the Harrapans who introduced the concept of urbanisation in Gujarat. It is believed the Harrapans came to Gujarat from the Indus valley in search of trading bases, and they did find suitable ports at Lothal, near the Sabarmati river estuary, Kuntasi near present day Morvi, and Dhorawira in the Great Rann of Kutch, then an arm of the Arabian sea.Gujarat has stone age sites in Rajkot district and eastern Gujarat, and the red ware culture existed in the state before 2400 BC. But it was the Harrapans who introduced the concept of urbanisation in Gujarat. It is believed the Harrapans came to Gujarat from the Indus valley in search of trading bases, and they did find suitable ports at Lothal, near the Sabarmati river estuary, Kuntasi near present day Morvi, and Dhorawira in the Great Rann of Kutch, then an arm of the Arabian sea. Lothal has some of the most substantial remains of the Harrapan civilisation within Indian frontiers. Excavations reveal a town planned in a grid system with residences, copper smithing workshops, bead factories and potteries. The upper town on a plinth has warehouses, set above the inundation level in this lower lying area, and residences with kitchen and private baths that indicate they were an acropolis for a ruler or aristocrats. The highlight of Harrapan town planning was the system of sanitary drainage, comprising an arterial network of underground drains that carried wastes to nearby rivers.

Gujarat Tourist Attractions :

Gujarat Fairs & Festivals :

Navratri is celebrated for 10 days preceding the festival of Dussehra - usually in October. The most eagerly awaited festival of the year, which celebrates harvest time, Navratri is an occasion when both rural and urban Gujaratis worship the nine incarnations of the Mother Goddess, Shakti, denoting cosmic energy. The small hamlet of Ternate, about 75 kilometers from Rajkot, is the site for one of Gujarat's most well known annual fairs, held here during the first week of Bhadrapad (September-October). This three day long fair is primarily a 'marriage mart', called swayamwar, where gaily attired young men, in their traditional attire, come to be chosen by village belles dressed in colorful finery.

How to Reach Gujarat :

Air : Gujarat has 10 domestic airports apart from an international airport at Ahmedabad. Most of the domestic airlines operate out of Ahmedabad connecting it to rest of the country.

Rail : Gujarat has a good railway network that not only connects the state internally but connects the state to other places in India also.

By Road : Gujarat has a better road network than most of the other Indian states and they are in a fairly good condition. The total road length in the state is 68,900 km out of which 1,572 km is the share of National Highway, making the state easily accessible.

Gujarat Major Cities :

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Gujarat Hotels :

Gujarat Wildlife & birds :

Gujarat is a unique state that has many kinds of habitats. These varied land forms include the famous dry deciduous forests like the Gir, majestic grasslands like those found at Velavadar, vast landscapes harbouring rare animals in habitats like the Little Rann of Kutch, wetland habitats such as the Nalsarovar, marine ecosystems such as those found near the Pirotan Islands and the rich moist deciduous forests like those found in the dense forests of the Dangs. What makes this land so special is that each type of this varied habitat contains a fascinating diversity of wildlife, each related to the other and to its own unique environment. Gujarat's varied lands forms are also home to some extremely rare wildlife. The Asiatic lion is found only in Gir. The wildass is found only in the Rann of Kutch. One of the most threatened birds, the great Indian bustard finds a refuge in certain pockets of protected areas. The world's only four-horned antelope, the chowsingha is found here in healthy numbers. One of the largest herds of blackbucks grace the grasslands of Velavadar and till recently Gujarat was the place where flamingos nested in huge numbers. Dugong, a marine mammal which resembles a seal, along with the rare boralia species have found home in the protected areas of the Marine National Park. 

Gujarat Art & Craft :

A land rich in history, culture & industry, with an idylic location for sea trade on the west coast of India & on the land routes between Delhi & Mumbai, Gujarat has been the breeding ground for an amazing array of embroidery, weaving, dyeing & printing techniques, handicrafts made from wood, stone & metal, & folk arts of the tribal communities. More than 4000 years ago, the bead factories, coppersmiths potters & jewellers of Lothal & Dholawira achieved standards of exellence & maturity. The woman of pastoral communities have embroidered clothes for their own trousseau for centuries, & the tribes of the hills continue an ancient tradition of decorating their houses with paintings, called pectoris, & tetra cotta horses to ward off evil spirits.

Gujarat Shopping :

Gujarat is especially known for its Saris. Many of these are intricately designed with in laid Zari work. The Patola Silk from Patan is famous and one of the biggest selling fabrics in some of the larger cities. It is famous for Bandhnis, traditional Gagra-Cholis are known to be excellent craftsmen, and there is a rich arsenal of arts and crafts at the government handicraft centres. Jamnagar is famous for its tie-and-dye fabrics and brightly coloured embroidery work.