Gondal

The fascinating old town of Gondal, 38 km south of Rajkot, was the capital of one of the most progressive, affluent and efficient princely states of the British period.

The Naulakha Palace (1748) with a sculpted façade, pretty jharoka windows and carved stone pillars, has an impressive Darbar Hall and a museum of paintings, furniture, brass and silver. The Vintage and Classic Car Museum is one of the finest in the country.

You can visit the Bhuvaneshwari Ayurvedic Pharmacy, founded in 1910, which still prepares herbal medicines according to ancient principles and runs a hospital offering massages and treatment.

Junagadh

A large rock with 14 Asokan edicts, dating from 250 BC, stands on the way to the temple-studded Girnar Hill, believed to be a pre-Harappan site. The old Uparkot citadel on a small plateau east of the town, was a stronghold in the Mauryan and Gupta empires. The Durbar Hall Museum houses royal memorabilia, including portraits, palanquins, gem-studded carpets and costumes.

Girnar Hill, rising 900 m above the surrounding plain, 3 km east of town, has been an important religious centre for the Jains from the third century BC. The climb up this worn volcanic cone by 10,000 stone steps takes at least two hours.

Sasan Gir National Park

The sanctuary covers a total area of 1412 sq km, of which 258 sq km at the core is the national park. The area has rocky hills and deep valleys with numerous rivers and streams, and there are extensive clearings covered with savannah-like fodder grasses.

The Asiatic lion once had a wide range of natural territory running from North to West India through Persia to Arabia. It is now only found in the Gir forest. There are now reckoned to be around 350 animals in the park. These, and 300-plus panthers, make Gir arguably India's best big cat sanctuary, while the existence of a handful of Sudanese villages in the park add to the slightly surreal African-safari feel of the place.

Kankai Mata temple dedicated to Bhim, the Mahabharata hero, and his mother Kunti, add interest

Somnath Temple

a major Hindu pilgrimage centre, is said to have been built out of gold by Somraj, the Moon God. Mahmud Ghazni plundered it and removed the gates in 1024. Destroyed by successive Muslim invaders, it was rebuilt on the same spot. Dedicated to Shiva, it has one of the 12 sacred jyotirlingas.

Nearby is the ruined Rudreshvara Temple, which dates from the same time as the Somnath Temple and was laid out in a similar fashion. Krishna was believed to have been hit by an arrow, shot by the Bhil, Jara, when he was mistaken for a deer at Bhalka Teerth, and was cremated at Triveni Ghat, east of Somnath.

Diu

The island of Diu has a fascinating history and a relaxed atmosphere with little traffic. The north side of the island has salt pans and marshes which attract wading birds, the south coast has some limestone cliffs and pleasant, sandy beaches.

Jamnagar and around

Jamnagar, now an expanding town, was a 16th-century pearl fishing centre with one of the biggest pearl fisheries in the world until the early 20th century. In the middle of the Ranmal lake in the Old City, reached by a stone bridge, has the Lakhota Fort and Kotha Bastion with its arsenal. The fort museum has a collection of sculpture and pottery found in ruined medieval villages nearby. The solarium uses solar radiation to cure diseases. Northwest of the town centre is the Ayurvedic University, at present the only one in India, which teaches courses to bachelor and postgraduate level in Ayurvedic medicine and yoga.

Marine National Park

Offshore from the southern coast of the Gulf of Kachchh, comprises an archipelago of 42 islands noted for their coral reefs and mangroves. It is possible to see dolphins, finless porpoise and sea turtles and a variety of colourful tropical fish. The area also attracts a host of waterbirds. The best island to visit is 1.5-sq-km is Pirotan.

Dwarka

A small coastal town on the tip of the Kathiawad Peninsula, Dwarka is one of the most sacred sites for Vaishnavite Hindus. Heavily geared up to receive pilgrims, the people are easy going, friendly and welcoming, even to the rarely seen tourist. The beach is good but without any palms for shade.

The 12th-century Rukmini Temple has beautifully carved mandapa columns and a fine sanctuary doorway. Outside Dwarka, the Nageshwar Mandir contains one of the 12 jyotirlingas in an underground sanctum.

Gopi Talav Teerth is associated with Krishna (and Arjun) and has several shrines in the complex.

Virpur

Virpur is well known for the Jalaram Temple world over.

Tulsi Shyam

This place is known world over for its warm water kund. Either it is summer, or winter or monsoon; the water remains warm in this kund. It is said this water helps curing certain skin disease.

Porbandar

On the southeast coast, about midway between Veraval and Dwarka, modern-day Porbandar is chiefly noted as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Porbandar has several large cement and chemical factories and a textile mill. Some of the places of tourist interests are Kirti Mandir, Gandhiji’s birthplace, Nehru Planetarium, Bharat Mandir, Hazur Palace, etc.

Note :

All the details given above are correct as per our best knowledge and could vary as per books