A Unique Heritage Holiday In India – Gujarat

By Author: Noshir Lavangia
Total Articles: 430
Comment this article

There are several heritage holidays in India. However, none can match the beauty, culture and history of Gujarat. There are 3 important segments in historic Gujarat tours, Freedom struggle, Pre-freedom struggle and pilgrimages.

The most prominent figure in the freedom struggle was from Gujarat – Mahatma Gandhi. It’s no wonder there are several important historic destinations from freedom struggle era in this state. Some of the few are known as Sabarmati Ashram, Kaba Gandhi no Delo and Rashtriyashala in Rajkot, Samal Dan in Bhavnagar and Kirti Mandir in Porbandar. These are historic destinations contributed to the redefining India and Indians and are thus an important part of the tours of Gujarat.

The second segment of Gujarati heritage is the several dynasties that ruled in this country. There are forts, tombs, palaces and stepwells. The beauty and history of these landmarks and monuments still has more to share with the present generation than many others. A few of the forts in Gujarat are the Citadel in Champaner, Surat Castle in Surat, Taranga Fort, Bhujjiyo Kotho in Jamnagar and Lakhota Palace and ...
... Museum. There are multitudes of royal wars, victories, customs, celebrations and rituals from these forts that have become a part of Gujarati history and culture. There are graves of several kings, queens, and other aristocrats in Ahmadabad, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Surat, Patan, etc. There are palaces like Vijay Vilas Palace – Mandvi, Sharad Baug Palace – Bhuj, Darbar Gadh – Jamnagar and Utelia Palace – Lothal that still share their royal lives, the grandeur of Gujarat and the wealth of the bygone era unequivocally.

Stepwell, a construction and architecture that can be seen quite commonly in Gujarat, conveys many stories of the past. Even today, you can see the good old life where women folk would step down in the well to gather water while singing melodious tunes. The stepwells are situated in several travel destinations like Ahmadabad, Vadodara, Bhuj, Mehsana and Champaner.

Though there are some significant archaeological sites and constructions in Gujarat, none are quite as important as the places of worship and holy shrines. These divine experiences have been the backbone of the state with their holy prowess. Some of the most important Hindu temples are Narayan Sarovar, Koteshwar Temple, Sun Temple, Dwarkadhish Temple and Ambaji Temple. There are Buddhist shrines such as Ashok Edicts – Junagadh, Dev Ni Mori – Shamlaji and Siyot caves – Kutch. There are Jain temples like Sidhshila in Taranga Hills, Hutheesing Jain Temple in Ahmadabad and Chintamani Jain temple in Surat. Visit Gujarat to truly experience India in a wholesome way.
________________________________________________________________________

Ninad Chaudhari works as a Web UI Designer / Developer with Cox & Kings. Ninad is an ardent photographer and loves to spend his holidays in India and pursue his passion. His albums are replete with pictures of his tour to Gujarat.