Gujrat at a Glance :

Area : 1,96,024 Sq. km

Capital : Gandhinagar

Boundaries : East - Madhya Pradesh; West - Arabian Sea; North and North East - Rajasthan; South Maharashtra.

Language : Gujarati

Population of Gujrat : 50,596,992 (2001)

Roads : The State has approximately 72,165 km of roads. The finest expressway of the nation is under construction between Ahmedabad and Vadodara.

Airports : Ahmedabad, Baroda, Jamnagar, Bhuj, Keshod, Rajkot, Kandla, Bhavnagar and Surat

Climate of Gujrat : The northwestern part of the state is dry, with less than 500 mm rain a year. In the southern part of Gujarat, rainfall averages 2000 mm a year. In winter, temperature average between 12° and 27° C, although freezing levels have been recorded in the state. In the summer, temperatures average between 25° and 43° C and have been known to reach as high as 48° C. Best time to visit is October to March.

Important Museums :

Ahmedabad : Gandhi Memorial Museum - Sabarmati Ashram; Ca1ico Museum of Textiles; Shreyas Folk Museum; Tribal Research and Training Institute Museum - Gujarat Vidyapith; Vechaar Utensil Museum; N.C.Mehta Collection of Rare Miniatures.

Baroda : Maharaja Fatehsingh Museum - Laxmi Vilas Palace; Museum and Picture Gallery; Archaeological Museum - Sayajirao University

Somnath : Somnath Temple Museum ( 46 km. from Gir)

Important Hill Resort : Saplltara (873 in) Railhead - Nasik 82 km.

Pilgrim Centers in Gujrat :

Ambaji : Dedicated to Durga, Goddess of Shakti ; By Air Ahemdabad 200 km, By Rail - Palanpur 40 km.
Bahucharaji : A shrine of the Mother Goddess; By Air - Ahmedabad 111km, By Rail - Mehsana 32 km.

Balaram : Shrine of Balaram Mahadev; By Air - Ahmedabad 160 km, By Rail - Palanpur 17 km.

Dakor : The original image of Lord Krishna from Dwarka is here;By Air - Vadodara 80 km, By Rail - Dakor.

Dwarka : One of the four main Hindu dhamas (pilgrimage centers), was the seat of the Kingdom of Lord Krishna during the Mahabharata; By Air Jarnnagar 145 Km, By Rail - Dwaraka

Junagarh : On Girnar hill are the marble shrines sacred to Jains By Air – Keshod, 36 Km By Rail Junagarh.

Khumbariya : Important Jain pilgrim center; By Air - Ahmedabad I Ian, By Rail - Palanpur 65 Km.

About Gujrat :

Located on the country's western coast, Gujarat is bounded by the Arabian Sea to the west and southwest and Pakistan to the northwest. Rajasthan neighbours it to the north, Madhya Pradesh to the east and Maharashtra to the southeast. It has a fertile plain land in the south cut by several rivers, low hills in the west, and broad mudflats in the north that adjoin the Thar (Great Indian) Desert. A varied climate characterised by a dry northwest, scorching summers, a cold winter have made this state a land of unexplainable contrasts.

Ahmedabad is the first place to stop. Some of its sights include some outstanding mosques, including the Jami Masjid, Siddi Bashir's Shaking Minarets and Sabarmati Ashram. Gujarat's loveliest beach - and the state is well endowed with them - is Ahmedpur Mandvi whose chief attraction is the ethnic beach resort. Situated on the Gujarat Coast, Dwarka is one of the holiest centres of Hindus.

History of Gujrat :

Signs of civilization in the region that is now Gujarat date back to the period from 3000 to 1500 BC. The region was part of the Mauryan Empire in the 3rd century BC under King Ashoka. In 1818 AD, the British East India Company took control of Gujarat by administering the state through local princely rulers. With the independence of India in 1947, Gujarat became part of the state of Bombay. In 1960, Bombay state was split and Gujarat was formed from the northern and western portions, which were predominantly Gujarati-speaking areas. The remainder of Bombay state became Maharashtra state.

Culture of Gujarat :

The folklore and folk culture of Gujarat can be traced to the mythology of Krishna, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. Dances in honour of Krishna have survived in the form of the popular folk dance, the 'garba'. A folk drama, the 'bhavai', also has survived. Gujarat is also famous for its art and craft products. Among the most durable and effective of the state's cultural institutions are the trade and craft guilds known as 'mahajans', which often solves disputes, acted as channels of philanthropy, and encouraged the arts.

Occupation in Gujarat :

Gujarat has an agricultural economy; the total crop area amounts to more than one-half of the total land area. Dairy farming, primarily concerned with milk production, is also a job sector. The state's textiles, petroleum, cement, vegetable oil, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries are also highly important. New industries include the production of fertilizers and petrochemicals.

Festivals in Gujarat :

Kite Festival in January; Modhera Dance Festival in January; Rann Festival in February/March; Bhavanath Fair at Junagadh in February-March; Chitra Vichitra Fair in March; Dang Durbar in March; Janmashthami in August at Dwarka; Bhadra Purnima at Ambaji in September; the three-day Tarnetar Fair in September; Navratri festival in September; Shamlaji Fair in November; Vautha Nomelo fair in November, near Ahmedabad; Somnath Fair in November/December.

How to Reach at Gujrat :

By Air : Gujrat is connected by air with Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Rajkot, Vadodara and Bangalore.

By Rail : Gujrat is connected directly by rail with all major cities.

By Road : Gujrat is connected by road with all major cities. Regular bus services are available from Mumbai, Indore, Mt.Abu and all centers in Gujarat. All types of tourist vehicles are easily available.