5 Top Attractions and Tourist Places in Gujarat

Gujarat is a land of immense natural and cultural beauty. As a state it is extremely well developed, has great infrastructure and its tourist facilities are commendable. Many tourists recommend Gujarat as one of the finest tourist destinations in India. Though there are many places worth visiting in Gujarat these are the top 5 tourist draws that claim international as well as domestic repute.

Dwarkanath Temple

Dwarkadhish Temple [Image Source: indiamytrip.files.wordpress.com]

The gorgeous temple of Dwarkanath sits amidst the holy town of Dwarka right on the Coast of Gomti River. It is said that Adi Guru Shankaracharya visited the temple in the 8th century post which the temple was included as one of the Char holy Dhams. It is also believed that the original Dwarkanath temple of Dwarkanath was built by Vajranabha who was the grandson of Lord Krishna. There is a marvelous statue of the principal deity i.e. Lord Krishna inside the temple.

The temple is basically made up of limestone and the structure is more than 5 storeys high and is supported by 72 pillars with two different entrances to the temple. The South Gate is called Swarga Dwar and it leads down the steps to the Gomti River while the Northern Gate is called the Moksha Dwar or the gate to Salvation. A flag is mounted on the temple and it is made up of 52 yards of cloth while 52 other flags are cloistered around it.

To reach the temple you have to drive 131 km from Jamnagar which has the nearest airport.  Pilgrims and tourists setting out for Gujarat trip make it a point to visit the Dwarkanath temple at any cost.

Swaminarayan Temple in Ahmedabad

Swaminarayan Temple [Image Source: wikimedia.org]

The Sri Swaminarayan Temple which is located in Ahmadabad is a temple belonging to Hindu Swaminarayan Sect. The location of the temple is in the Kalupur Area of Ahmedabad which is the biggest city in Gujarat. The Ahmedabad Swaminarayan temple belongs to Narnarayan Dev Gaddi. The inner sanctum of the temple is filled with sculptures of Gods and Goddesses in green and yellow dresses with ornate jewelry. The temple itself is built of Burma teak wood and there are intricate carvings covering each inch of the temple. On the day post Diwali more than 1 million people gather in the temple to participate in the festivities. There is a grand Haveli to the west to the temple where Acharya used to stay. Now the Haveli is used to accommodate the Samkhya Yogi women or women who have taken celibacy vows.

Gir National Park

Asiatic Lion - Gir National Park

Gir Forest National Park and Sanctuary is an old wildlife preservation area in Gujarat with total area of 1412 km square. This park is famous for its population of Asiatic lions which are otherwise very rare. Gir has very flora and fauna and is protected highly by the government, NGO’s, wildlife lovers and activists. It is well known that the land of the Gir Forest was once the hunting ground of Junagadh king. Gir has about 300 water points through which water is available to animals in summer but the biggest and prettiest Dam is Kamaleshwar Dam.

Kankaria Lake

Kankariya Lake

Kankaria Lake is the largest lake in Gujarat in the capital city of Ahmadabad. The gorgeous lake has a well facilitated lake front around it which has zoo, balloon ride, water sports, Fun Park, food shops etc. The Kankaria Lake underwent a revamp in 2008 and now a great festival named Kankaria Festival is held in December in 2008. There is an amazing range of animals there in the Kankaria National Park  and they include lion, panther, python, anaconda, white elephant, rhesus monkey, spotted deer, black buck etc. Some rare species of animals like crocodile, wild asses, crocodiles and pythons.

Rani ki Vav - Patan

Rani ki Vav

Rani ki Vav was originally built to pay homage to a 11 century King. This was designed by master craftsmen each of whom have contributed into the stunning beauty of today’s Rani ki Vav. There is a good distinct system for drainage there with subterranean water bodies and multiple storage systems.  The style is old school Maru Gujara Style where the temple is constructed by way of inverted temple. Seven layers of stairs along with great sculpture panels and 500 principle Gods and Goddesses. The fourth level of this Rani ki Vav even has a gigantic beautiful lake inside it.