Location:
North East of India
Capital:
Patna
Tourist
Attractions: Buddhist
Pilgrimage
Best Time
To Visit: September To
April |
Tourism in
Gujarat
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. Gujarat 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 in
Gujarat. 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.
Capital of Gujarat
Gandhinagar the capital of Gujarat, is in
west-central India. It lies on the banks of
the Sabarmati River, north of the former
capital of Ahmedabad. Laid out in 30
residential sectors, in an ordered style
influenced by the work of Le Corbusier, who
designed Chandigarh, its near-symmetrical
numbered streets are wide and strangely
quiet, lined with a total of 16 lakh trees.
An expressway connects Gandhinagar with
Ahmedabad.
History of Gujarat
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.
The Gujarati People
Gujarat's population is overwhelmingly
Hindu, with Muslim and Jain minorities. The
diverse ethnic groups may be broadly
categorized as Indic (i.e.,
northern-derived) or Dravidian
(southern-derived). The former include the
Nagar Brahman, Bhatia, Bhadela, Rabari, and
Mina castes (the Parsis, originally from
Persia, represent a much later northern
influx); among the people of southern origin
are the Bhangi, Koli, Dubla, Naikda, and
Macchi-Kharwa tribes. The rest of the
population, including the aboriginal Bhil
tribe, exhibits mixed characteristics.
Members of the scheduled castes and of the
aboriginal tribes form nearly one-fifth of
the state's population. Gujarati and Hindi
are the state's official languages.
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 Gujarat'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 in Gujrat.
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.
Population in
Gujarat
50,596,992 as per the provisional results of
the Census of India 2001.
Festivals of
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.
CLIMATE OF GUJARAT
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
Gujrat is October to March.
Tourist Information
Offices in Gujarat
Gujarat Tourism Office: located in
Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Surat
Gujarat Tourism, off Ashram Road, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat
Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd.,
Airlines House, Lal Darwaja.
Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited,
Dhanraj Mahal, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai- 400
039
Toran Tourist Dormitory, Near Govt. Guest
House, Dwarka, Gujarat.
Office of the Administrator, Dwarka
Devasthan Samiti, Dwarkadhish Temple Trust,
Gujarat
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India
Travel Guide / States / Gujarat Travel Guide
