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.

Gujarat means Gujjar Rashtra, the land of the Gujjars, the name Gujarat is derived from Gujaratta or Gujartra that is the land protected by or ruled by Gujjars, a migrant tribe which came to India in 5th century A.D. A vast coast line, beautiful architectural structures standing testimony to the various cultures of Gujarat, jungle full of wild life, the amazingly real Rann of Kutch, the handicrafts and the folk dances, the recent industrialization and the delicious savouries of the Gujarati meal; Gujarat is much more than all of this. It is a 4000 year old history! A visit to Gujarat unveils the mysteries of history.

Gujarat is perhaps the only state in India where various religions have played an equal important role in development of the state. Apart from the prominent Hindu and Muslim religions, the Parsis, Buddhists and the Jains have left a great impact and most followers of Jainism and Zoroastrian are found here. This mixture of various cultures has produced innumerable beautiful structures in Gujarat that leave you mesmerized.

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.

The whole of Gujarat comes alive during the nine days of Navaratri in the month of October, dancing to the folk tunes of Garba and Dandiya. The Bandhani and the Patola textiles are world famous. The Gujarati farsans and the pickles are hard to resist. A visit to Gujarat not only gives you the glimpses of the past but also offers you more, from beaches to wild life and textile to food!

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.

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.

 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.

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.

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 Gujarat. 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.

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 Gujarat is October to March.

Fairs & Festivals in Gujarat

Gujarat could well be termed the 'Land of Festivals and Fairs' with almost 3,500 of them being celebrated in different parts of the state every year. Like elsewhere in India, the festivals and fairs of Gujarat revolve around an occasion - be it the turn of a season, the time for harvesting a golden field, or a religious event from India's extensive and rich mythological traditions.

What's more,  these fairs and festivals, governed by the solar and lunar calendars of old world astrology, offer the visitor an excellent opportunity to experience the diverse cultural and religious identity of the people of Gujarat.

Gujarat has always been known for its splendid and evocative festivals. An estimated two thousand festivals are celebrated every year in Gujarat. More than two hundred of these are unforgettable occasions that attract tens of thousands of people. Though rooted in religion and mythology, these celebrations centreing around gods and goddesses are truly secular socials in which people of all faiths participate.

 Handicrafts of Gujarat 

The state of Gujarat has been blessed with a rich and vibrant tradition of handicrafts. Handicrafts were originally based on home production for daily use. Each article was made almost entirely by hand. Skilled men and women, whose work was distinguished by their inherent good taste and by the economical use of raw materials, made each article. Handcrafted products were sturdy yet were graced with tremendous visual appeal and have been greatly sought after. Amongst the traditional handicrafts of Gujarat are numerous things that a discerning buyer would wish to admire and acquire. The range of offerings spans a wide array of furniture, jewellery, metalwork items, embroidered garments, colourful linen, leatherwork, beadwork, mirror work, baked clay articles etc. All these are created to reflect the lifestyle, culture and above all the spirit of Gujarat.  

POPULAR DESTINATIONS

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad was founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah on the banks of River Sabarmati in 1411 A.D.

Sultan Ahmed Shah graced his kingdom with splendid monuments, mosques, pavilions and mausoleums, marking the beginning of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. Modern day Ahmedabad, the capital of the State of Gujarat is the largest city and a leading industrial centre in Gujarat. It is also the sixth largest in India. But Ahmedabad has a lot more to offer visitors.

Popularly known as the ‘Manchester of the East’, Ahmedabad boasts of the largest denim production in the world. It is also home to several interesting museums. Many of Ahmedabad's buildings bear the signatures of world-renowned architects like Le Corbusier, Louis Khan , Doshi and Correa.

It is from the austere habitat of Sabarmati at Ahmedabad, that the 'Father of the Nation' - Mahatma Gandhi took on the mighty British Empire, and gave human race one of its most remarkable ways to fight oppression - non-violence.

The Ahmedabad circuit, which covers the northern part of Gujarat, is a fascinating blend of history, culture and adventure. It is home to the Sabarmati Ashram, Mahatma Gandhi's famous retreat and the nerve centre of India's freedom movement, Ambaji -an important place of pilgrimage in Gujarat and some of the finest examples of Indo- Saracenic architecture like the Jumma Masjid and the Siddi Sayyad Mosque.

In Ahmedabad you will also find step wells, a unique feature of this region and ornately carved temples at Modhera and Kumbharia. Most of the places of tourist interest can be conveniently accessed from Ahmedabad by road, rail and air.

Bhavnagar 

For the tourist, Bhavnagar serves as a convenient base to visit the Jain temples at Palitana on the Shatrunjaya hills and the Velvadar Sanctuary, the home of the famous Indian Black buck.

Founded in 1743 A.D., by Bhavsinhji Gohil, on the site of a small village of Vadva, near the creek, Bhavnagar was once a flourishing port. Today, however the only activities related to the sea near Bhavnagar take place at the port of Ghogha and at Alang, which is also, Asia's largest ship breaking facility.

Jamnagar

Founded in 1540 A.D. Jamnagar, also known as the 'Jewel of Kathiawad', is a coastal town about 300 kms west of Ahmedabad and 92 kms. from Rajkot

Present day Jamnagar is a charming blend of the old and the new with its ancient monuments and broad streets, imposing facades, and squares which make it one of the most beautiful cities in the Saurashtra peninsula.

Built by Jam Raval, a Jadeja Rajput leader who migrated from Kutch, Jamnagar was the capital for four centuries of the prosperous princely state of Nawanagar.

Jamnagar is the hometown of the world famous cricketers Ranjit Sinh and Duleep Sinh after whom the Ranji and Duleep Trophy are named in domestic Indian cricket.

Jamnagar is renowned for its silk, gold embroidery, silver ware, bandhani (tie-and-dye) fabrics that are renowned the world over. Nutcrackers (especially the ones made for betel nuts) made in Jamnagar are in great demand all over India.

Junagadh

An ancient fortified city rich in myth and legend, Junagadh lies at the foot of the temple-studded Girnar Hill. It derives its name from the 'old fort', which circles the medieval town.

The Girnar Hills that landscape Junagadh are a holy sanctuary to the Jains. The history of Mount Girnar dates back to the awesome empire of Ashoka, one of India's greatest emperors. Ashoka inscribed 14 edicts on a huge boulder en-route to Mt. Girnar peak. Junagadh's main feature is the Uperkot fort (upper fort), a sombre and inaccessible fortress.

Kutch

The state's biggest district and its most sparsely populated one is a sandy, barren area over half of which is desert and marshland. Like so many other regions of Gujarat, Kutch has its own distinctive character. It has a remarkably heterogeneous population belonging to 18 different tribes, each with its own language and culture.

The Kutch experience is not based on any single element. You can derive pleasure from even the smallest things such as the clothing and jewellery people wear. The things they make with their own hands for daily use ranging from their clothing to household utensils, their homes and their colourful customs etc.

The Bandhani (tie and dye) hand printed sarees, embroidery and exquisite gold and silver ornaments are some of the traditional crafts of this region. The language dialects of Kutch and their manner of people are highly pleasing and musical to the ear.

Surat

Surat, the capital of South Gujarat, was India's most prosperous port and ancient trading centres in the 17th and 18th centuries. Located on the southern bank of Tapti, Surat is renowned for its fine silk and exquisite brocades like the Tanchoi, Gajee and Kinkhab styles sometimes woven with gold and silver threads. It is also famous for spices and its diamond market as well as ivory and wood artwork of rare beauty.

Surat has the distinction of being the first European settlement in India besides being host to the Dutch and the Portuguese, a fact reflected in its little streets, which are charmingly European. The East India Company established its initial warehousing facility here in 1612 A.D. Sir Thomas Roe landed at the port of Surat before proceeding to the court of Emperor Jahangir to present his credentials as the Ambassador of England.

It is popularly believed to have been founded by Gopi, a Nagar Brahmin, who rose to be the Prime Minister in the Sultanate of Gujarat under Mahmud I and Muzaffar II. On account of this belief, Gopi is generally called the patron of Gujarat. In ancient days, Surat was the main port for Muslim pilgrims travelling to Mecca for Haj. Vir Narmad one of the great literary and social reformers hailed from Surat.

Historically Surat is intimately connected to the freedom struggle.

Vadodara

Vadodara is a graceful city of palaces, parks, temples and museums and considered by many as the de-facto cultural capital of Gujarat. Once the capital of the Gaekwads, the former rulers of Vadodara, it is also known as Baroda and rises from the banks of River Vishwamitri. Vadodara is also the industrial capital of Gujarat.

Archaeological findings indicate that human habitations existed here since prehistoric times. Vadodara passed through the hands of, the Guptas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakubas, Solankis, the Sultans of Delhi and the Mughals before passing on to the Marathas. It owes its present day grandeur to Maharaja Sayajirao, a great patron of art, architecture and music.

General Information 

Area:  196,024 sq km

Population : 50,596,992 ( 2001 )  

Language:  Gujarati, Hindi, English. 

Best Time to Visit:  September to March. 

Capital City  Gandhinagar 

Airports  Ahemedabad, Bhavanagar, Vadodra, Gandhinagar.