Tuesday 29 October 2013

INCREDIBLE AND VIVRANT GUJRAT


The state of Gujarat is in the Western India region of the India. Lothal, near to Ahmedabad and Dholavira, near to Kutch are sites of a Harappan (Indus) civilisation, which were older than 4000 years. Gujarat is known for the Stepped Wells, Jain Temples, Asiatic Lion and business oriented people.

 Regions

Gujarat map.svg.png 

It contains the three biggest cities of Gujarat state - Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodra. 
It was never incorporated into British India. Instead it survived as more than 200 princely states until Independence. It consists of districts of Surendranagar, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Rajkot, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Porbandar.
The largest district in the state and the largest district of the country. The main city is Bhuj. 

Cities

Below is a selection of eight of Gujarat's most populated cities. Other cities can be found under their specific regions.
  • Gandhinagar — administrative capital of Gujarat, city of Akshardham Temple and the second planned Green City
  • Ahmedabad — Manchester of the East, commercial capital of Gujarat, home of Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram and the World’s finest Textile Museum
  • Bhavnagar — busy industrial centre, base for journeys to nearby sites
  • Jamnagar — home to the world’s largest Grass-Root Refinery complex
  • Junagadh — city of ancient Ashokan Stone Edicts
  • Rajkot — former capital of the state of Saraushtra
  • Surat — Diamond City, famous for mouth watering Surati food
  • Vadodara — Cultured City, Oxford of Gujarat

Other Destinations

  • Pirotan Island
  • Gir Forest National Park
  • Dholavira - Harappan (Indus) Civilization Site.
  • White Desert of Kutch - A desert created by nature with Salty soil in Kutchh district.
  • Champaner - UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
  • Lothal - Well planed Harappan (Indus) Civilization Port.
  • Rani ni Vav - A famous stepwell (1304 AD.)
  • The Sun Temple Modhera – 1000 years old famous Sun Temple.
  • The Somanath- Glory of the Somnath temple attracted Islamic looter (Mahmud of Ghazni). That time temple is so wealthy that it had 1000 priest and 300 musicians. The temple is located on beach of  Arabian Sea.
  • The Dwarka- The Dwarka is believed to have been built by Lord Krishna himself. The temple must have been erected during the period of Mughal Emperor, Akbar.

 Understand

Gujarat is a dazzlingly diverse state that shakes up the know-it-all Indophile, and reveals treasures hidden from the tourist hordes. Gujaratis are famous for their business sense and entrepreneurship, both within India as well as abroad. Encounter an Indian entrepreneur anywhere, from Wall Street to Wellington, and there’s a  good chance they hail from this wealthy, resourceful state. There are many significant sites of God Krishna’s life lie along the coast of Saurashtra.The geographic diversity and strategic location has made Gujarat home to an incredible diversity of people. With 20% of the country's total industrial output, it is the most industrialized state in India.

People

About 89% of the population of Gujarat are Hindu. Muslims account for 9% and Jains 1% of the population. Most of the Gujarati people are strict “vegetarians”. Amongst Hindus, Lord Swaminarayan is famously worshipped throughout Gujarat. Since Gujarat being a heavily industrialized state of India, attracts lots of outsiders from various parts of India.

 Talk

Gujarati is the language spoken here, although Hindi is widely understood. In main cities, English is widely known.
 
Location of Gujarat in India
Ahmedabad is the only International Airport in Gujarat with regular flights to and from London, New York, Chicago, Singapore, Muscat, Kuwait, Doha Qatar, Sharjah and Dubai.Domestically, travellers can be coming from hubs such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Indore, Kolkata. Flights into smaller airports of Baroda, Bhavnagar Bhuj, Diu, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Keshod, Kandla, Surat and Rajkot will connect through Mumbai.

By Road

The route you take depends on where you're coming from:
  • From Delhi Agra, Jaipur Jodhpur, and from other place of North India: Take the National Highway 8 (NH8).
  • From Mumbai and from other place of North India: Take the National Highway 8 (NH8).
  • From Nagpur and from other part of Vidarbh: Take the National Highway 6 (NH6).
  • From Indore Bhopal and from other part of Central India: Take the National Highway 59 (NH59).
Gujarat has 1,572 Km National Highway Network.

By Rail

India has very big rail network. Indian Rail has total 63,140 kilometres rail track network in India and 5,890 km rail network in Gujarat.

 By Air

There is not any flight between any cites of the state.

By Road

Most people in Gujarat travel by private buses or by Taxi. (These are excellent modes of transport as the roads are among the best in India. Check In Hotel for Travel Agent for private buses. Avoid Government operated public-transport if possible.

By Rail

Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Surendranagar, Porbandar, Kandla are Big Station to access Indian Rail Network.

Museum

 
Participant at International Kite Festival
 
Foreigners are enjoying in Navratri
 
Enjoyment in Navratri
  • Sabarmati Ashram (Mahatma Gandhi Ashram), is located at Ashram Road, Ahmedabad, ☎ + 91.79.2755.7277 (, fax: +91.79.2756.0569), [2]. Opening hours are 8.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. on all days including Sundays and Holidays. Entry is Free.  edit
  • The Calico Museum of Textiles, Located at Sarabhai Foundation, Opp. Underbridge, Shahibag, Ahmedabad-380 004, Gujarat, India., ☎ + 91-79-2286 5995 (, fax: +91-79-2286 5759), [3]. Opening hours are 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and 2:30 PM to 5 PM. except Wednesday. (No entry after 11 am in morning.) Entry restricted to 30 visitors – 15 visitors on the basis of first-come-first-served and 15 by group booking. Entry is Free.  edit
  • Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Indology Museum, Located at R Gujrat Universisity, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad-380015, Gujarat, India. Opening hours are 10:30 to 17:30 except except Monday and public holidays. Entry is Free.  edit The Museum covers a wide variety of topics from Buddhism, Jainism and  its darshans, grammar, tantra and poetics to Vedas, agama to the different branches of Indianphilosophy. It is learnt that this museum has the largest collection of Jain scripts which come around 75, 000 manuscripts with 500 illustrated versions and 45,000 printed books.

Fairs & Festivals

  • Government Sponsored and organized
    • The Modhera Dance Festival [4]- The three day Modhera Dance Festival is held every year during the third week end of January after the conclusion of Uttarayan festival. The dance festival is frequently visited by art and dance connoisseurs from all across the world. Classical and folk dancers and musicians from different states of the India exhibit their talent and flair while culture enthusiasts become part of the festival to witness this splendid event.
    • The International Kite Festival [5]- The three-four days International Kite Festival is held every year during the second/third week end of January at Ahmedabad during Uttarayan festival (14-January). Visitors come from around India for the celebration and international visitors have come from countless countries, including Japan, Italy, the UK, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, the USA, Malaysia, Singapore, France, China, and many more.
    • The Rann Utsav (desert festival) [6]- The three day Rann Utsav is held every year during the Full moon night in the month of December at Bhuj and goes around the district with a grand finale. The festival is visited and enjoyed by more than 8000 tourists from all over the world to celebrate the mystical magic of Kutch and its diversity.

Full Moon Night in Desert (Rann utsav)
 
Camp for Rann Utsav
  • Traditional Festival
    • The Uttarayan- The one-day Uttarayan is held every year 14th January at each and every cities and villages of Gujarat. Peoples from all ages go to roof and take full enjoyment of Kite fligting for full day even in night also.
    • The Navratri Festival [7] - The ten days Navratri Festival is held roughly corresponding to dates in the Gregorian calendar in September/October at all cities and villages of Gujarat. Navarati s the dance festival of Gujarat the dance form known as ras garba. Very large group of Youth enjoy dance all nine nights.
    • The Tarnetar fair [8]- The fair is held for three days every year during the Hindu calendar dates of Bhadarva Sud - 4th, 5th and 6th (during the Gregorian calendar months Aug.-Sept). The Tarnetar fair is held 8 km from the town of Thangadh, in Surendranagar District.
    • The Bhavnath Fair- The fair during Mahashivaratri is held for five days commencing from the Hindu calendar date of Magh Vad 11, during the Gregorian months of February-March. The Bhavnath Fair is held at the Bhavnath Mahadev Temple near Junagadh.
    • Rath Yatra - Rath Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Ahmedabad , Bhavnagar and rest of India during the months of June (Rainy Season).
    • The Vautha Fair - This fair is held during Kartika Purnima, the full moon night of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar at Dholka near Ahmedabad, corresponding roughly to the month of November. It lasts for five days.
  • Travel by Royal Orient Train [9]: The Royal Orient train is one of the world's most exotic trains. The journey by the Royal orient train is a rare delight. It is an experience that takes you back to the times of Rajas and Maharajas. You get to explore two of the most fascinating and culturally rich states of India, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The train travel 7 days through Delhi - Chittaurgarh - Udaipur - Junagarh - Dilwara - Palitana - Ahmedabad - Jaipur and back to Delhi
  • Travel by man driven Boat in Nal Sarovar (lake) Bird Sanctuary spread over 120 sq.kms to see over 250 species of migrated birds from Siberia and Europe. Best time to visit Nal Sarovar is Between November and February. In April Birds start to leave the lake.
 
Nal Sarovar (lake)
  • Safari in Blackbuck National Park to see group of jumping Black Bucks from every parts of the park. There is no wild animal in park, it is also fun to trail or Camping in park.
 
Jumping Blackbuck at Blackbuck_National_Park
  • Hiking on the Shatrunjaya hill and biking on Hastagiri to see devotion of Jain. There are in total 863 amazing Marble temples (largest cluster of temples in India) on Shatrunjaya hill
  • Safari in Gir Forest National Park to see Remaining Asiatic Lions in the world.
  • Diu is house of lots of good quality of Beach. Administratively, it is not part of Gujarat, so every one can get good quality alcohol.
  • Stay at Rann Riders Resort [10] to see and feel typical rann village life, music and culture. Resort also offer Camel safari to Wild Ass Sanctuary in the little rann of Kutch. It is very important destination of Rural tourism in Gujarat.
 Drink
Alcohol is forbidden in Gujarat. Foreign tourists are partly exempted from this restriction. Drinking in public is strictly prohibited. However, if you are going to stay longer in Gujarat, you may apply for an alcohol permit. Ask how to do it in your hotel or the place where you stay.

 Parts of the ceremony

Every Hindu ceremony begins with the worship of Lord Ganesh, deity of peace and wisdom. This is done so people can find strength within themselves to remove any obstacles that may arise. Baraat (Wedding Procession) The original form of a baraat is a procession from the groom's house to the bride's house for the wedding ceremony. The joyous wedding day begins with the Mangal Vadya, the playing of Shehnai (a traditional wind instrument) and Dhol (Indian drum).
Swagatam (Welcoming the groom and his family) The groom and his family are greeted at the doors of the Mandir (Temple) by the bride's parents and family. The mother of the bride then greets and welcomes the groom and his family into her own family. She blesses the groom by placing a tilak (red dot) on his forehead. The groom is then led to the mandap where the wedding ceremony will take place.
Ganesh Puja (The worship of Lord Ganesh)

Madhuparka (Welcoming the groom) While the groom is sitting under the mandap the Madhuparka is performed where his feet are washed by the bride's parents. He is then offered Panchamrut, a liquid composed of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar.
Kanya Daan (Giving away of the daughter) The bride accepts her change of status from an unmarried woman to a wife by spreading turmeric powder on her hands. Kanya Daan is performed by the father (or uncle of guardian) of the bride in presence of a large gathering that is invited to witness the wedding.
Vivaaha (Wedding) The bride and the groom face each other, and the priest ties their garments (the bride's saree to the groom's shirt) in a knot, symbolizing the sacred union. The bride and the groom garland each other and exchange the rings. Next the nuptial fire, symbolizing the divine witness, and the sanctifier of the sacrament, is installed and worshipped.
Both the bride and the groom grasp their hands together and pray to God for His blessings. Samagree, consisting of crushed sandalwood, herbs, sugar, rice, ghee (clarified butter), and twigs is offered into the sacred fire to seek God's blessings for the couple.
Mangal Phera (Circumambulation of the sacred fire) The groom holds the bride by the hand and both walk three times around the sacred fire. Both offer oblations and recite appropriate Vedic hymns to Gods for prosperity, good fortune, and conjugal fidelity. They touch each others heart and pray for union of their hearts and minds.
Saptapadi (Seven sacred steps) This is the most important rite of the entire ceremony. Here the bride and the groom take seven steps together around the sacred fire (Agni) and make the following seven promises to each other: As per the Vedic rituals, the groom sings "With God as our guide, let us take":
  1. The first step to nourish each other
  2. The second step to grow together in strength
  3. The third step to preserve our wealth
  4. The fourth step to share our joys and sorrows
  5. The fifth step to care for our children
  6. The sixth step to be together forever
  7. The seventh step to remain lifelong friends
  8. The perfect halves to make a perfect whole!
The Satapadi ceremony concludes with a prayer that the union is indissoluble. At the end of this ceremony, the groom and the bride become husband and wife.
Mangal Sutra The Mangal Sutra Dharana is the tying of the thread containing the marks of the Vishnu or Shiva on the neck of the bride by the groom.
Suhaag or Sindhoordana The groom places sindoor (red powder) on the bride's hair symbolizing her as a married woman.
Aashirvaad (Blessing) The groom's parents bless the couple and offer clothes or flower to the bride, symbolizing her joining the groom's family. All those assembled at the ceremony shower flowers on the couple and bless them completing the marriage.

Gujarati dances

 
Garaba Raas
Dandiya Raas
Dandiya Raas is a romantic, very energetic, colorful and playful dance originating in the state of Gujarat. Its roots lay from the days of Lord Krishna who played raas on the shores of Yamuna river on a moonlit night with his beloved Gopis.
Men and women dressed in colorful clothes dance in two concentric circles - one moving clockwise, one moving counter-clockwise. Men and women carry two bamboo sticks called dandiyas in their hands. In addition to footwork, one of the most enjoyable part of this dance is the creative use of dandiyas.
The song sung on the occasion is essentially an amorous one. Raas is a very playful dance providing opportunity for acting and exchanging messages through eye contact. It is no wonder that many romances bloom during Navaratri and hence the popularity of the dance among the younger generation.
Garba
Garba is a very graceful form of dance mainly performed by females in a circular formation, it is in reverences of goddess Ambaji. The basics of the dance are singing and clapping rhythmically while going around the goddess. Today many modifications are prevalent to the basic pattern and even men are free to join in. Women are dressed in exquisitely embroidered, set in mirrors cholis, ghaghras and bandhani dupattas! Extensive jewelry in the form of necklaces, bracelets and anklets are also worn. The typical dress code of men is kehediyu, chudidar and a turban.
Garbi
Originally men used to perform this dance. It was on the way back from a battle that the victorious army would start dancing to couplets and amorous songs sung by the Charanswar, or the narrators who used to go to the front to raise the spirit during the battle by singing songs of valor. The dance was characteristic for its forceful movements which would fascinate viewers. Today, however, even females participate in the dance.
Padhar
It is performed by a rural community living around NalLake. In it, performers simulate the rhythmic movements of roving mariners and the undulating sea waves. The Bhil tribes, who live close to border tracts, and the Adivasis of Dangs district, have particularly lively folk dances.

Gujarati cinema

Gujarati cinema celebrated its 75th year anniversary in 2007. Although Gujarati cinema has not given the Indian movie house the honor and joy the Bengali and Malayalam films have provided, it has its own share of glory.
Gujarati film started its journey in 1922 and during its run since then to this day it has much to state. From mythology to history, social to political, Gujarati cinema has experimented with such stories and issues all these years.
A special mention should be made on the film Guasundari which was thrice made from 1927 to 1948. The film was such a success in its first appearance in 1927, that director Chandulal Shah remade it in 1934. The film was again remade in 1948 by Ratilal Hemchand Punater. In its last version Hindi films’ eternal Mother Nirupa Roy made her debut as its heroine.
Gunasundari is the story of an Indian poor woman who is disliked by her husband for her moral stand. The woman finally lands in the street where she meets with a person who is just like her – a social outcast. The story ends here. The three versions of the film, however, have made some changes here and there to meet the demands of the time.
In a filmdom which was theatrical and melodramatic and often shunned by the audience, Akhand Saubhagyabati, that starred Bollywood queen Asha Parekh, made a success in 1963. Asha also has immense contribution to Gujarati television serial making. Her TV production ’Jyoti’ was a household show for a long time. About recent Gujarati films, Suresh M Thakkar’s Sajan Haiye Sambhre, Gormano Var Kesariyo and Dikro Kahu Ke are huge hits.
Gujarat has immense contribution to the Bollywood in the form of sending actors and actresses of fame to make the base of Hindi films. Much of Bollywood rest on the performance of these Gujarati film men and women.
The list of such film personalities is scintilating. It includes Parveen Babi, Sanjay Leela Banshali, Manmohan Desai, Ismail Darbar, Sanjay Gadhvi, Kalyanji Anandji, Deepika Chikhalia, Bindu Desai, Dimple Kapadia, Ben Kingsley, Sanjeev Kumar, Ketan Mehta, Tina Munim, Namitha, Neelam, Asha Parekh, Amisha Patel, Upen Patel, Falguni Pathak, Paresh Rawal, Himesh Reshammiya, Nirupa Roy, Mallika Sarabhai, Shruti Seth, Satish Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Shravan, Ayesha Takia, Alka Yagnik, Deven Bhojani, Prachi Desai,Sanjida Shek, Ketaki Dave, jaikishan, Ashrani.

Languages

Gujarat is inhabited by people belonging to varied castes, religions and communities. Due to that, a number of varied languages are spoken in the state. The official language of the state is Gujarati. It is an Indo-Aryan language derived from Sanskrit. Gujarati is the 26th-most widely spoken language in the world. In addition, it has eleven dialects, spoken in different parts of the state.
Gujarat shares its borders with the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Therefore, there is a small population which speaks the respective languages of the different states also, namely Marwari, Hindi, and Marathi. Apart from this, Urdu and Sindhi are also spoken in Gujarat. Kachchh is one of the important areas in the state. It has an independent identity and is growing popular amongst tourists. The mother tongue of the people of Kutch is Kachchi. It is an important language of the region.
Another part of Gujarat is Saurashtra, which is also referred as West Gujarat or Kathiyawad. The mother tongue of this people is Kathiyawadi gujarati which is spoken in seven different districts in Saurashtra. Rajkot is the financial capital of Saurashtra. Saurashtra is also known for giving many saints and great men like Mahatama Gandhi. Young population migrated to different cities like Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara due to employment problems.

Literature

Gujarati literature's history may be traced to 1000 AD. Since then literature has flourished till date. Well known laureates of Gujarati literature are Hemchandracharya, Narsinh Mehta, Mirabai, Akho, Premanand Bhatt, Shamal Bhatt, Dayaram, Dalpatram, Narmad, Govardhanram Tripathi, Mahatma Gandhi, K. M. Munshi, Umashankar Joshi, Suresh Joshi, Pannalal Patel and Rajendra Keshavlal Shah .
Kavi Kant and Kalapi are famous Gujarati poets.
Gujarat Vidhya Sabha, Gujarat Sahitya Sabha, and Gujarati Sahitya Parishad are Ahmedabad based literary institutions promoting the spread of Gujarati literature. Saraswatichandra is a landmark novel by Govardhanram Tripathi. Writers like Suresh Dalal, Jyotindra Dave, Tarak Mehta, Harkisan Mehta, Chandrakant Bakshi, Vinod Bhatt, Kanti Bhatt, Makarand Dave, and Varsha Adalja have influenced Gujarati thinkers.
A huge contribution to Gujarati language literature came from the Swaminarayan paramhanso, like Bramhanand, Premanand, with prose like Vachanamrut and poetry in the form of bhajans.
Gujarati theatre owes a lot to bhavai. Bhavai is a musical performance of stage plays. Ketan Mehta and Sanjay Leela Bhansali explored artistic use of bhavai in films such as Bhavni Bhavai, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Dayro (gathering) involves singing and conversation reflecting on human nature.

Religions

In Gujarat, there have been several great religious figures. Sant Dadu Dayal (1554–1603), a saint-poet and a major Bhakti figure from Ahmedabad treated equally both Rama as names of God and became popular in Northern India. He wrote, "The illusion of Rama hath been dispelled by my mind; since I see Thee in all."[2]
Gujarat is also the home of Gandhi who preached the unity between all religions and became a worldwide figure for peaceful struggle against tyranny.

Hinduism

 
Lord Ram, Laxman, and Sita Devi
Gujarat is a part of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.
Many Hindu religious traditions developed in Gujarat. Gujarat is the birth-place of Lord Shiva's Avatar Lakulisa (Staff-God). He established the Pasupata Shaivite tradition (one of the six major schools of Shaivism) in 2 A.D. or 3 A.D. According to some traditions he was born in Kayarohana or Kayavatara in Saurashtra while other traditions hold that it was Karavana, in the modern-day town of Dabhoi Taluka near Baroda,[3] another that it was Ulkapuri (modern Avakhal)[4] and another that it was in Braoch or Bharuch.[5] From Gujarat it spread north to Kashmir,[6] South to Tamil Nadu,[7] East to Nepal[8] (where the Pashupatinath Temple stills exists popularly.)

Bhakti movement

The Bhakti movement was very popular in Gujarat where devotees of both Islam and Hinduism focused worship of God, trying to rid any separations based on faith in God.
Swami Chakradhara was another major figure of the Bhakti movement, born in Gujarat in 1194 A.D.[9] and he is believed to be the avatar of Vishnu. Chakradhara Maharaja established the Manhubhava Vaishnavite sect which spread to Maharashtra as well. The sect still exists today in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Sant Kilha was another Vaishnavite saint of Gujarat born to a Subedar (army man) father.[10] He was the disciple of Krishnasdas (of Jaipur) and became his successor at the seat of Galta - Kilha's branch became known as the "Tapasa branch."[11] Besides Ram Bhakti (devotion to Lord Rama), he was also inclined towards yog-saghana and this is why he was made acharya of the Galta Gaddi.[12] He is said to be the founder of the Khati sect.[13] Jalarama, a devotee of Lord Rama is another popular figure. Jalarama's birthday is still celebrated by Gujarati (in Gujarat and abroad) as Jalaram Jayanti.
Swami Sahajanand, better known as Swaminarayan settled in Gujarat from Uttar Pradesh. Today the Swaminarayan movement is very large in Gujarat.

Zoroastrianism

This religion founded by Zarathustra Spitma (better known as "Zoroaster") resembles Hinduism in many ways (although differing as a strict monotheism too.)
For example, in this religion, the cow is very sacred. In the 9th chapter of the Vendidad of the Avesta, the purificatory power of cow urine is dilated upon.[14] It is declared to be a panacea for all bodily and moral evils. It is drunk as well as applied externally as is done by Hindus also.[14] Urine of the bull, called "nirang" is brought to the house of an orthodox Parsi every morning and is (like cow milk) applied to the face, hands and feet.[14]
They Zoroastrians—a.k.a. Parsi and Irani, due to their ancient heritage—entered Gujarat from the Persian Empire.
They have many businesses in India and are economically very powerful.

Gujarati Muslims

Main article: Gujarati Muslims
The term "Gujarati Muslim" is usually used to signify an Indian Muslim from the State of Gujarat who speaks the Gujarati language as a mother-tongue (first language) and follows certain customs different from the rest of Indian Muslims.
Gujarat was one of the first places the Muslims came to India. King Arjun of Gujarat permitted a Muslim trader from Ormuz to build a mosque in Gujarat and even paid for the expenses of a certain Shiite festival. (P. 185 An Advanced History of India By Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, Kalikinkar Datta, Hemchandra Raychaudhuri)
The Sufi saints are very popular in Gujarat. Shaykh Makhu was a Sufi saint of the Shattari lineage (P. 185 An Advanced History of India By Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, Kalikinkar Datta, Hemchandra Raychaudhuri). Since Gujarat is situated on the western border of India, there was a direct interaction with people of Arabia and Persia. Many Gujarati Saints and Sufis became famous. Among them names of Sheikh Ganjul lim (1381), Syed Burhanuddin (1411) and Sheikh Wajihuddin Gujarati are well known (P. 169 Islam and Indian Culture By Mohammad Shujaat, Shujaat Muhammad).
Gujarati Muslims are very prominent in industry and sports, and there is a very large Gujarati Muslim community in Mumbai. Several Gujarati Muslim communities are:
There are many famous Gujarati Muslims:
Festivals Other than those festivals observed throughout India, there are festivities specific to Gujarat.
Makar Sankranti and Kite Flying Festival (14 January)
The Kite Flying Festival takes place in mid January and marks the time when the Sun’s direct rays reach the Tropic of Capricorn after the winter solstice. It is celebrated with lots of folk music and dance as well as kite flying. People of Gujarat gather on terraces to fly kites of various colours to celebrate Makar Sanskranti or Uttrayana, the welcome to the sun after the cold winter months. Glass strengthened threads of the Indian fighter kites are matched against each other in the air — the kite fighter who cuts the other thread is the victor. At night, kites with Chinese lanterns are flown and held aloft. Food such as Undhiya, sugar cane juice and local sweets is typically served to celebrate the day.
Dance Festival — Modhera (January)
Resting on a knoll in the village of Modhera are the ruins of the 11th century Sun Temple. The outer walls of the temple are covered with sculptures in which the figures of Surya, the sun god, are prominent. The Sun Temple is the site of an annual festival of Indian classical dances organized by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat. The idea is to present classical dance forms in an atmosphere they were originally presented in.
The Kutch Mahotsav (February–March)
The ‘Kutch Festival’ or the ‘Rann festival’ is celebrated at the time of the Shiv Ratri in February/ March. The centre of the festival is Bhuj in Kutch. It has crafts, fairs and folk dances and music and cultural shows, all organized by the Gujarat Tourism. Tours are also conducted out to the ruins of Dhola Vera, a city that was once a part of the Indus Valley civilization.
Bhadra Purnima (September)
The full moon of Bhadrapad is one of the four most important festival days of the year when farmers and agriculturists come to Ambaji, a place that derives its name from Goddess Ambaji, whose shrine is located there. On this occasion, a large fair is organized on full moon days. In the evening, performances of Bhavai, the folk drama of the state, is held and Garba programmes are organized. The devout attend readings of the Saptashati, the seven hundred verses in praise of the goddess, and visit the temple for a darshan (worship) of her. The Ambaji shrine is the principal shrine of the goddess in Gujarat, and its origins are still unknown. The Temple of Ambaji is recognized as one of the original Shakti Pithas (religious texts) where, according to the ancient Scriptures, the heart of the goddess Ambaji fell to earth when her body was dismembered. A triangular Vishwa Yantra, inscribed with figures and the syllable 'Shree' in the centre, represents the deity. There is no idol, which testifies the temple's antiquity. Idol worship became popular much later.

Gujarati Cuisine

Main article: Gujarati cuisine
The food served in the South of Gujarat is influenced by the cuisine of Maharashtra. In South Gujarat, people usually consume Jowar, whereas in Saurashtra and North Gujarat, the diet consists mainly of Bajra and Maize. In Baroda, you will find a blend of all tastes due to its location. In earlier times, wheat was consumed only by the elite and by the middle class during the festive season. With changing time, things have changed. Today, wheat forms an integral part of the Gujarati platter and is used in a number of ways.
 
Gulab Jamun
 
Jalebi
 
Kachori
 
Pav Bhaji
 
Bhajias (Pakoras)

Paan Chewing in Gujarat

Betel chewing is a part of many Asian cultures, and preparation techniques vary from region to region. The nut is either slivered or grated, often flavored with spices according to local tradition and usually wrapped in a betel leaf (betel leaf comes from the betel pepper plant, Piper betle, which is not botanically related to the betel palm, Areca catechu), along with some lime (calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide) to better extract the alkaloids. Some people also chew tobacco with betel nut. After about 20 minutes of chewing, the fibrous residue which remains of the nut is spat on the street, where it remains visible due to its characteristic bright red color. Trails of bright red sputum lining the sidewalks are a sure indication of the popularity of betel chewing in an area.
In Gujarat, betel (called paan) chewing is as popular as tobacco smoking in the whole world. Paan is often served wrapped in a betel leaf,
In Gujarat, in fact in the whole of India, paan has been playing an important part in social life and customs for hundreds of years. In the courts of Medieval Rulers, the betel leaf or pan was offered as part of hospitality, friendship and love.
The Different types of paans are:
  • Saada paan: Just a filling of cardamom, betel nut and cloves.
  • Chutney paan: Has a filling of cardamom, betel nut & spicy mint paste.
  • Meetha paan: Its filled with grated coconut, dates, gulkand (rose petal & sugar syrup) & jellied fruit.
  • Tobacco paan: is filled with tobacco of different brands and betel nut.
Using paan with tobacco significantly increases the risk of mouth cancers. Even without tobacco, the use of paan has been associated with changes in the lining of the mouth that increase the risk of cancer of the mouth.


Destruction of Somnath Temple

 
The Somnath temple, known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed six times and rebuilt six times.
The Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of (the) Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed six times by Muslim invaders.[29][30]
Mahmud of Ghazni conquered and destroyed thousands of Hindu temples during his raids including the famous Somnath Temple, which he destroyed in 1025 AD,[31] killing over 50,000 people who tried to defend it. The defenders included the 90-year-old clan leader Ghogha Rana. Mahmud had the gilded lingam broken into pieces and had them made into steps for his mosque and palace.[32]
The following extract is from "Wonders of Things Created, and marvels of Things Existing" by Zakariya al-Qazwini, a 13th-century Persian Arab geographer. It contains the description of Somnath temple and its destruction:[31]

1297–1614 CE

 
The Mughal Emperor Akbar triumphantly enters Surat.
From 1297 to 1300, Allauddin Khilji, the Turkic Sultan of Delhi, destroyed the Hindu metropolis of Anhilwara and incorporated Gujarat into the Delhi Sultanate. After Timur's sacking of Delhi at the end of the fourteenth century weakened the Sultanate, Gujarat's Muslim Rajput governor Zafar Khan Muzaffar (Muzaffar Shah I) asserted his independence, and his son, Sultan Ishaan Shah (ruled 1411 to 1442), restructured Ahmedabad as the capital. Khambhat eclipsed Bharuch as Gujarat's most important trade port. Humayun had also briefly occupied the province in 1536, but fled due to the threat Bahadur Shah, the Gujarat King imposed.[33] The Sultanate of Gujarat remained independent until 1576, when the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great conquered it and annexed it to the Mughal Empire.
The port of Surat (the only Indian port facing westwards) then became the prominent and principal port of India during Mughal rule to gain international repute. The eminent city of Surat, famous for its cargo export of silk and diamonds, earned the title Bab-al-Makkah (Gateway to Makkah). Muslim pilgrims, both local and foreign, from as far as Egypt, Syria, Hejaz, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia assembled, under the royal patronage of the Mughals, to come and go for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca from the ports of Surat, Veraval and Mandvi.[34]
Early 14th-century Maghrebi adventurer, Ibn Batuta, who famously visited India with his entourage, recalls in his memoirs about Cambay, one of the great emporia of the Indian Ocean that indeed:
“
Cambay is one of the most beautiful cities as regards the artistic architecture of its houses and the construction of its mosques. The reason is that the majority of its inhabitants are foreign merchants, who continually build their beautiful houses and wonderful mosques - an achievement in which they endeavor to surpass each other.
”
Many of these "foreign merchants" were transient visitors, men of South Arabian and Persian Gulf ports, who migrated in and out of Cambay with the rhythm of the monsoons. But others were men with Arab or Persian patronyms whose families had settled in the town generations, even centuries earlier, intermarrying with Gujarati women, and assimilating everyday customs of the Hindu hinterland.[35]
The Age of Discovery prompted pioneer Portuguese and Spanish long-distance maritime travels in search of alternative trade routes to "the East Indies", moved by the trade of gold, silver and spices. In 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama is said to have discovered the Europe-to-India sea route which changed the course of history, thanks to Kutchi merchant and navigator Kanji Kalam, whose ship he is reported to have followed from the East African coasts of Mozambique sailing onwards to Calicut off the Malabar coast in India.[36][37][38] Later, the Gujarat Sultanate allied with the Ottomans and Egyptian Mamluks naval fleets led by governor-generals Malik Ayyaz and Amir Husain Al-Kurdi, vanquished the Portuguese in the 1508 Battle of Chaul resulting in the first Portuguese defeat at sea in the Indian Ocean.[39]
To 16th-century European observers, Gujarat was a fabulously wealthy country. The customs revenue of Gujarat alone in the early 1570s was nearly three times the total revenue of the whole Portuguese empire in Asia in 1586-87, when it was at its height.[40] Indeed, when the British arrived on the coast of Gujarat, houses in Surat already had windows of Venetian glass imported from Constantinople through the Ottoman empire.[41] In 1514, the Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa wrote about the cosmopolitan Rander otherwise known as City of Mosques in Surat province, which gained the fame and reputation of illustrious Islamic scholars, saints, merchants and intellectuals from all over the world:[42]
“
Ranel (Rander) is a good town of the Moors, built of very pretty houses and squares. It is a rich and agreeable place... the Moors of the town trade with Malacca, Bengal, Tawasery (Tannasserim), Pegu, Martaban, and Sumatra in all sort of spices, drugs, silks, musk, benzoin and porcelain. They possess very large and fine ships and those who wish Chinese articles will find them there very completely. The Moors of this place are white and well dressed and very rich they have pretty wives, and in the furniture of these houses have china vases of many kinds, kept in glass cupboards well arranged. Their women are not secluded like other Moors, but go about the city in the day time, attending to their business with their faces uncovered as in other parts.
”
The conquest of the Kingdom of Gujarat marked a significant event of Akbar's reign. Being the major trade gateway and departure harbour of pilgrim ships to Mecca, it gave the Mughal Empire free access to the Arabian sea and control over the rich commerce that passed through its ports. The territory and income of the empire were vastly increased

The Sultanate of Gujarat and Persian culture

For the best part of two centuries, the independent Sultanate of Gujarat was the cynosure of its neighbours on account of its wealth and prosperity, which had long made the Gujarati merchant a familiar figure in the ports of the Indian Ocean.[43] The merchants of Gujarat, both Hindu and Muslim, as well as the enterprising Parsi class, had been specialising in the organization of overseas trade for many centuries. By the 17th century, Baghdadi Jews and Chavuse had assimilated into the social world of the Surat province, later on their descendants would give rise to the Sassoons of Bombay and the Ezras of Calcutta.[44] At its zenith, Gujarati merchants with the aid of Khoja and Bohra shipowners, nakhudas, and lascars, had created the legacy of an international transoceanic empire which had a vast commercial network of agents stationed at all the great port cities across the Indian Ocean. These networks extended to the Philippines in the east, East Africa in the west, and via maritime and the inland caravan route to Russia in the north.[45]
As Tome Pires, a Portuguese official at Malacca, writing of conditions during the reigns of Mahmud I and Mozaffar II, expressed it: “Cambay stretches out two arms; with her right arm she reaches toward Aden and with the other towards Malacca” (Pires, I, p. 41). His contemporary, Duarte Barbosa, describing Gujarat’s maritime trade, recorded the import of horses from the Middle East and elephants from Malabar, and lists exports which included muslins, chintzes and silks, carnelian, ginger, and other spices, aromatics, opium, indigo, and other substances for dyeing, cereals, and legumes (Barbosa, I, pp. 108–58). Persia was the destination for many of these commodities, and they were partly paid for in horses and pearls taken from Hormuz (Barbosa, I, p. 82). It was the latter item, in particular, which led Sultan Sikandar Lodi of Delhi, according to ʿAli-Moḥammad Khan, author of the Merʾāt-e aḥmadi, to complain that the “support of the throne of Delhi is wheat and barley but the foundation of the realm of Gujarat is coral and pearls” (apud Bayley, p. 20). Hence, the sultans of Gujarat possessed ample means to sustain lavish patronage of religion and the arts, and to build madrasas, and ḵānaqāhs, and to provide douceurs for the literati, mainly poets and historians, whose presence and praise enhanced the fame of the dynasty.[25]
Even at the time of Tom Pires' travel to the East Indies in the early 16th-century, Gujarati merchants had a formidable reputation for their commercial acumen. Pires noted:[46]
“
These [people] are [like] Italians in their knowledge of and dealings in merchandise...they are men who understand merchandise; they are so properly steeped in the sound and harmony of it, that the Gujaratees say that any offence connected with merchandise is pardonable. There are Gujaratees settled everywhere. They work some for some and others for others. They are diligent, quick men in trade. They do their accounts with fingers like ours and with our very writings.
”

Gujarat and the Mughal Empire

 
portrait of Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb, who was better known by his imperial title Alamgir ("world-seizer"), was born at Dahod, Gujarat, and was the sixth Mughal Emperor ruling with an iron fist over most of the Indian subcontinent. He was the third son and sixth child of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. At the time of his birth, His father, Shah Jahan, was then the Subedar (governor) of Gujarat whilst his (Shah Jahan's) father, Jehangir, was the Mughal Emperor. Before he became emperor, Aurangzeb was made Subedar of Gujarat as part of his training and was stationed at Ahmedabad. Aurangzeb was a notable expansionist and was amongst the wealthiest of the Mughal rulers with an annual yearly tribute of £38,624,680 (in 1690). During his lifetime, victories in the south expanded the Mughal Empire to more than 3.2 million square kilometres and he ruled over a population estimated as being in the range of 100–150 million subjects.
Aurangzeb had great love for his place of birth. In 1704, he wrote a letter to his eldest son, Muhammad Azam Shah, asking him to be kind and considerate to the people of Dahod as it was his birthplace. Muhammad Azam was then the Subedar (governor) of Gujarat.
In his letter, Aurangzeb wrote:[47]
“
My son of exalted rank, the town of Dohad, one of the dependencies of Gujarat, is the birthplace of this sinner. Please consider a regard for the inhabitants of that town as incumbent on you.
”

1614–1947 CE

 
Princely states of Gujarat in 1924
 
Mahatma Gandhi picking salt at Dandi beach, South Gujarat ending the Salt satyagraha on 5 April 1930
In 1600s, the Dutch, French, English and Portuguese all established bases along the western coast of the region. Portugal was the first European power to arrive in Gujarat, and aftermath the Battle of Diu and Treaty of Bassein, acquired several enclaves along the Gujarati coast, including Daman and Diu as well as Dadra and Nagar Haveli. These enclaves were administered by Portuguese India under a single union territory for over 450 years, only to be later incorporated into the Republic of India on 19 December 1961 by military conquest.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Gujarat
 
Satellite Imagery of Gujarat
Sardar Sarovar Project, Gujarat, partially completed (up to E.L.121.92 m)
Gujarat borders with Pakistan's province of Sindh to the northwest, bounded by the Arabian Sea to the southwest, the state of Rajasthan to the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, and by Maharashtra, Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south. Historically, the north was known as Anarta, the Kathiawar peninsula, "Saurastra", and the south as "Lata".[60] Gujarat was also known as Pratichya and Varuna.[61] The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. The capital, Gandhinagar is a planned city. Gujarat has an area of 75,686 sq mi (196,030 km2) with the longest coast line 1600 km, dotted with 41 ports: one major, 11 intermediate and 29 minor ports.
Sabarmati is the biggest river of Gujarat followed by Tapi, although Narmada covers the longest area in the state. The Sardar Sarovar Project is built on the Narmada River. Narmada is one of the major rivers of peninsular India with a length of around 1312 km. It is one of only three rivers in peninsular India that run from east to west – the others being the Tapi River and the Mahi River. A riverfront project has been built on Sabarmati River. The other rivers are:




Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch is a seasonally marshy saline clay desert located in the Thar Desert biogeographic region in between the province of Sindh and the state of Gujarat. Situated 8 km away from village Kharaghoda located in the Surendranagar District of northwestern India and the Sindh province of Pakistan. The name "Rann" comes from the Hindi word ran (रण) meaning "salt marsh".
  • Mount Kiro
  • Cracked earth in the Rann of Kutch
  • Salt worker
  • Sand dunes

Infrastructure

 
Tallest Building in Gujarat Gift One.
Tallest tower in Gujarat is inaugurated on 10 January 2013.
















Jamnagar Refinery owned by Reliance Industries in Jamnagar is the largest refinery in the world.
Gujarat has the largest business corporations in India. During the British Raj, Gujarati businesses served to play a major role to enrich the economy of Karachi and Mumbai. Major agricultural produce of the state includes cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), dates, sugar cane, milk and milk products. Industrial products include cement and petrol.[72]

Industrial growth

 
Surat City is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
 
Shown here is the Tata Nano, the world's least expensive car.[77] Sanand, Gujarat is home to Tata Nano.
 
Inside view of Crystal Mall, Rajkot
Gujarat's major cities include Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Junagadh . In 2010, Forbes list of the world's fastest growing cities included Ahmedabad at number 3 after Chengdu and Chongqing from China. Junagadh lacks major industries or plants. However main earning sectors for Junagadh are mineral-based cement industry, agriculture-based industry and power sector. Presence of huge reserves of Limestone makes the cement industry a thriving industrial sector. Major crops produced in the district are wheat, oil seeds, cotton, mango, banana, onion and brinjal. Total production of oilseeds in Junagadh in 2006–07 was 464,400 MT[19] which was the highest in the state. Junagadh is the largest producer of Groundnut and Garlic in the State contributing 26% and 34% to total production respectively. Junagadh has Asia's largest Ground nut research laboratory. Mango and onions are produced in large quantities in the district. Some of the large scale industry present in Junagadh are Agro Marine Exports, Creative Castings Ltd., Gujarat Dairy Development Corporation, Austin Engineering. With an investment of INR 40 billion (USD 975.6million), JSW Power Co. propose to set up coal based power plant at Simar in Junagadh.[20]. With the new Government policy of biotechnology, Junagadh has been identified as one of the agriculture biotechnology zone. This will boost setting up of agro-biotech industries in the district. Junagadh boasts of some of the best tourist destinations in the state so tourism is considered to be a progressing sector. The State Government has sanctioned the project for development of Circuit Tourism project at Junagadh.[13] Major resources produced by the state include cotton, groundnuts, dates, sugarcane, and petrochemical products.

Main article: Gujarati language
Gujarati (ગુજરાતી Gujǎrātī?) is an Indo-Aryan language evolved from Sanskrit and local Prakrits, and is part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is native to the Indian state of Gujarat, and is its main language, as well as of the adjacent union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Gujarat
Gujarat is home to the Gujarati people. It is also the home of Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel, who preached the unity between all religions and became a worldwide figure for peaceful struggle against tyranny.
Kutch district
 
Abhala Bharat or Shisha embroidery from Gujarat
 
A pair of shoes in the Sindhi tradition from North East Kutch
Cuisine
Main article: Gujarati cuisine
 
Khaman is a popular Gujarati farsan.
Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian. It is believed to be one of the healthiest cuisines in India. It has been portrayed in eminent Bollywood films, including the 2009 feature film 3 Idiots.[106] The typical Gujarati thali consists of roti or bhakri, dal or kadhi, rice and sabzi. Indian pickle and chhundo are used as condiments. The four major regions of Gujarat all bring their own styles to Gujarati food. Many Gujarati dishes are distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy at the same time. In Saurashtra region, chass (buttermilk) is believed to be a must-have in their daily food.
Cinema
Main article: Gujarati cinema
The Gujarati film industry is one the largest regional film industries in India. The first ever Gujarati film, Narsinh Mehta, was produced in 1932.[107] Bhavni Bhavai is one of most acclaimed Gujarati films, having won National Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration and National Film Award for Best Art Direction. Many famous actors have worked in Gujarati film industry, such as Sanjeev Kumar, Bindu, Asha Parekh, Kiran Kumar, Arvind Trivedi, Aruna Irani, Mallika Sarabhai, Asrani, Naresh Kanodia, Paresh Rawal, Neeraj Vora, Dilip Joshi, Ayesha Jhulka, and Himesh Reshammiya.
Music
Gujarati folk music, known as Sugam Sangeet, is a hereditary profession of the Gadhvi and Charan communities. The omnipresent instruments in Gujarati folk music include wind instruments, such as turi, bungal, and pava, string instruments, such as the ravan hattho, rktaro, and jantar and percussion instruments, such as the manjira and zanz pot drum.[108]
Festivals
 
Garba during Navaratri in Ahmedabad
 
Kites

Diffusion of culture
 
Tourists playing Dandiya Raas

Religion

 
Modhera Sun Temple built by Bhimdev I.
Religious Group
Population (2001)[121]
91.09%
7.06%
1.03%
Christian
0.5%
0.19%
0.07%
Others
0.05%
Gujarat consists of people following Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism, making it a religiously diverse state. Hinduism is major religion of the state, as 89.09% population of the state is Hindu.[121] Major part of Hindu population follows Swaminarayan Hinduism and Vaishnavism. Muslims are the biggest minority in the state. Gujarat is where Jains have the largest population outside Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
The Zoroastrians, also known in India as Parsi and Irani, are believed to have migrated to Gujarat to maintain their traditions. They have also played an instrumental role in economic development with several of the best-known business conglomerates of India run by Parsi-Zoroastrians, including the Tata, Godrej, and Wadia families.

Education

 
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
 
Campus at Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar
 
The clock tower in Gujarat University,
 
Kala Bhavan, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Apart from that, Mudra Institute of Communication Ahmedabad (MICA) is one of the most famous institutes for mass communication and is well-renowned across India. IIT Indian institute of technology was established at Gandhinagar in the year 2008. IIT Gandhinagar is mentored by IIT Bombay. IIT'S first batch started on 1 August 2008, at a temporary building of government college, Chandkheda, Gandhinagar. The Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) has been established by the Science and Technology Department, Government of Gujarat in 2003 and is registered as a Society.ISR campus is at Raisan, Gandhinagar in a sprawling and picturesque area on the banks of Sabarmati river. Aims and objectives include assigning optimum seismic factors for buildings in different regions and long-term assessment of earthquake potential. The ISR is the only institute in India fully dedicated to seismological research and is planned to be developed into a premier International institute in few years time.

Fauna

 
As per the India State of Forest Report 2009, Gujarat has of its total geographical area under forest cover. As per the districts, The Dangs has the largest area under forest cover. Gujarat has four national parks and 21 sanctuaries.
 
A young male Asiatic lion
 
Gujarat is the only home of Asiatic lions and outside Africa, Gujarat is the only present natural habitat of lions. Gir Forest National Park in the southwest part of the state covers part of the lions' habitat. Apart from lions, leopards are also found in state. They are spread across the large plains of Saurashtra and the mountains of South Gujarat. Other National parks include Vansda National Park, Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar and Narara Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutchh, Jamnagar. Wildlife sanctuaries include: Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Porbandar Bird Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Anjal, Balaram-Ambaji, Barda, Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Khavda, Paniya, Purna, Rampura, Ratanmahal, and Surpaneshwar.
Gujarat has some of major mountain ranges of India, including Aravalli, Sahyadri (Western Ghats), Vindhya and Saputara. Apart from this Gir hills, Barda, Jessore, Chotila, etc. are situated in different parts of Gujarat. Girnar is the tallest peak and Saputara is the only hill-station in the state.
Gujarat is the main producer of tobacco, cotton, and groundnuts in India. Other major food crops produced are rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, tur, and gram. The state has an agricultural economy; the total crop area amounts to more than one-half of the total land area.[127]
Animal husbandry and dairying have played vital roles in the rural economy of Gujarat. Dairy farming, primarily concerned with milk production, functions on a co-operative basis and has more than a million members. Gujarat is the largest producer of milk in India. The Amul milk co-operative federation is well known all over India, and it is Asia's biggest dairy.[128] Amongst livestock raised are buffalo and other cattle, sheep, and goats. As per the results of livestock census 1997, there were 20.97 million head of livestock in Gujarat State. In the estimates of the survey of major livestock products, during the year 2002–03, the Gujarat produced 6.09 million tonnes of milk, 385 million eggs and 2.71 million kg of wool. Gujarat also contributes inputs to the textiles, oil, and soap industries, amongst others.
As in much of India, since the 1960s farmers in Gujarat have increasingly relied on extensive groundwater irrigation to maintain production. In recent years, however, experts have become increasingly alarmed at the rate of water depletion in the state. The water table in Gujarat has been falling steadily for the last 15–20 years, leading to a risk of catastrophic, irreversible saltwater intrusion into the groundwater.[129] The problem is exacerbated because electricity for farmers is subsidised, leaving little incentive to conserve water. To address this issue, the government of Gujarat has begun working with NGOs and universities to create new incentives for water conservation and to promote the adoption of water-saving technologies.[130][131]

Dinosaur Park Balasinor

In the early 1980s, palaeontologists stumbled upon dinosaur bones and fossils during a regular geological survey of Balasinor in Kheda District.[132] The find sent ripples of excitement through neighbouring villages and many residents picked up fossilised eggs, brought them home and worshipped them. Since then excavations have thrown up a veritable trove of dinosaur remains – eggs, bones, a skeleton which is now kept in a Calcutta (Kolkata) museum – bringing hordes of scientists and tourists to the place.
Piecing together the evidence in Balasinor, researchers now believe that Gujarat is home to one of the largest clutch of dinosaur hatcheries in the world. At least 13 species of dinosaurs lived here, possibly for more than 100 million years until their extinction some 65 million years ago. The soft soil made hatching and protecting eggs easier for the animals. So well-protected are the fossilised eggs found here that many researchers call them the best-preserved eggs in the world after the ones found in Aix-en-Provence in France.
These fossilised dinosaur remains have begun triggering off what tourism officials of the Gujarat state call "Dinosaur Tourism".[132]

Tourism

 
Gujarat has a large tourist potential
Tourism in Gujarat is promoted by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited. It is one of the most popular state in the country for tourists with annual footfall of 19.81 million tourists in 2010–11.[133] Gujarat offers scenic beauty from Great Rann of Kutch to the hills of Saputara. Gujarat is the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions in the world.[134][135] During the Sultanate reign, Hindu craftsmanship mix with Islamic architecture, giving rise to the Indo-Saracenic style. Many structures in the state are built in this fashion. It is also the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the great iconic figures during India's Independence movement. Amitabh Bachchan is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism. 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' campaign by Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has enhanced tourism in Gujarat by 14 per cent, twice that of national growth rate.[136]
Museums
Gujarat has a variety of museums on different genres. These museums are run by the state's Department of Museums located at the principal state museum, Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery. The Kirti Mandir, Porbandar, Sabarmati Ashram, and Kaba Gandhi No Delo are museums related to Mahatma Gandhi. The former being the his place of birth and the latter being two of the places where he lived in his lifetime. All of them are now transformed into museums. Kaba Gandhi No Delo in Rajkot exhibits some of a rare collection of photographs relating to the life of Mahatma Gandhi.[137] Sabarmati Ashram is the place where Gandhi initiated Dandi March. On 12 March 1930 he vowed that he would not return to the Ashram until India won independence.[138]
Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery and Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum are located in Vadodara. Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery is where state's Department of Museums is located,[139] whilst the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum is housed within Lakshmi Vilas Palace. It's the palace where Maharaja lived, and now has been turned into a museum. Located in Ahmedabad the Calico Museum of Textiles is managed by the Sarabhai Foundation and is one of the most popular tourist spots in Ahmedabad.
The Lakhota Museum at Jamnagar is a palace transformed into museum, was residence of the Jadeja Rajputs. The collection of the museum includes artefacts spanning from 9th to 18th century, pottery from medieval villages nearby and the skeleton of a whale.[140]
Other famous museums in state include Kutch Museum in Bhuj being the oldest museum in Gujarat founded in 1877,[141] Watson Museum of human history and culture in Rajkot,[142] Gujarat Science City and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial in Ahmedabad.
Religious sites
Religious sites are major part of tourism in Gujarat. Somnath is the first amongst twelve Jyotirlingas, and has been mentioned in Rigveda.[143] The Palitana temples of Jainism on Mount Shatrunjaya, Palitana are considered the holiest of all pilgrimage places by the Svetambara and Digambara Jain community.[144] The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque and Jama Masjid are holymosques for Gujarati Muslims. The Sun Temple, Modhera is a ticketed monument, handled by the Archaeological Survey of India.[145] Dwarakadheesh Temple and Dakor holy pilgrimage sites are for devotees of Lord Krishna. Other religious sites in state include Mahudi, Shankheshwar, Ambaji, Dakor, Shamlaji, Chotila etc.
Fairs
A five-day festival is held during Maha Shivaratri at the fort of Girnar, Junagadh known as Bhavanth Mahadev Fair (Gujarati: ભવનાથ નો મેળો). The Kutch Festival or Rann Festival (Gujarati: કચ્છ or રણ ઉત્સવ) is a festival celebrated at Kutch during Mahashivratri. The Modhra Dance Festival is a festival for classical dance, arranged by the Government of Gujarat's Cultural Department, to promote tourism in state and to keep traditions and culture alive.[146]
The Ambaji Fair is held in the Hindu month of Bhadrapad (around August–September) at Ambaji, during a time which is particularly suitable for farmers, when the busy monsoon season is about to end. The Bhadrapad fair is held at Ambaji which is in the Danta Taluka of Banaskantha district, near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. The walk from the bus station to the temple is less than one kilometre, under a roofed walkway. Direct buses are available from many places, including Mount Abu (45 km away), Palanpur (65 km away), Ahmedabad and Idar. The Bhadrapad fair is held in the centre of the Ambaji village just outside the temple premises. The village is visited by the largest number of sanghas (pilgrim groups) during the fair. Many of them go there on foot, which is particularly enriching as it happens immediately after the monsoon, when the landscape is rich with greenery, streams are full of sparkling water and the air is fresh. About 1.5 million devotees are known to attend this fair each year from all over the world. Not only Hindus, but some devout Jains and Parsis also attend the functions, whilst some Muslims attend the fair for trade.
The Tarnetar Fair is held during the first week of Bhadrapad, (September–October according to Gregorian calendar), and mostly servesplace to find a suitable bride for tribal people from Gujarat. The region is believed to be the place where Arjuna took up the difficult task of piercing the eye of a fish, rotating at the end of a pole, by looking at its reflection in the pond water, to marry Draupadi.[147][148] Other fairs in Gujarat include Dang Durbar, Shamlaji Fair,Chitra Vichitra Fair,Dhrang Fair and Vautha Fair.
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