INDIALINE
Complete India Travel Guide

Junagadh Attractions

Sasangir Forest & Sanctuary

380 kms South-West of Ahmedabad and 50 kms from Junagadh is located Gir Forest, sprawling on 1412 sq kms. It has a dry deciduous forest and a luxuriantly ric eco system endowed with fauna plenty. Gir is the last home of the Asiatic lion.

In this sanctuary one can see lions roaming freely. This rare sight can be enjoyed on a guided jeep tour. While driving one can see animals like Chital, Nilgai, Sambar, Black Buck, Chinkara, Wild Pig, Jackal, etc. Guides and vehicles are available on hire. Tulsishyam, a temple dedicated to Bhim and his mother Kunti is located in the heart of Gir, which is a scenic spot because of its hot water springs.

Somnath

The temple of Somnath, 5 kms from Veraval is one of the twelve sacred Shiva shrines in India. According to the legend, Somnath was built by Som, the moon God and contains one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India. Constantl washed by the Arabian Sea, the temples of Somnath were destroyed seve times but were rebuilt each time. The present temple Maha Meru Prasad was recently rebuilt on the exact location of the original shrine. Adjacent to this temple is the temple built by Ahalyabai Holkar of Indore.

Uparkot

The fort walls are 20 metres high and the fort is entered by an ornate, triple gateway. The top of the old fort forms a plateau-like area covered in lantana scrub. Inside the fort is a mosque, the Jami Masjid, built from a demolished Hindu temple.

Durbar Hall Museum

Consists of the usual weapons and armor of the Nawabs. Also displayed are silver chains and chandeliers, settees and thrones, howdahs and palanquins, a few cushions and gowns, and a photo gallery.

Maqbara

The mausoleums of the Nawabs of Junagadh consist of silver doors and intricate architecture, including minarets with spiral stairways.

Girnar Hill

Is a 600 metre ascent, up 10,000 stone steps to the 1118 metre high summit of Girnar. The temple topped hill is of great significance to the Jains. It has five Jain temples while on top of the peak is the temple of Amba Mata, where newly weds worship for a happy marriage.

Ashoka`s Edicts

On the way to the Girnar temples one passes a huge boulder on which 14 edicts of Emperor Ashoka are inscribed. Of which some are moral lectures, while the other inscriptions mainly refer to recurring floods destroying the embankments of Sudershan Lake, which no longer exists.