Gujarat is an ancient land, a state in Western India. It is one of the centers of the Indus valley Civilizations.
Where is Gujarat
Gujarat lies on the Western Coastline of India and is bordered by Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. On the West, the Arabian Sea defines its boundary. The state also shares its borders with the Pakistani Sindh province.
About Gujarat
Gujarat contains the Indus valley Sites like Lothal and Dholavira. Lothal is considered to be one of the world's most ancient ports. Gujarat is also the home state of Mahatma Gandhi, who was born in Porbandhar. Gujarat h has an ancient tradition of commerce, its people being mainly traders and merchants.
Gujarat is amongst the fastest growing economies in the country. Its GDP per capita is twice that of the whole country.
Gujarat Culture
Gujarat from ancient times has had strong associations with Vedic culture. The state has sites associated with the Indus Valley Civilization. The word Gujarat is derived from the word Gurjaratra meaning the land of the Gurjars.
Gujarat has a majority of Hindus followed by Muslims. Like any other place in the country, people of all religion live together in this state too. Christians, Buddhists and Jains are other major communities here. Gujarat also has a sizeable population of Zoroastrians known as Parsis.
Gujarat's history is closely associated with its neighboring states, especially Maharashtra. When the Maratha Empire spread to other parts of India, a large number of Gujaratis also migrated to various regions. Even now the Saurashtrian community is a major denomination in Tamilnadu in the far south.
Places to See
Gujarat has so many places of interest to the tourists. Its diverse culture and varied topography makes for an interesting travel destination.
Ahmedabad, the former capital of the state is known as a Textile city,. It has many famous monuments from the period of Muslim Rule. The architecture of this era is known as Indo-Sarcenic, A nice blend of Islamic and Hindu styles, the Jama Masjid is one of the prime examples of this type of building style.
The Raj Babri Mosque with its shaking minarets is another interesting site. The artificial Kankaria Lake located to the south-east of this city is a lovely circular lake and has a zoo and a children's park near it. Dada HariVava is a beautiful step well.The Sabarmati Gandhi ashram is another major tourist destination, located near Ahmedabad on the banks of the Sabarmati River.
How to Reach Gujarat
Gujarat is connected to all regions of India by either terrestrial, aerial or rail routes.
Gujarat has an International Airport in Ahmedabad. The state also has ten domestic airports, connecting it to all major cities in the country.
The Rail network connects Gujarat to most major cities in India. Regular train service is available from places like Mumbai and Delhi.
Gujarat has a good and well maintained road network and has 1572 km of National highway connecting it to various regions of India.
Martin Wynn
