Highlights Of Gujarat

Vadodara – Bhavnagar (210 Kms / 4.5 Hrs)

Morning Optional Safari To Gir National Park With Extra Costing. Later Proceed To Bhavnagar, If Time Permit Then Visits Of Barton Museum And Gandhi Smriti.

Bhavnagar Was Founded By Bhavsinhji Gohil; Finally In 1723 Bhavsinhji Established The City Of Bhavnagar As His Capital. His Grandson Takhatsinhji, Who Came To Power In 1878, Setup A Modern System Of Civil And Criminal Justice & Other Social Departments. The Districts Main Link To Its Maritime Past Is Asia’s Largest Ship Breaking Yard At Alang.

Barton Museum & Library

It Was Established In 1882 & Open For All From 1885. Barton Museum Is Located At Gandhi Smriti In Bhavnagar. This Is Principally An Archaeological Museum. On Display Here Are Coins, Weapons, And Wood Carvings, Farming Implements, Fossils And Archaeological Finds. Also A Very Good Collection Of Stamps Are Here.

Gandhi Smriti

The Little Known Fact That Mahatma Gandhi Went To The University Of Bhavnagar. Established With An Objective Of Keeping Gandhian Thought Alive, Gandhi Smriti Is A Living Monument To Gandhiji. Opened In 1955, The Institution Houses A Gandhiji Picture Gallery, Khadi Gramodyog Bhandar.

Overnight Stay Bhavnagar.

Bhavnagar - Diu (210 Kms / 4.5 Hrs)

Diu Fort

Diu Was Conquered By The Portuguese In 1546 Who Ruled There Till 1961. In 1961, The Indian Army Took Over The Portuguese Occupied Pockets Of India, Later On 30th May, 1987, Daman And Diu Were De-Lined From Goa Which Attained Statehood There By Forming These Land Blocks Into A Separate Union Territory Under The Govt. Of India. Diu, With Its Pleasant Beaches And Generally Few Tourist Crowds, Offer A Great Pace Of Change From Gujarat And Goa. The Territory Is Dominantly Occupied By Fishing Communities. Diu Is Tiny Island Situated Slightly Near The Port Of Veraval In Gujarat With A Coastal Length Of 21 Kms. It Was Also A Vital Trade Link With The Rest Of India For Traders Overseas. It Is Connected By Two Bridges With The Mainland.

The Fort Is Skirted By The Sea On The Three Sides And By A Moat On The Fourth. It Is An Expansive And Imposing Structure. It Was Constructed Between 1535 And 1541 Ad. The Main Front Wall Is Having Five Huge Windows With Stone Galleries. The Fort Has Been Creatively Lit, Which Creates A Breath Taking Views At Night. The Fort Commands A Magnificent View Of Sea. Guns And Gun Balls Litter The Place. It Is A Town’s Central Landmark. The Panikota Forte Do Mar, Which Stands Unperturbed.

Sea Shell Museum

This Is First Museum In Asia Which Has Maximum Sea Shells And First Museum In World Where Sea Shells Are Displayed In Magnifying Glass Of Various Sizes. The Total Collection Of Sea Shell Is About 2500 To 3000 Museum.

Diu Museum

The Old St. Thomas Church Has Been Converted Into A Museum Which Houses Antique Tatues, Various Stone Inscriptions Of The Earlier Rulers, Wooden Carvings And Idols. In Evening, Multicolored Fountains And Special Lighting Of The Imposing Building Fascinate Everyone.

St. Paul Church

St. Paul’s Church Is Dedicated To Our Lady Of Immaculate Conception. The Construction Of The Church Was Started In 1601 And Was Completed In The Year 1610. The Main Facade Of The Church Is Perhaps The Most Elaborate Of All Portuguese Churches In India. In Architectural Style It Resembles Bom Jesus Church At Goa. The Dominant Features Are, No Doubt, Gothic. The Wood - Paneling Of The Church Is Rated One Of The Best In Church Craftsmanship. The Fantastic Wood Carved Panels Are Crafted By Goan Artisans

Nagoa Beach

It Is Located Near The Nagoa Hamlet Of The Village Of Bucharwada. The Beach Is Exceptionally Beautiful And Quiet. In This Horse - Shoe Shaped Beach, Various Water Sports Facilities Are Available. It Is Completely Safe For Swimming.

Diu – Gir (100 Kms / 2 Hrs)

Sasan Gir Is Well Known As The Remaining Habitat Of The Asiatic Lion. The 1412 Sq Km Gir Wildlife Reserve Comprises Deciduous Forests, Evergreen & Semi Evergreen Vegetation, Thorn Scrub & Grasslands. Sasan Gir Also Has A Large Leopard Population. The Sanctuary Also Has A Booming Population Of Sambar And Spotted Deer, Chinkara Gazelle, Nilgai And Chowsingha, The World’s Only Four-Horned Antelope. Birds Can See While Visit To Sanctuary. In Sasan Gir We Can See Attractive Birds Like The Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Painted Sand Grouse, Tree Pie, Hoopoe, Etc. Crocodiles Are Seen At Reservoir And At Rivers Flowing Through The Sanctuary. Asiatic Lions Are Less Sociable Than Their African Counterparts And Differ In Appearance By Having Shorter Manes And A Prominent Fold Of Skin On The Underside. Sasan Gir Lions Are Purely Predatory, Never Feeding Off Carrion As Do African Lions. As 350 Lions And More Than 300 Leopards Has Been Counted In Sasan Gir During The Last Census. The Best Time To Visits The Sanctuary Is From November To April & It’s Closed From Mid-June To Mid-October. The Local Maldhari Community Has Lived Here For Generations And Coexists Magnificently With The Wilderness. Siddi, Tribe Also Known By The Names Of Sheedi And Habshi, Is One Of The Major Tribal Communities Of Gujarat. The Cultural Heritage Of Siddis Dates Back To Almost 300 Years. Their Dance And Music Are Quite Exquisite. Dhamal Is One Such Dance Form That Reflects The Siddis’ Passion For Hunting.

Note: Main Park Is Closed Frm 16th June To 15th Oct. You Can Visit Devaliya Park.
Overnight Stay Gir.

Gir – Somnath (45 Kms / 2hrs)

Somnath

Somnath Temple – Lord Shiva Temple Known As Jyotirling Built By Moon God. Somnath Is One Of Among 12 Jyotirling. The Temple Of Somnath Itself Is Believed To Have Appeared First In Gold, At The Request Of The Sun God, Next In Silver, Created By The Moon God, A Third Time In Wood At The Command Of Lord Krishna & Finally In Stone Built By Bhimdeva. The Temple To The Tenth Century When It Became Rich From Follower Donations, Such Wealth Become To The Attention Of The Mahmud Of Ghazni Who Destroyed The Place Of Pilgrimage & Carried Its Wealth Off To Afghanistan. The Current Temple Was Built To Traditional Designs On The Original Costal Site. Walkin G Distance From The Temple Is The Prabhas Patan Museum Housing Architectural Fragments Of The Original Temple Of The Somnath Before They Were Destroyed By Invaders. Photography Is Prohibited.

Bhalka Tirth

Lord Krishna Temple, Bhalka Tirtha, On The Site Where Krishna Is Said To Have Been Mistakenly Shot In The Foot. Nearby Is Dehotsarg, Where He Succumbed To His Mortal Wound. The Temple At Bhalka Tirth Is Known As Mahaprabhuji's Bethak, And A Tulsi Tree Has Been Planted In Lord Krishna's Memory. The Arrow Of The Poacher Named Jara At This Spot Hit Bhagvan Shree Krishna. Bhagvan Shree Krishna Was Resting In Meditation Pose Under A Pippal Tree When The Poacher Misread The Foot Of Bhagvan Shree Krishna As A Deer And Hit From A Distance.

Overnight Stay Somnath.

Somnath – Porbandar – Dwarka (250 Kms / 5-6 Hrs)

Today After Breakfast Drive To Somnath, En-Route Visit Porbandar – Kirti Mandir & Sudama Temple, Then Drive Dwarka Check In To Hotel Visit Attend Evening Aarti At Dwarikadhish Temple Overnight Stay At Hotel

Porbandar

This Place Is Situated On The Western Coast Of Saurashtra, Gujarat, Lays The Harbor City Of Porbandar, Better Known As The Birth-Place Of Gandhi - The Father Of The Nation. Extremely Poor But Self-Respected Sudama And Krishna’s Friendship Brings Tears Of Joy, When Remembered. The Jethwa Rajput Named It Their Capital & Ruled It From 1200 Years. Porbandar Is Often Called “White City” For The White Local Stone Is Used For Local Construction. The Name Porbandar Is Derived From The Combination Of Two Words: Porai – Local Goddess & Bandar Means Port, Which Comes To Porbandar.

Kirti Mandir

Porbandar Was The Birthplace Of Mahatma Gandhi Whose Father Was The Head (Diwan) Of The Ruling Family. The Kirti Mandir Memorial Built Next To Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthplace (1869) Lies In The Old Walled Township Of Porbandar. The Kirti Mandir’s Premises Is A Three Storeyed Ancestral House Of Gandhi Wherein The Exact Place Where Putlibai, Gandhi’s Mother, Had Given Birth To The Child Gandhi Marked With A 'Swastika'.Kirti Mandir, The Memorial Of Mahatma Gandhi Was Inaugurated, By The Auspicious Hands Of Sardar Shri Vallabhbhai Patel On 27th Of May In 1950. It Was Built By Shri Nanji Kalidas And Shri Purushottam Mistry. Adjacent To The 165 Years Old Residence Is The 24 M High Kirti Mandir With 79 Lamps On Its Peak, One For Each Year Of Gandhi’s Life. There Is Kasturba Dham (Wife Of Mahatma Gandhi) Behind The Kirti Mandir. The Kirti Mandir Has A Memorial Of Mahatma Gandhi And Contains A Library With Books On Gandhi, A Spinning Hall, A Children's Nursery And A Lovely Prayer Hall.

Sandipani Ashram

It Is Also Known As Bhai Shri’s Ashram. There Are So Many Activities Are Going In This Ashram. School, Hostel, Science Gallery Are The Main Activities In This Ashram.

Sudama Temple

In Respect To The Childhood Friend Of Lord Krishna, This Temple Was Constructed Between 1902 And 1907. It Is Said That Funds Were Exhausted While This Temple Was Being Constructed And The People Of Sudamapuri. This Is A PopularTourist Spot In Gujarat. The Shrine Marks Where Sudama’s Hut Once Stood And Is The Only Temple Dedicated To Him In India.

Later Proceed To Dwarka

Dwarka Local Visit

Dwarkadhish Temple

The Main Temple At Dwarka, Situated On Gomti Ravine, Is Known As Jagat Mandir. The Temple Has A Five Storey Tower Supported By 72 Pillars Which Was Built By Krishna's Grandson, Vajranabha, Who Is The Grandson Of Lord Sri Krishna. The Temple Is Made Of Limestone And Sand. There Is A Flag Hoisted In The Temple Tower Four Times Each Day, Which Waves In The Air Beautifully Welcoming The Pilgrims. The Structure Of The Temple Is Quite Complicated. There Are Two Gateways: Swarga Dwar, Where Pilgrims Enter, And Moksha Dwar, Where Pilgrims Exit.

Gopi Talav

Gopi Talav Is 21 Kms Far From Dwarka. It Is A Small Pond. Gopis (Young Girls) Used To Take Bath In This Lake So It Is Called Gopi Talav. In Mathura, Krishna Often Danced Rass With Gopis. After He Left For Dwarka, They Missed Him So Much That They Decided To Visit Him. They All Reunited At A Lake North Of Dwarka And Dance Once More Under The Full Moon. At The End Of The Dance, Unable To Part With Krishna, The Gopis Decide To Merge Into The Earth. A Legend Says That They Transformed Into Yellow Soil Called Gopi Chandan. Even Today The Soil Of The Gopi Talav Is Extremely Smooth And Yellow In Color. The Main Attraction Of Gopi Lake Is Mahaprabhu Ji Bethak.

Nageshwar Jyotirling

It Is Located On The Route Between Dwarka And The Bet Dwarka Island, On The Coast Of Saurashtra In Gujarat. This Temple Enshrines One Of The 12 Jyotirling In India. This Powerful Jyotirling Symbolizes Protection From All Poisons. It Is Said That Those Who Pray To The Nageshwar Ling Become Free Of Poison. According To Shiv Puran, A Shiva Devotee By Name Supriya Was Attacked By A Demon Daruka While In A Boat. The Demon Imprisoned Him Along With Several Others At His Capital Daruka Forest (Jungle) Where He Resided With His Wife Daruki. Supriya Advised All Prisoners To Recite The Mantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. When Daruka Came To Know About This He Ran To Kill Supriya. Instantly Lord Shiva Appeared In The Form Of A Jyotirling. One Of The Nageshwar’s Attractions Is The 26 M Statue Of A Sitting Shiva Outside

Rukhmani Temple

Rukhmani Temple Is Located 2 Kms Away From Dwarka There Is A Myth Associated With It Once Krishna And Rukhmani Went To'Durvasha Rushi'To Invite Him At Dwarka. He Was Agreed On The Condition That They (Krishna & Rukhmani) Have To Carry The Cart Instead Of Any Animal. Krishna & Rukhmani Happily Agreed To Do So. While Driving The Cart, Rukhmani Became Thirsty. Then Krishna Stopped The Cart And Made Water From Holy River Ganga By Pressing Leg Thumb At Land. 'Durvasha' Upset By The Action And Nuisance Rukhmani To Stay Away From Shree Krishna Hence Rukhmani Temple Is Located 2 Kms. Away From Dwarka‘S Jagat Mandir.

Bet Dwarka

Bet Dwarka Is Located 30 Kms North Of Dwarka On An Island In The Middle Of The Arabian Sea, Next To The Coastal Town Of Okha. Here Vishnu Is Said To Have Kill A Demon. Bet Dwarka Is Considered The Original Residence Of Lord Krishna. The Main Temple Was Built About 500 Years Ago And Has An Idol Believed To Have Been Made By Rukhmani. The Traditional Donation Of Rice To Brahmins Has Special Importance Here, As It Is Believed To Be The Place Where Krishna’s Friend Sudama Presented Him With Rice. The Temple Complex Includes Several Small Temples Dedicated To Shiva, Vishnu, Hanuman And Devi. There Is A Deserted Beach On The Northern Coast.

Overnight Stay Dwarka

Dwarka – Ahmedabad (470 Kms / 9 Hrs)

Ahmedabad Local Visit And Then Evening Drop

Sabarmati Ashram - Gandhi Ashram - Harijan Ashram - Satyagraha

It’s Located On The Western Bank Of The Sabarmati River. Ashram Was The Residence Of Mahatma Gandhi. From This Ashram Gandhi Started The Dandi March In 1930. The Ashram Now Has A Museum, Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya. The Museum Building Was Erected (Designed By Architect Charles Correa), And Memorial Activities Were Then Started Here. One Of The Important Activities Undertaken Is The Establishment Of A Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya. Initially Started In 'Hriday Kunj,' Gandhi's Own Cottage In The Ashram, The Sangrahalaya Has Now Shifted To Its Own Well-Designed And Well-Furnished Building. Exhibits At The Museum Includes: Gandhi Quotations, Letters, And Life Size Oil Painting Gallery.

Adalaj Step Well

The Step Well Was Built In 1499 A.D. By Queen Rudabai Wife Of Veer Singh, The Vaghela Family. The Designs On Its Walls And Pillars Include Leaves, Flowers, Birds, Fish And Other Breathtaking Ornamental Designs. In The Past, These Step Wells Were Frequented By Tourists And Caravans As Stopovers Along Trade Routes. The Five-Storied, Step-Well Located In The Sleepy Village Of Adalaj Is A Marvel Of Architecture. This Unique Water Work Is An Excellent Blend Of Hindu And Islamic Styles. The Intricately Carved Monument Served Religious And Utilitarian Purposes Of The People Around Though Its Origin Is Marred By Tragedy. The Indo-Islamic Style Of Architecture, Which Developed In India In The Early Centuries Of The Medieval Period, Is Neither A Local Variant Of Islamic Art, Nor A Modification Of Hindu Art, But It Is An Assimilation Of Both The Styles, Though Not Always To An Equal Degree. The Architecture Of This Well Also Shows The Influence Of The Earlier Solanki Rulers Of Gujarat. Built Entirely Of Sandstone, One Can Enter Into This Step-Well From Three Sides, Which Consist Of Octagonal Landings With Huge Carved Colonnades And Intricately Carved Niches. The Step-Well Served Both Ritualistic As Well As Utilitarian Needs.

Hathee Singh Jain Temple

It Was Built By Seth Hathee Singh In 1850. It Is Easily Distinguished By Its High Carved Column, Visible From Road. Built Entirely Of White Marble Embossed With Smooth Carvings Of Dancers, Musicians, Animals & Flowers, This Serene Temple Is Dedicated To Dharmnath, Whose Statue Stand In The Main Temple. It Has A Paved Courtyard Surrounded By An Imposing Row Of Cloisters Containing 52 Shrines, Each With An Image Of A Tirthankara, Profusely Decorated With Rich Carvings, One Containing The Marble Image Of The 15th Tirthankara. The Temple Is A Two-Storied Structure With Elaborate Porches On Three Sides And Front Porch Crowned By A Large Dome.

Akshardham Temple (Monday Closed)

Akshardham Is A Unique Cultural Complex That Celebrates The Past, Addresses The Present, And Blesses The Future. It Upholds The Universal Values Of Humanity And Symbolizes The Glory Of Indian Culture. It Is A Huge Temple Built In Pink Stone And White Marble. The Central Attraction Of This Temple Is Idol Of Swaminarayan Is Sitting Posture Of 3.3 Mtrs. Universal Ideals Of Indian Culture Are Brought To Life Through The Most Modern Exhibition Technology. Shows, Walk-Through Dioramas, Audio-Visuals, Light And Sound Programs, And Surround Experiences Within The 45,000 Sq. Ft. Of Exhibition Space, Educate And Enthrall Visitors. The Sahajanand Hall Depicts The Life Of Lord Swaminarayan. The Mystic India Addresses The Quest For Eternal Happiness Through A 14-Screen Multi Media Show. The Nityanand Hall Visualizes Values From The Upanishads, Ramayana. The Audio Animatronics Show Features The Lifelike Assembly Of Statues That Sing And Speak. The Water Show Reveals India’s Ancient Secret Of Inner Light Through An Upanishad Story Of Nachiketa, A Nine Year Old Boy, Who Bravely Confronts Yamraaj, The God Of Death, And Receives From Him The Knowledge That Has Made India, A Land Of Enlightenment. Performed By Live Actors, With A 70-Feet High Water Screen, Water Features, Fire Spreading On Water Along With Several Fireballs, Powerful Lasers, All Enhanced By A 10.2 Surround Sound System, It Is A Uniquely Entertaining And Educational Show With A Spiritual Message. The 45-Minute Show Takes Place Every Evening (Except Monday) At Akshardham.

Today In Time Transfer To Ahmedabad Airport / Railway Station To Board Flight / Train For Your Hometown. Let’s Stay In Touch On Facebook/Email And Meet Again On Another Memorable Holiday. See You Soon!