GUJARAT
Capital: Gandhinagar
Tourist Attractions: Gir National Park, Dwarka, Kutchh
Best Time To Visit: July To April
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.
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. Situated on the Gujarat Coast, Dwarka is one of
the holiest centres of Hindus.
Capital of Gujarat
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.
History of Gujarat
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.
The Gujarati People
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.
Culture of Gujarat
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. 
Occupation in Gujarat
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 Gujrat. 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.
Population in Gujarat
50,596,992 as per the provisional results of the Census of India 2001.
Festivals
of Gujarat
Kite Festival in January; Modhera Dance Festival in January; Rann
Festival in February/March; Bhavanath Fair at Junagadh in February-March;
Chitra Vichitra Fair in March; Dang Durbar in March; Janmashthami in
August at Dwarka; Bhadra Purnima at Ambaji in September; the three-day
Tarnetar Fair in September; Navratri festival in September; Shamlaji Fair
in November; Vautha Nomelo fair in November, near
Ahmedabad;
Somnath Fair in November/December.
CLIMATE OF GUJARAT
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 Gujrat is October to March.
IMPORTATNT INFORMATION
A devastating earthquake hit parts of Gujarat on January 26,
2001 and has caused considerable loss of life and property. A few of the
cities have been been reduced to rubble, especially in the Kachchh region.
Quite a few monuments have also suffered damage. It is, therefore,
advisable to find relevant information before you set out to explore them.
Tourist Information Offices in Gujarat
Gujarat Tourism Office: located in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Surat
Gujarat Tourism, off Ashram Road, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd., Airlines House, Lal Darwaja.
Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited, Dhanraj Mahal, Apollo Bunder,
Mumbai- 400 039
Toran Tourist Dormitory, Near Govt. Guest House, Dwarka, Gujarat.
Office of the Administrator, Dwarka Devasthan Samiti, Dwarkadhish Temple
Trust, Gujarat.
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