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In India, a country with a rich heritage and golden history, there is never a dull moment for cultural diversity. Each state in India is linguistically diverse, has a unique landscape, and has its own set of native rituals and customs.
Gujarat, the jewel of western India, is known for its mangoes, wildlife sanctuaries, hill resorts, and history. It is famous for its forests, coastlines with beautiful beaches, deserts, handicrafts, cuisine, architecture, and festivals.
The state derives its name from the Gurjara tribes, who came to the region around the 5th century AD. While some settled in the north, a majority moved towards the western coast, where they settled for a Gurjara Rastra.
One can follow the cliché itinerary and visit all the tourist places in Gujarat. But add a bit more adventure and a dive into its culture by visiting the best pilgrimage sites and tourist destinations in Gujarat.
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Here is a list of the top 5 pilgrimage sites in Gujarat that you should visit.
This temple town of Gujarat, located in the Gir Somnath district, is well-known for its temples.
The Somnath Mahadev Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the most popular among them. It is among the oldest pilgrimage sites in Gujarat and one of the 12 prominent Jyotirlinga Shrines. According to legends, Lord Krishna ended his Leela at Somnath, where he took his last mortal breath.
Somnath is the best place in Gujarat to visit. It is also well-known for the festivities like Somnath Mahadev Fair at Kartik Purnima and Maha Shivratri.
Other temples in Somnath are Suraj Mandir, Bhalka Tirtha, Parshuram Temple, Rudreshwara Temple, Gita Mandir, Kamnath Mahadev Temple, and Triveni Sangam Temple. Besides the temples, you can explore nearby tourist places like the Panch Pandav Cave, Somnath Beach, Junagadh Gate, and the Somnath Museum.
Distance: 197 km from Rajkot and 408 km from Ahmedabad.
The seventh-largest city in Gujarat, Junagadh, is among the best tourist places in the state, especially for its religious diversity. It is home to sites dedicated to different religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam.
The state’s name stands for ‘old fort,’ referring to an ancient fort, Uparkot, built in the 4th century CE on a plateau in the middle of the town.
The Bhavnath Fair, a major festival in Junagadh, is held on Mahashivratri and is celebrated all over the city. Junagadh is a place to be during festivities like Parikrama and Navratri.
The city, situated in the foothills of Mount Girnar, is blessed with major attractions. These spots include Durbar Hall Museum, Mount Girnar, Mahabat Maqbara, Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden, Ashoka’s Rock Edicts, and Buddhist Caves.
Distance: 91 km from Somnath, 103 km from Rajkot, and 319 km from Ahmedabad.
Dwarka, Lord Krishna’s hometown, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites near Rajkot. People believe the city was also Gujarat’s first capital. It is the first among the Char Dham sites and one of the seven oldest religious cities in the country.
What makes Dwarka one of the best places to visit in Gujarat is the Dwarkadhish Temple. This 2000-year-old temple is very famous. You can witness the state’s spectacular celebrations on occasions like Janamashtami.
Other tourist attractions in Dwarka include Rukmani Devi Temple, Gomti Ghat, Swaminarayan Temple, Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, and Bhadkeshwar Mahadev Mandir, Gopi Talav, Beyt Dwarka, Dwarka Beach, Shivrajpur Beach, and Okhamadhi Beach.
Distance: 224 km from Rajkot and 442 km from Ahmedabad.
Bhavnagar is known for the Nishkalank Mahadev Temple, one of the most visited places in the state and a must-see tourist location.
It is also called the sea temple and was built to withstand floods. Its construction remains a mystery to modern engineers. As per legends, Pandavas built Bhavnagar after the Battle of Kurukshetra.
Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of the temple. There are five different swayambhu (self-manifested) Shiva lingams on a square platform, each facing the statue of Nandi. The lingams submerge into the sea at high tide and reappear at low tide, revealing their majesty and promising to wash away the sins.
Other tourist attractions in Bhavnagar include Gandhi Deri, Gandhi Smruti, and Victoria Nature Park.
Distance: 170 km from Ahmedabad and 174 km from Rajkot.
Palitana, formerly known as Padliptapur, in Bhavnagar district is one of the most sacred places in Gujarat. Palitana is among the best places in Gujarat for its architectural beauty, credited to the carefully carved marble temples.
The holy Jain pilgrim site of Shatrunjaya hills is in Palitana. The hill houses 863 finely carved 11-century Jain temples. The most famous temple in Palitana, Sri Adishwar, is dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara.
Other major tourist attractions in the city include Chaumukh temple, Kumarpal temple, Vimal Shah temple, Sampriti Raja temple, Mount Abu, Girnar, and Chandragiri.
Distance: 171 km from Rajkot and 214 km from Ahmedabad.
Here are some tips to remember when you book your stay.
Gujarat is a beautiful place to visit and truly gives you a view of Incredible India. Enjoy the rich culture and breathtaking sights that make Gujarat a fresh experience.
Ditch the traditional itinerary and experience Gujarat in a new way. Visit Cleartrip and experience travel in a new way. Browse the best options on travel and hotel bookings to explore the tourist attractions in Gujarat, India.
Gujarat has several holy places, but Somnath is one of the biggest pilgrimage sites in Gujarat. It is known for the Somnath Mahadev Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in the country.
As per the Puranic texts, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan, Kurukshetra, Haryana, and Ayodhya are the oldest pilgrimage sites in India.
Gujarat has a total of 16 temples, which are a major tourist attraction of the state. These temples include Somnath Temple, Dwarkadhish Temple, Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Bala Hanuman Mandir, Rukmini Temple, Sun Temple, Bhalka Tirth, Shri Shatrunjaya Temples, Jagannath Temple, Bhadkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Hutheesing Jain Temple, Sandipani Temple, Nilkanth Dham Swami Narayan Temple, Ranchhodrai Temple, and Shamlaji Temple.
Besides Gujarat, home to some of the holiest pilgrimage sites, India is full of astonishing places of worship. These places include Varanasi, Tirupathi, Jagannath, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Amarnath, Prem Mandir, Vaishno Devi, and Jageshwar, to name a few.
Rich in culture and heritage, India has several pilgrimage tourist destinations. These include Rameshwaram, Varanasi, Sarnath, Kanchipuram, Kashmir, Goa, Amritsar, Rishikesh, Delhi, Puri, Somnath, Tirupathi, Jammu, Ajmer, Amarnath, Dwarka, Mathura, Madurai, Bodhgaya, Shirdi, Badrinath, Kedarnath, and few more.
