Wankaner:
About 50 km from Rajkot , on the way to Kutch , is the Royal Palace of Wankaner. The palace has been converted into a hotel and is one of the more exotic holiday resorts in the state. A museum, a game reserve, and the erstwhile Maharana's vintage car collection are the other attractions here.
Lal Pan Lake & Randerda: 5km from Rajkot, Lal Pan Lake & Randerda are picturesque picnic spots that attract a lot of tourists around the year.
Aji Dam: Aji Dam is situated 8 km from Rajkot and supplies the town with water. Morvi, an off-track tourist destination, is situated around 65 km north of Rajkot . There is an interesting swinging bridge here and it actually shakes, creaks, creaks, and rocks as one passes through it.
Morvi: Morvi, an off-track tourist destination, is situated around 65 km north of Rajkot . There is an interesting swinging bridge here and it actually shakes, creaks, and rocks as one passes through it.
Surendranagar: Surendranagar is situated on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad main route and houses the ancient temple of Ranik Devi .
Tarnetar: Tarnetar is around 65 km northeast of Rajkot & hosts the Tarnetar Fair every year around September at the Trineteshwar Temple .
Gondal: Gondal is 39 km south of Rajkot on the River Gondali and famous for some impressive buildings like the Naulakha Darbargadh Palace . The former rulers of Gondal were members of the Jadeja Rajput clan, descendants of Lord Krishna and the moon god who ruled the princely states of Kutch , Jamnagar , Rajkot , Morbid and Gondal for more than 300 years. But it was in the late 19th century, early 20th century under Maharajah Bhagwat Sinhji that saw Gondal grow into one of the most progressive princely states in the region with an efficient system of a taxless economy, roads, railways, schools, hospitals, highways, sanitary drainage, irrigation & free compulsory education.Jamnagar Eighty-eight kilometres west of Rajkot , situated a little off the Gulf of Kutch , is the 450-year-old city of Jamnagar . At the centre of the city is a lake around which are located two majestic buildings-the Kotha Bastion and the Lakhota Palace . The Kotha Bastion is an arsenal while the Lakhota Palace is a museum with collections of art, craft, and sculpture.
Celebrated for its colourful tie and dye fabrics, it is also an important centre for brocade embroidery (zardozi), pearl fishing, hand printing and gold and silver jewellery.
Centres of Harappan Civilization:
Kuntasi situated in Maliya taluka and Rajodi near Gondal were centres of ancient Harappan civilization. (2200 BC to 1500 BC). The excavations at these centres can fill many gaps in knowledge about the palaeology - day-to-day life of Harappan people. These are sites of extraordinary insight for those interested in ancient civilization and archaeology. Kuntasi was a trading emporium and an active port when the waters of the Gulf were extended to it.
Hingolgarh Castle:
On the way to Bhavnagar , about 60 Km. South East of Rajkot is the hill top castle of Hingolgarh It is situated near Jasden. Hingolgarh Castle has a small Sanctuary surrounding it. One can find Nilgai, jungle cat, gazzelle and lots of different birds belonging to the scrub type of the vegetation. Another sanctuary nearby is the Botad Panjarapole Sanctuary. It is an animal haven and has hundreds of black buck antelopes that wonder around freely in the grasslands.
Bhavnagar: One hundred and seventy-eight kilometres to the south-east of Rajkot is the city of Bhavnagar , originally the capital of a state by the same name and ruled by Suryavanshi Rajputs from Marwar. The prime attraction here is the Takteshwar Mahadev Temple .
Porbandar: Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, is 187 km away from Rajkot . The great leader's ancestral home-Kirti Mandir-is almost 200 years old and houses his personal effects, a photo exhibition, and a library. In ancient times, the place was known as Sudamapuri and brisk trade with Persia and Africa was carried on from its port. A temple dedicated to Sudama, a compatriot of Krishna , is still found here, and bears testimony to the city's ancient roots.
|
