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The historic city of
Junagadh
is located at the foothills of the sacred
Mount
Girnar in the southern region of
Saurashtra (70.36° East longitude and 21.31° North latitude: 60 m above mean sea level).
Before the independence of India, Junagadh was the capital of the princely Junagadh state
ruled by the Babi Nawabs. In Gujarati, “Junagadh” literally means ancient fort.
The history of Junagadh is chequered by the rules of the Mauryans, Kshatrapas, Guptas,
Vallabhis, Chudasamas, Gujarat Sultans and Babi Nawabs. Junagadh, at different times in
history, was under the influence of four major religions: Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Islam.
Both political powers and religious influences enriched the culture and created
characteristic edifices leaving their permanent marks on the architecture of Junagadh.
The city is
dominated by the Uparkot fort having huge battlemented walls, surrounded by moats and
encloses old palaces, Buddhist caves, stepwell and tanks. The two-maqbara complexes, the
old palace (part of it is now the Darbarhall museum), the Junagadh museum, Narsinh Mehta
Choro and Sakkarbaugh
Zoological
Park are other attractions of Junagadh.
 Fourteen Rock Edicts of the Emperor
Ashoka can be seen inscribed on a great boulder. These ancient inscriptions date back to
250 BC and carry Brahmi script in Pali language. The 16 principals preach virtues like
mastery of the senses, purity of thought, gratitude, devotion, self-control, secular
thinking and kindness, while opposing animal sacrifice and greed. They speak of repentance
for death and destruction caused during the wars waged by Ashoka. Another famous peace
maker in the historic annals of Junagadh is the religious poet Narsinh Mehta who dwelt
here from 1414-1480 A.D. His shrine can still be seen in the city and his portrait stands
alongside one of Mahatma Gandhi in the railway station.
Rising up on the outskirts of Junagadh is Mt Girnar, an extinct volcano,
whose 3660-foot high summit is crowned by some of the finest and religiously most
important temples. Girnar Hill has been a major pilgrimage center since 3rd century B.C.
The climb is a steep one and best undertaken in the very early hours of the morning. On
the hilltop there are Jain and Hindu temples standing in a quadrangular courtyard. The
main temple, which is surrounded by pillared cloisters containing 70 cells, is dedicated
to the 22nd Jain Tirthankara (God) Neminath. Further up from
Neminath
Temple, the
Amba
Temple
is where newly married Hindu prays for a happy marriage.
 Maqbars–the older
complex offers some remarkable 18th century architecture with vertical columns, delicate
carved columns, arches, cornices and domes. The newer complex is a remarkable
architectural work with four minarets and pirouetting spiral staircase, a façade rich in
stone carvings, beautiful silver door and large size domes. The naya Maqbara complex was
started by Mohabat Khanji in 1878, completed in 1892 by his successor, Bahadur Khanji, and
enshrined also Rasul Khanji in 1911 A.D. The complex includes the mausoleum of
Baha-ud-din, minister of Nawab Rasul Khanji.
Darbar
Hall
Museum
Darbar hall museum dating back to
1870 A.D. offers an insight into the period of Nawabi rule in Junagadh with silver plated
thrones, fine carpets, huge chandeliers and a red silk carpet with diamonds like stars of
a crimson sky and some carpets lavishly embroidered with gold thread, huge chandeliers,
royal armory, portraits and paintings.
Uparkot, an ancient citadel
located on the higher level of the town, was a stronghold of Mauryans and Gupta Empire and
is said to have survived 16 sieges in the last 1000 years due to its strategic location
and difficult access. Legend dates its origins to the Yadavas (Krishna’s clan), but
historians believe it was built by Chandragupta Maurya in 319 B.C. The entrance of Uparkot
has a fine specimen of Hindu Toran, leading a flat land dotted with archeological sites.
The major sites are Buddhist caves,
Baba
Pyara
Caves , Adi Kadi Vav, Navghan Kuvo and Jami
Masjid.
The Buddhist caves are fine
examples of rock cut architecture with ornamented pillars, carved entrances, water
cisterns, chaitya hall, monastic cells for meditation and chaitya windows. These caves are
dated by archaeologists to around 6th century A.D. The Baba Pyara caves, dating from 200
B.C. to 200 A.D., are the most atmospheric and we can easily discern carvings of Buddhist
symbols such as the fish, triratna, swastika and ankusa. Adi-Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuvo
were built by the Chudasama Rajputs and unique water structures among the numerous step
wells of Gujarat. The Adi-Kadi Vav (15th century) has a long flight of 120 steps leading
to water, while the Navghan Kuvo (1026 A.D.) is hewn from the soft rock and is 52 meters
deep, reached by a circular staircase winding around the shaft. Another interesting
artefact from past is “Nilam” canon, brought to Diu from Egypt to fight against
the Portuguese and it was manufactured by the order of Suleyman, the magnificent, King of
Turkey.
Sakkarbaug
Museum
Located in Sakkarbagh, the museum
displays wonderful prehistoric and protohistoric stone and bone implements, stone
sculptures including a standing Vishnu of late 9th century, bronzes, miniatures,
manuscripts, stone and copper inscriptions, silverware, glass, porcelain, woodcarving,
textiles and folk art.
Around the museum is the Sakkarbagh zoological park, one of the few places in the world
where the pure bred Asiatic lion is breeding successfully. A sizable collection of
mammals, birds and reptiles from Indian species are found here.
 The famous Gir Lion
Sanctuary in Sasan Gir is just 50 km drive from Junagadh city. Considered one of the best
wildlife sanctuaries in the world, Gir has been the only home of the Asiatic lion since
1914. Gir
National Park is a paradise for the connoisseurs of wildlife. Spread across an
area of 1,412.13 sq Km, it has a rugged terrain and the steep rocky hillsides are covered
in mixed deciduous forests. There are teaks, ber, flame of the forest and banyan trees.
The park has more than 300 lions and also houses leopards and numerous chital, nilgai,
chinkara, the four horned antelope and wild boar. Marsh crocodiles are often seen at
Kamleshwar dam and farm developed in the forest. The forest is rich in bird life and the
paradise flycatcher, black headed cuckoo shrike, pied woodpecker, Bonelli’s eagle;
crested serpent eagle, painted sandgrouse, bush quail and grey partridge are among the
variety that is found here.
 Somnath is situated 85
km from Junagadh city. Somnath is one of the 12 jyotirlingas of lord Shiva and is one of
these 12 holy places. Today, Somnath offers a holy pilgrimage, a beach holiday and a
number of places of historic, religious or scenic importance. The shore
temple of
Somnath
(Somnath
Temple) is believed to have been built in 4 phases-in gold by Lord Soma, in
silver by Ravi, in wood by lord Krishna and in stone by Bhimadeva. Tales of it’s
riches brought in a series of invasions, but each time the temple was raided, whether by
Muhammad Ghazni who took back the silver doors and treasures or by Aurangzeb in a
fanatical vein, it was restored by zealous Hindu worshippers to it’s original glory.
Dwarka is one of the four holiest pilgrimage
sites and main centre of the Krishna legend. It is situated at a distance of 240 km from
Junagadh city. It is said that lord Krishna set his capital in Dwarka with entire
yaduvanshi clan after his flight from
mathura. Dwarka is famous for its
Dwarkadhish
Temple.
PORBANDAR
The city of
Porbander is situated 110 km from Junagadh. The city is
associated with Mahatma Gandhi, born here on 2nd October, 1869. Porbander is in the list
of coastal heritage towns of
Gujarat. To commemorate the birth of Gandhiji, a 79 feet high
imposing building, ‘Kirti Mandir’ has been built on an otherwise Spartan lane of
the city where Bapu was born in 1869 A.D. It covers in its premises a three storeyed
ancestral house of Gandhiji wherein the exact place where Putlibai, Gandhijis mother, had
given birth to a child ‘Mohan Das’, is marked with a Swastik.
Kirti
Mandir also houses a Gandhian library, a prayer hall, a nursery and decorations with epi
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