A travel enthusiast's personal opinion about locations to go to in Gujarat

A travel enthusiast's personal opinion about locations to go to in Gujarat

The country’s colourful outlook and cultural diversity attracts tens of millions of visitors throughout the year. even though this area is extra famed for being the home of father of the country, Mahatma Gandhi and freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel, there are myriad different points of interest that demand for your interest. Your visit to Gujarat would be incomplete with out travelling those exciting places. right here are the abstracts of an enthusiast’s visit to the city.

Places To Visit:

1. Baroda Museum:

Living is like tearing through a museum. now not until later do you in reality begin soaking up what you noticed, considering it, looking it up in a e-book, and remembering because you can’t take it in . Baroda Museum and art Gallery is located in the Sayaaji Baagh. You’d see a number of the awesome stuff from India, China, Tibet, Japan, Europe and Egypt. in contrast to different museums, pictures is permitted in the museum and art gallery after obtaining proper permission.


2. Gir Forest National Park:

The Asiatic lions of Sasan Gir continually interested travellers from one of a kind components of the world. at the same time as at Vasu Ukani, you could start your adventure by means of traveling Devaliya wildlife sanctuary, which is an enclosed vicinity of around 20 sq.km, where they make you travel by bus, and you could see a glimpse of what's inside the Gir forest. you can easily spot wild boars, peacocks and deers and if lucky lions too.


3. Champaner and Pavagarh

Champaner lines its records lower back to the Rajputs of the Chavda dynasty, who based it within the eighth century. within the fifteenth century it became ruled with the aid of Chauhans but turned into later battled and won by way of Mohammad Begda, who renamed it, Muhammadabad. The warfare became marked by means of jauhar and saka of the Rajputs, where as in keeping with the lifestyle, the ladies jumped into the holy pyre to escape dishonour at the arms of the Muslim invaders at the same time as the men marched for the last war. 

 This area offers lovely views of hills of Pavagadh. basically, Pavagarh is famous for an antique temple devoted to Shakti. There are also ruins of a Jain temple and other homes of bygone generation. The hilltop has a small lake, which is utilized by the natives.

4. Pirotan Island - Marine Sanctuary

In all there are 42 islands in Jamnagar but visitors are most effective allowed in Pirotan. those are virgin islands not open for public. For journeying this region, one needs to are looking for unique permission from the forest branch, customs department and the ports.
To reach this stunning island, you could rent a ship that would skip by many islands in conjunction with manner and finally reach Pirotan. The phrase Pirotan (at first regarded Pir jo thaan, that means the location of the holy Saint Khwaja Khizer Alaihisalaam) is a marine sanctuary & national park. it is one of the rarest locations of the arena, where you'll be able to examine corals while not having to dive into the water. The white sandy beach adds to the splendor of the area. right here, you may easily locate puffer fish, octopus, jelly fish, superstar fish, colourful corals and amazing marine flowering plant life.

5. Adalaj Ni Vav

Adalaj ni Vav is a water constructing, an exemplary stepwell that displays a standard Gujarati structure. Adalaj is a small town that lies 18 km south of Gandhinagar. constructed in 1498, this stepwell or ‘vav’ as called in Gujarati, is a five storeyed shape, construct usually of stone. The internal parts are made of brick and mortar. Octagonal on the pinnacle, this well rests over stone pillars, which can be intricately carved. the steps from 3 directions go to the bottom stage, that is a square stepped ground within the shape of a funnel commencing within the sky above, supported by using a maze of pillars and arches. The partitions are embellished with stone carvings of women performing day by day chores, scenes of court and kings and other fineries. those systems are extra than just wells; in advance additionally they served as the resting spot for travellers and caravans. It became a congregation place for locals and a meeting location for women, in which they used to collect water, gossip, and worship deities in small temples alongside the well. The underground part looks like a palace in itself, with a awesome touch of Islamic architecture.

ShaktiPeeth - Akhand Ambaji;

ShaktiPeeth - Akhand Ambaji

THE LEGEND AMBAJI

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Vishnumayeshi Shadbita

Namastasye, Namastasye Namastasye Namo Namah!

The Goddess who is known as Vishnumaya among all living beings….we bow down to her, bow down to her, bow down to her in reverence.

She is the Adhya Shakti, the Mother Goddess, in whom we have tremendous faith.

Situated on the Arasur Hill and often referred to as Arasuri Amba, lies the beautiful Ambaji Temple. This holy shrine of Amba Mata has been the centre of Shakti Pooja since centuries. It is one of the 51 Shaktipeets and the most important one in #GoldenGujarat. Millions of pilgrims visit this shrine to pay their obeisance and feel fulfilled.

This is the principal Shrine of a Goddess who has been worshipped since the Pre-Vedic period. The Markandeya Purana tells us the legend behind the temple.

Sati was the beautiful daughter of the lustrous King Daksha Prajapati. She was a devout Shiva Worshipper and did intense penance to please the Lord. He finally rewarded her by accepting her hand in marriage. But this union was not acceptable to Sati’s father, the King. In the act of defiance, the King held an elaborate Yagna. Every person and God of importance was invited except Sati and Shiva. Sati was enraged at this insult to her husband and decided to confront her father at the Yagna. God Shiva tried to set her against the idea but she went to yagna nevertheless. Once there, she was not welcomed by her father. Infact he used the occasion to insult her and her husband. Unable to bear this humiliation. Sati jumped in the holy pyre of the Yagna. Shiva Learnt of this and was grieved and infuriated beyond reason.

He picked up her burning body from the pyre and unleashed his fury in the form of the legendary Tandav, Shiva’s dance of destruction. The other Gods who were present began to worry for the safety of the planet and life itself. In order to protect the world from Shiva’s rage, Lord Vishnu, the supreme Hindu deity, sent forth his divine Sudharshan Chakra (circular weapon). The Chakra cut Sati’s body in pieces which fell all over India, dissolving Shiva’s wrath into grief. The legend states that Sati’s heart fell over the spot marked by the Amba temple, making it a Siddhapeeth.

The temple built of marble does not have an idol but it has a Yantra. There is a gokh, a niche, in the wall on which a gold-plated marble inscription of a triangular Vishwa Yantra is fixed. It is a copper plate which has Vedic text on sacred geometry inscribed on it with figures and the syllable ‘Shree’ written in the centre. The peculiar Vishwa Yantra represents the deity. There is no idol of the Goddess, perhaps because the temple is so ancient that it predates idol-worship.

Every year on the full moon night of Bhadrapad, which is one of the four most important festival days of the year, devotees visit Ambaji to receive her blessings. There is a four-day fair that’s specially arranged for this occasion.

During the Navratri of Aswin “the longest festival of Dance” the Garba is celebrated, devotees dressed in their best attire dance through the night.

There is also an Akhand Divo – a holy lamp that is placed in the Chachar Chowk and has been burning for many years. The same holy lamp still burns on this day in front of the deity and devotees make offerings of Ghee which keeps the lamp always alit.

4 kms away from the temple is the Gabbar hill, on top of which there is another Amba Mata Temple. The climb to the hill being arduous, a ropeway has been provided, and the staunch devout climb the hill to pay their respects. This small hillock is believed to have been the site of Lord Krishna’s tonsorial ceremony (head-shaving ritual).

51 Shakti Peethas

To give devotees of Goddess Shakti a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get the blessings of all the forms of the Goddess, a unique project has been created here. The Shakti Peethas bestow holy achievements and spiritual welfare on the devotees.

 

                                                                             

RANI-KI-VAV StepWell

Uncover the Sands of Time

Step into History…..of #GoldenGujarat

The historic town of Patan was the capital of #GoldenGujarat for over 600 years between the 8^th and 14^th centuries. Under the reign of Bhimdeva, his son Karnadeva and grandson Siddharaja, Anhilwad attained its greatest splendour and the Solanki dominion, its widest extent and highest prosperity. There are many vestiges of structures in the form of Temples, Tombs, Mosques, Wells and Tanks.

Stepwells, subterranean structures with steps leading down to the water level, are found in large numbers in the arid regions of #GoldenGujarat and #DazzlingRajasthan. They started as simple structures, and in the course of time, evolved to become aesthetically pleasing works of art. The Rani-Ki-Vav is one such monument. The Vavs of #GoldenGujarat are not merely sites for collecting water and socializing, but simultaneously old great spiritual significance. They were originally constructed in a simple form, but became more intricate over the years.

Rani Udayamati of the Solanki dynasty commissioned this Vav or stepwell, in 1063 in the memory of her husband King Bhimdev I. The Vav was later flooded by the nearby Saraswati river and silted over until the late 1960s, when it was excavated by the Archaeological Survery of India, with the carvings found in pristine condition. Rani-Ki-Vav is amongst the finest stepwells in India, and one of the most famous legacies of the ancient capital city.

The architectural brilliance and elegance of the Vav is represented in its pristine glory in its ornamental work. The beautifully proportioned sculptures of gracefully carved Mahisasurmardini, Parvati and other Saiva sculptures, Vishnu Dashavtaras – as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Ramachandra, Krishna, Ayappa, Kalki and other forms adorn the walls of the well, being ample testimony to the mastery of Sollanki sculptors in depicting rhythm, vigour, beauty and various moods in stone.

The female figures have been depicted in various poses of Apsaras, Nagkanya and Yogini, etc.

Befitting its name, the Rani-ki-Vav is now considered to be the QUEEN AMONG THE STEPWELLS OF INDIA.

Come to Rani-Ki-Vav and step into history itself. Relive the golden times and bask in the wondrous architecture. Breather in a bit of the past, breather in #GoldenGujarat. #MaruGujaratGarvuGujarat

#GoldenGujarat #GoldenHolidays #bvhgoldenholidays
#MaruGujaratGarvuGujarat

Credits:#GujaratTourism

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