Gujarat

With Aavo Padharo, words of welcome in Gujarati, tourists are encouraged to discover centuries of history via its eight tourism hubs created in strategic locations across the state. These hubs are well equipped with the modern infrastructure, facilities and services.

Gujarat is unique in its geological and topographical landscape, from volcanic formations through bedrock to fossil fields of indigenous dinosaurs; art of the neolithic cave painter to the stone masterpieces of a series of civilized architecture. In addition Gujarat has ancient cave paintings to historic murals, natural and manmade caves, and art, history, music, culture, all dovetailing with each other to form a wondrous matrix that is the cultural exuberance of the people of the state.

The Royal Orient Train is an Indian luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states, and is a key attraction for tourists. The state also celebrates unique festivals like “Navratri Festival”, “Global Garba” (October–November, all over the state), “Kite Festival (Makar Sankranti, 11–15 January, Ahmedabad), “Kankaria Carnival”

The cultural mix enhanced with over 4500 years of history has endowed Gujarat with some of the greatest historical and archaeological monuments. While Lothal offers an unparalleled insight into the Harappan civilization, Ahmedabad has specimens of Indo-Sarcenic architecture, Palitana has a profusion of temples in the Jain style, Junagadh displays Buddhist caves and Rajput architecture appears all over different parts of Gujarat. It also represent the great religions of Asia – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jain, Islam, Parsi and Sikhism.

Festivals include “Rann Utsav” (November–December, Kutch), “Modhera Dance Festival” (3rd week January, Modhera) and fairs like Tarnetar Fair (August, Tarnetar) and Vautha Mela (November, Vautha). The state government also organizes day long tours of Saputara, the Dang Tribal Tour and the Monsoon Dang Tour. These act as seasonal tourist attractions which encourage tourists to return year after year. Another initiative of the State tourism department is promoting sites in the forests of southern Gujarat associated with Lord Rama, as has been done in India’s southern states. Ramayana Trail is a project that aims to boost religious tourism in southern Gujarat.