Located in the lap of Girnar hills, Junagadh is a splendid tourists’ city of Gujarat. However, the word Junagadh means ‘old fort’, the city offers a great assortment of tourist spots to its visitors. These include Hindu temples, mosques, Buddhist monuments, Gothic archways and extravagant mansions. Though its a small city but has a lot of attractions which will surely be of interest to those who are fond of history, architecture and tradition.
Major Tourist Attractions
- Bhootnath Temple – Quite popular among the youth, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Bhootnath Temple witnesses a huge rush during the weekends. A fair that lasts for about more than a month is organised on the occasion of Janmashtami.
- Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary – Spread across an area of 1412 sq km., this is the last national park of the country which reserves Asiatic Lions. The very purpose of its establishment was to protect and raise the population of Lions which had dropped drastically. Besides the Lions that are the principal attraction of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, other species which inhabit this land include leopards, Indian cobras, golden jackals, ratels, nilgai, Indian mongoose, four-horned antelope and many more.
- Somnath Temple – Considered as most important of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India, Somnath Temple is situated in Veraval of Junagadh district. Built in Solanki style of architecture, the temple comprises of a sanctum, a shikhar and a sabha mandap. According to Hindu mythology, it was built by Moon God also known as Som in dedication to Lord Shiva after Shiva had freed him from the curse given to him by Prajapati Daksh. Thousands of devotees visit the temple every year. Another attraction for tourists and pilgrims visiting the temple is the sound and light show of the temple. Somnath beach, Somnath Museum and Junagadh gate other points of interest close to the temple.
- Girnar Mountain – The highest point above the sea level in the Indian state of Gujarat, Girnar Mountain lies at a distance of about 6km from the main Junagadh city. Comprising of five main peaks, the mountain also features a number of temples such as Ambaji temple, Gorakhnath and many Jain temples.
Other major destinations that are worth a visit by travellers in Junagadh are –
- Narsinh Mehta No Choro
- Uperkot Fort
- Ashokan Edicts
- Bhavnath Mahadev Temple
- Mahabat Maqbara
- Neminath Temple
- Junagadh Zoo
- Veraval Beach
- Damodar Kund
- Mujkund Caves
Festivals and Fairs
The Bhavnath Fair is the most important festival celebrated in a mammoth fashion at Junagadh. It is held for five days starting from the Hindu calendar date of Magh Vad 11 during the months of February-March at Bhavnath Mahadev Temple near Damodar Kund, at Girnar Taleti, 8 km from Junagadh.
It is believed that Lord Shiva performed his Tandava on a moonless night. At this very time every subsequent year, a great ritual or mahapuja is organized at the midnight of Mahashivratri which accompanies naked sages (Naga Bawas) coming seated on elephants, embellished in ornaments, holding flags and blowing tungi and turis echoing the divine space in and around Bhavnath Mahadev Temple.
Before going to the fair, visitors do a parikrama of holy hills of Girnar (a journey of about 7 km) where they are served with free meals by the organizers. This fair is very beautifully organized, however considering the intensity of crowd and grandeur of the event, government officials recommend the visitors to move in groups and not alone.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit this place is between November and February when there is mild winters, temperature ranging from 18 – 25 ◦C. Fortunately, one can also plan their visit in summers as the maximum temperature here is around 38 ◦C.
How to Reach
By Air – Junagadh does not have an airport. The nearest airport is at Porbandar which is 86 km away from Junagadh.
By Rail – Junagadh Junction is the railway station of Junagadh which is conveniently connected with all the major parts of the country by way of regular and frequent trains.
By Road – One can easily catch a state or private transport bus from all major cities of Gujarat and nearby states to Junagadh. By road, one has to drive a distance of 330 KM from Ahmedabad to Junagadh with an approximate driving time of 7-8 hours.
