Chief Ministers List of Gujarat

Key:

INC Indian National Congress

JP Janata Party

JD Janata Dal

BJP Bharatiya Janata Party

RJP Rashtriya Janata Party

CM Term	CM Number	Name	Term Period	Term Number	Party
1	1	Dr. Jivraj Narayan Mehta	1 May 1960 - 3 March 1962	1	Indian National Congress
2	**	Dr. Jivraj Narayan Mehta	3 March 1962 - 19 September 1963	2	Indian National Congress
3	2	Balwantrai Mehta	19 September 1963 - 20 September 1965	1	Indian National Congress
4	3	Hitendra K Desai	20 September 1965 - 3 April 1967	1	Indian National Congress
5	**	Hitendra K Desai	3 April 1967 - 6 April 1971	2	Indian National Congress
6	**	Hitendra K Desai	7 April 1971 - 12 May 1971	3	Indian National Congress
7	4	Ghanshyambhai C. Oza	17 March 1972 - 17 July 1973	1	Indian National Congress
8	5	Chimanbhai Patel	18 July 1973 - 9 February 1974	1	Indian National Congress
9	6	Babubhai J Patel	18 June 1975 - 12 March 1976	1	Janata Front (INC(O)+BJS+BLD+SP)
10	7	Madhav Singh Solanki	24 December 1976 - 10 April 1977	1	Indian National Congress
11	**	Babubhai J Patel	11 April 1977 - 17 February 1980	2	Janata Party
12	**	Madhav Singh Solanki	7 June 1980 - 10 March 1985	2	Indian National Congress
13	**	Madhav Singh Solanki	11 March 1985 - 6 July 1985	3	Indian National Congress
14	8	Amarsinh Chaudhary	6 July 1985 - 9 December 1989	1	Indian National Congress
15	**	Madhav Singh Solanki	10 December 1989 - 4 March 1990	4	Indian National Congress
16	**	Chimanbhai Patel	4 March 1990 - 17 February 1994	2	Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Gujarat), Indian National Congress
16	9	Chhabildas Mehta	17 February 1994 - 14 March 1995	1	Indian National Congress
17	10	Keshubhai Patel	14 March 1995 - 21 October 1995	1	Bharatiya Janata Party
18	11	Suresh Mehta	21 October 1995 - 19 September 1996	1	Bharatiya Janata Party
19	12	Shankersinh Vaghela	23 October 1996 - 27 October 1997	1	Rashtriya Janata Party
20	13	Dilipbhai Ramanbhai Parikh	28 October 1997 - 4 March 1998	1	Rashtriya Janata Party
21	**	Keshubhai Patel	4 March 1998 - 6 October 2001	2	Bharatiya Janata Party
22	14	Narendra Modi	7 October 2001 - 22 December 2002	1	Bharatiya Janata Party
23	**	Narendra Modi	22 December 2002 - 22 December 2007	2	Bharatiya Janata Party
23	**	Narendra Modi	23 December 2007–Present	3	Bharatiya Janata Party

Key:

INC Indian National Congress

JP Janata Party

JD Janata Dal

BJP Bharatiya Janata Party

RJP

Marathon held to Celebrate 600 years of Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Dec.26 (ANI): Scores of enthusiasts, including physically challenged, participated in a marathon organised to celebrate the 600 years of Gujarat here on Sunday.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi flagged of the marathon.

The marathon had three separate categories like flower marathon, half marathon and specially-abled marathon.

Different distances were allocated for different categories whereas the longest marathon was set for 42 kilometers, which commenced from Ahmedabad.

Modi said by this event Gujarat is writing its name on the map of marathon for the first time.

“Today it’s a day of pride for Gujarat as for the first time Gujarat is writing its name on the map of marathon and the marathon, which will be starting in Gujarat, is of around 43 kilometers,” said Modi.

Apart from Gujarat, athletics from 14 different states and around 40 athletics from across the world participated in the marathon.

“Around 500 places in the world are there who conducts marathon every year but now on the occasion of Gujarat’s golden jubilee, it is on the map of marathon. I would like to welcome and greet the people who have participated in the marathon,” said Modi.

Ahmedabad BRTS Video.

Ahmedabad, today, is on the threshold of transforming into one of India’s leading cities. It is India’s seventh largest city and poised to be a financial hub in western India. It has the infrastructure and the ingredients required to realize this dream – uninterrupted power supply, excellent road network, reputed educational institutes and above all, the famous Gujarati entrepreneurial spirit.

Ahmedabad has been futuristic in city planning. It realizes that only with a long term vision, it can sustain its growth and enhance the quality of life desired for its six million citizens. Worldwide, the best and the most successful cities are seen to have efficient public transport systems. Ahmedabad too has taken up this path of transformation and is heading for a sustainable transport system, which will enhance the quality of life of Amdavadis and promote competitiveness of the city itself. The BRT is a logical conclusion of this vision.

The concept of Janmarg is influenced by the successful Transmilenio system built in Bogota and the BRT system of Curitiba. However, it’s planning and design is adapted to suit Ahmedabad’s specific conditions. The system gives top priority to buses, pedestrians and non motorized transport and this is achieved by segregating these modes from fast moving motorized traffic. Buses run on dedicated lanes provided in the centre of the road while bicyclists get their own dedicated track and pedestrians get wide footpaths.

Janmarg is more than just moving people efficiently.Janmarg is about creating an identity for public transport in Ahmedabad for years to come. It is about creating a sense of pride in Ahmedabad’s citizens for their city. It is about creating an image that will define the ethos of Ahmedabad as a city that is ready to accept change, a city that has a vision for the future, a city that will transform the image of public transport in India.

Gujarati Samaj at Udaipur

Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the final capital of the erstwhile Mewar kingdom, located to the southwest of Nagda, on the Banas River, the first capital of the Mewar kingdom. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh II came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot, assuring him it would be well protected. Udai Singh II consequently established a residence on the site. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured the fort of Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur.

As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia ranas, and later maharanas (also called the Guhilots or Suryavansh), who had always tried to oppose Mughal dominance, reasserted their independence and recaptured most of Mewar except for Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. Being a mountainous region and unsuitable for heavily armoured Mughal horses, Udaipur remained unmolested from Mughal influence in spite of much pressure.

Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur was the only royalty who did not attend the Delhi Durbar for King George V in 1911. This fierce sense of independence earned Udaipur the highest gun salute in Rajasthan, 19 against the 17 each of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bundi, Bikaner, Kota and Karauli. After India's independence in 1947, Maharana Bhupal Singh, the King of Udaipur, acceded to the Government of India, and Mewar was integrated into India's Rajasthan state.

Are you want to stay at Udaipur ? Then click Here…

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Gujarati Panchang

The data available on this site is free for individul use. If you want to use for commercial purposs like printing your 2010 Panchangams please contact us and we'll give you a suitable license. We'll even prepare your calendar for free with mypanchang.com data and authentic festival data as per dharmashastric injunction (Free for temples and religious organizations). You need to take care of the printing. The data will be sent to your printing company in the pre-press format. If you want recommendations for printers we can provide you one we use. We use Puget sound Reprographics company located in Seattle, WA, USA for our printing requirements. Please free to contact them to print your calendar into high quality thick ivory paper.

If you use our calendar then we will put your Temple programs, Temple logos, you can even send us pictures you want to include into your calendars etc., for free. You can also design the front, back and inner pages and send to us and we'll add it to your calendar. For commercial organization we'll provide calendar desigining services at a nominal charge. We'll also show you a proof before printing. The only thing is you cannot change any festival dates provided by us as we take pains to go through every day in panchang to determine festival dates as per dharma shastras (A specialy calculated panchang for your location). If you have questions about any date we'll provide you an explanation why the particular festivals appears on the given date. We provide calendars as per Smarta, Shaivite, Vaishnavite and Shakti dharmashastra.

If you use the data for any commercial purposes from this site without giving credit to mypanchang.com and without it's prior permission it will be treated as the violation of the United States copyright laws. As we have already said it's easy to ask and get data and get entire calendar designed by mypanchang.com (We'll even give you for free with some conditions) then to steal someone's work.

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Famous shore temple of Gujarat - Somnath Temple

Somnath Temple Gujarat

  

Somnath was the most richly as well as revered and remembered holy pilgrimage of India in and around 6th century on the bank of Arabian sea.

History of Somnath:

Marco Polo spoke highly of Somnath in his voyage memoirs & records. Arabian historian Al Beruni expressed his appreciation regarding Somnath Temple. Puranic legend says that in Satyayug, Somnath temple was made of gold, by Somraj; in Treta, the period of Ramayana, the temple was made of silver by the King of Lanka, Ravana; in Dwapar Sree Krishna built the temple with sandal wood in the Mahabharata era and last of all in Kaliyug, Bhimdev built Somnath Temple in marble. Once upon a time, there were 300 maestros, 500 dancing girls in the temple to worship the deity. 2000 priests were to perform daily ritual of the deity and 300 barbers were employed to tonsure the Brahmins. Water from Ganges and flowers from Kashmir used to be brought for use in the prayer and worship.

This article is originally published in Travel India and India Study Channel

Mahmood, the Sultan of Gazni first invaded Somnath in 1026 AD. The temple was devastated in 2 days of war and Mahmood ransacked the wealth of temple. Legend says that, the golden phallus or the sacred representation of Lord Shiva was split into pieces, one of which was sent to Mecca, one to Madina and the last two pieces were taken by the Sultan to Gazni. He also took the sandalwood doors of the temple away. The temple of Somnath was attacked 17 times by Muslim invaders from outside. The Temple had been devastated repeatedly (in 1026,1297,1394,1469,1530,1706 AD) and the deity was destroyed. Lured by the temple's fabled wealth of gold & precious gems, raiders came in hordes. In 1706, Aurangzeb destroyed the holy shrine for the 5th time. On 12 May, 1947 a proposal was made by Sardar Ballavbhai Patel to remake the temple and on 8 May, 1950, on the coastal belt of Arabian sea at the old original place of the temple, the present temple was built on Adi BrahmahshilaMahameruh. The temple was made of sandstone. The architect of the temple was C C Sompura. The temple is an example of sculptural beauty with silver gates. On 12 May, 1951 Dr Rajendra Prasad installed the deity - at the heart of the temple. With the biggest and one of the most important of the 12 Jyotirlingas (Swayambhu) the deity is of (in silver) Someswar Mahadeva. The king of snakes rears his hood as a canopy over the head of the deity There are many variations in performing prayers to the deity and related practices. The deity is beyond common people's reach as their entry in the sanctum of the temple is prohibited. One has to remain satisfied viewing the deity from a distance. The Arati ritual is held at 7-00 in the morning, 12 at noon and 7-00 in the evening.

This article is originally published in Travel India and India Study Channel

The Somnath Temple:
 
On the 1st and 2nd floor, the history of Somnath is exihibited in pictures. The temple remains open from 6-00 am to 9 -30 pm. The restless Arabian sea hisses below, the beach and the walls of the temple are awash with relentless waves.

The entrance is through the 51 ft high Digvijay Gate. A10 ton pot or holy kaloa has been installed atop the 155 ft summit. The ruins of old temples are no more there. However, some of the artifices & models of old sculpture & architecture are exhibited at Pravash Patan Museum. Collection of waters of Seven Seas (Danube, Nile, St Lawrence, Tigris, Muray, Hobart, Newzealand) are also kept there. The museum remains open from 9-00 am to 12-00 pm & 3-00 pm to 5-30 pm except Wednesdays and holidays.

The statue of Sardar Ballavbhai Patel (1875-1950) is installed at the side of the gate. Behind there is a comparatively new temple built in the memory of the temple built by Ahalyabai in 1783.

Down 23 flights of steps at the heart of the temple is situated huge Somnath on the seat of God—the jade black God against the backdrop of white cotton Gouripatta. In front of the deity is his carrier Nandi of white color. Above that resides Lord Shiva, the Ahalyeswar. Till today the holy deities are all being worshipped. Besides, there are 12th century Parvati Temple, Debi of Hameerji Lathia, Gajendra Puma Palace or Chandra Prabha Jain Temple and some other temples too around Somnath. Kartick Purnima and Mahashivaratri are the two most auspicious occasions at Somnath.

Mythological story of Somnath:

The whole place is replete with poetic association to Puranic mythology. The Purana says, Som or Moon God was cursed by his father-in-law Prajapati for showing favour to one of his wives, in spite of being married to Daksha's 27 daughters and thereby he lost his radiance. Daksha then advised him to bathe in the water of the confluence and sit in meditation seeking the blessings from Shiva. Thus Som acted accordingly & regained his glory. The Puranic imagery of the lunar cycle gave birth to a celestial myth. The popular belief turned it into a religious ritual and the place became a pilgrim centre and named Som Tirtha or, Pravash Patan. Lord Brahma ordered Som to build the temple of Somnath.

Close to the temple is Pandava Cave. It is told in the Srimad Bhagabat Geeta that Mahatma Vidura of Mahabharata ended his mortal journey in Pravash Tirtha. While in exile, Yudhistir visited Pravash Tirtha and offered his prayer Tarpan and sat in meditation.

At the end of the road there is Gita Bhawan.

This article is originally published in Travel India and India Study Channel

Sri Krishna left the world from this place only. While Sree Krishna was at rest on an arm of a tree, Jara, a hunter mistook him for a deer and let loose his arrow which pierced through Sree Krishna's foot and caused his death. But the particular tree, believed to be the last refuge of Sri Krishna stands across the ages. The tree however, is encircled by a dais. The parallel second school of thought says Sree Krishna was pierced with the arrow in Bhaluka and he was brought here by the Gods of Heaven and he heaved his last breath here. At the Triveni ghat, Arjun performed funeral rituals of Sree Krishna and Balaram. A sacrificial dais has been erected commemorating the occasion.

In course of time, Gita Mandir had been built. A cave tunnel reached underneath the Gita Mandir from the seat of meditation of Parasuram. Legend says, by this cave tunnel the wealth of the temple had been taken to keep them safe from the invaders.

How to see around Somnath:

In 3 to 4 hrs, the whole area you can see by walking. Auto and tonga are also available on contract. It does not require one to stay at Somnath for more than a day. It is possible to go and come back the same day from Diu by taxi from Somnath. The distance is only 87 km.

Places to see near Somnath:

Kamyak forest:

In between of Somnath and Verabal is situated the Kamyak forest (of the Mahabharata) or Bhaluka or Bhaluka Tirtha Mandir. By Town bus, auto or tonga, you may view this Krishna Temple. While the Jadu Dynasty was ruined, having been cursed by Kaurav-mother Gandhari and other sages, Krishna visited Pravash Tirtha to attain peace. However, he found his nemesis in Jara the hunter. If one takes a dip in the kund adjoining this temple on Sukla Dwadashi Tithi, surely he will find his place in heaven, as believed by the devotees. Sree Krishna had washed his bleeding foot here in this kund. It is thus known as Padam Kund ( padam means foot). The legendary 3 rivers as referred in Purana has become non existent in Bhaluka; but Pravash Tirtha is coherent with the reference to Purana is still there in its full glory.


How to reach Somnath?

Verabal is one hour journey from Sasan Gir and the railway link station of Somnath. Direct buses run from Gir to Somnath. Leaving Ahmedabad at 21-45,9946 Girnar Exp, 9924 Somnath Mail at 23-00 reach Verabal next day at 8-20/ 11-05 respectively. Trains coming via Botad, Dhola, Jetalsar, Junagadh, Chorwad Rd. From Verabal Junction. Holy Somnath is only 6 km from the station. Frequent GSRTC buses, auto, tonga, taxi go to Somnath.

Reservation is also available at Somnath Mail. 9838 Rajkot-Verabal Mail at 10-55 coming from Rajkot via Junagadh, reaches Verabal in 5 hours.

Buses ply to different directions of the state via Verabal from Somnath. Buses ply— Ambaji ; Una , Diu, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Ahmedabad, Surat. The distance from Somnath to Diu is 84 km, Gir 46 km, Dwarka 250 km, Porbandar 122 km, Ahmedabad 416 km, Rajkot 200 km.


Accommodation at Somnath:

Adjoining the temple comples with more than 200 rooms Sri Somnath Temple Trust is there at a very cheap rate but comfortable for staying. Dharamshala is also there, run by the Temple Committee. Wide and big rooms, beds are available on hire. Mandir Committee also arranges food for tourists on extra payment.

You can make advance booking with the Temple Committee Rest House by writing to Manager, Somnath Temple Trust, Prabhas Patan-362268.


At District Panchayats Pathikashram, rooms are available.

There are also some private lodges at Somnath. Beside the temple:

Pravas Guest House - opposite the bus stand , Hotel Mayuratn, Triveni Road, are good for staying. There are Bhatia, Singhania, Gobardhan Bhawan, Satkar and many other dharamshalas.

Brahnmahsakti Hotel is very famous for catering sumptuous dishes. Equally good is Ram Bharosa.


Alternatively you can choose to stay at Veraval instead of Somnath

About Veraval:

Veraval is an industry based commercial city. Known as a pott city in the past, of late, it has become fishing city, a centre of sea fishing, fish trading and processing. For Mecca pilgrimage, Veraval was the main port before Surat. Cargo ships from Veraval visit Middle East countries. Dry fish processing has become a cottage industry. Similarly, Veraval has a large number of piggeries.

Accommodation at Veraval:

Circuit House at College Rd,
TCGL's Toran Holiday Home Ph: (02876) 245688, the view of sunset from Toran is beautiful.
Hotel Shivam, Hotel Park, Verabal-Junagadh Road, Ph: 222702, Satkar Hotel, Hotel Minakshi, Chetna, Aram Griha, Hotel Moon, Ajanta Guest House., Hotel Kasturi Ph: 222187.
At railway station, Chandrani Guest House, Sri Niwas Guest House; Hotel Supreme are few more private hotels.
There are also Dharamshalas and Railway Retiring Room at Veraval.

Non-vegetarian dishes are available in Veraval hotels. Satkar at bus stand, Swati and New Apsara near railway station, Ali Baba near Park Hotel is famous for sea fish.

This article is originally published in Travel India and India Study Channel

For more details, visit http://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/76252-Somnath-The-famous-shore-temple-Gujarat.aspx

Gujarat Road Map

Gujarat is one of the fastest growing states of modern India and also the stae from which Tata Nano, world's cheapest car, is getting launched. If you need to find your destinations, use our roadmap of Gujarat below. We help you find destinations, caculate distances and also create a shortest route map for Gujarat. Just click on a map and then pick up a route by clicking on map areas, you will see the total distance in the left hand menu. Also, if you want to perform a new calculation, click on the destination point button, then Clear All Points, and start your new search. Simple!

For Site map and source click here....

Gujarati Thali

Best Gujarati Thali Recipe

 

Popular Gujarati Dishes

Sweets:

• Basundi
• Ghari Ghebar or Ghevar
• Halvasan
• Keri no ras
• Malpua
• Puran Poli
• Shrikhand
• Sutarfeni

Diwali Special Snacks:

• Cholafali
• Ghooghra
• Mathia
• Soonvali

Farsan (Snacks):

• Daal Dhokli
• Dhokla
• Fafda
• Farsi Falafel
• Ganthia
• Hahdwoh
• Kachori
• Khakhra
• Khaman
• Khaman Dhokla
• Khandvi
• Khichu
• Lilva Kachori
• Muthia
• Sev Khamani

Shaak and Daal: Vegetables and Curries

• Meethi (Sweet) Kadhi
• Sev Tameta nu Shak
• Undhiyun

Breads

• Bajri no rotlo
• Bhakhri
• Dhebara
• Thepala

The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and has a high nutritional value. The typical Gujarati thali consists of varied kinds of lip smacking dishes. Gujarati cuisine has so much to offer and each dish has an absolutely different cooking style. Some of the dishes are stir fry, while others are boiled. Gujarati food is more often served on a silver platter. Gujaratis use a combination of different spices and flavors to cook their meals and this is what makes their food truly exotic.
Gujarati food is highly energy efficient and thus do not cause much of fuel wastage. The staple food of Gujarat consists of homemade pickles, chhaas (buttermilk), salad etc. main course includes vegetables which are usually steamed and dal. Vaghaar is a blend of spices, which is purified in hot oil and then added to the dal. To prevent the body from becoming dehydrated, lot of salt, sugar, tomato and lemon is used.

Gujarati cuisine differs from season to season depending on the availability of vegetables. People in the urban areas are starting some new eating trends. In the summer season, spices such as black pepper and its constituent spices are used in lesser quantities. People fast on a regular basis and limit their diet to milk, nuts and dried fruits.

About Gujarat

Gujarat was a very colorful and is one of India were developed in India. Gujarat is located in western India and covers an area of 196,024 square kilometers. This state is having in the fertile south, divided by a number of rivers and mountains of the western part of the mud and the beach adjacent to the northern part of the Thar Desert. Gujarat is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi - father of the Indian people. Gujarat is a sign of civilization 3000-1500 BC. Gujarat was also part of the great Mauryan kingdom during 3rd century BC, King Ashoka reigned. After receiving independence in Gujarat was part of the state of Bombay in 1960, however, the state of Bombay was divided and a new state of Gujarat was formed comprising the western and northern regions were dominated by the Gujarati language.

The Indian state of Gujarat is between 20.6 and 24.42 degrees north latitude and 68.10 degrees east longitude and 74.28. Located on the western part of the subcontinent into India, Gujarat derives its name from Gujjar Rashtra, the land of Gujjars, a migrant tribe who passed through Punjab and settled in parts of Western India in the fifth century.

Each festival and fair in Gujarat is different from one another and occur in different parts of the state. Much of the celebrations revolve around special events and seasons. Some events are based on the harvest period, religious events, long life of indigenous traditions, the change of season and more.

Rozi Island, Gujarat, India

Rozi Island is situated in the Gulf of Kutch. It houses INS Valsura, one of the oldest establishments of the Indian Navy. This was commissioned in 1942 by Colonel Digvijay Singhji, the Jamsaheb of Nawanagar, as a torpedo training school to counter the treat created by the German U-boats during World War II.
Rozi Island lies about 5 km from Jamnagar, a coastal town in Gujarat.

Islands of Gujarat

Pirotan Island and Narala Island

Of the 42 islands, the only ones that visitors are permitted to enter and explore are Pirotan Island, which is easier to access and therefore more popular, and Narala Island, which lacks infrastructure and can only be reached at certain times, when the tide is high enough.

The islands are uninhabited except for the workers at Pirotan Island’s lighthouse, so enjoy the solitude and use it as an opportunity to lose yourself to the wide world around you. Armed with a little knowledge, you can spend hours walking around the tidal flats at low tide, observing the fascinating marine life as it lies exposed from the receding waters. Some of the creatures, such as jellyfish, are best left untouched. Be sure to ask the park officers what others should be avoided, but don’t be afraid to have a hands on experience with the creatures that are open to it.


How to Get here

You can take a boat from Bedi port or Nava port in Jamnagar, for which you should arrive an hour before high tide, and schedule a couple of hours travel in each direction. The tide time changes with the moon, so schedules vary seasonally. Ask locally about boat timings for the specific day you plan to go.

How and Why we Gujarati celebrat Diwali

Diwali in Gujarat : From aaso vad Agyaras (11th day from full/no moon) to dev Diwali people lit the diyas (now uses lamp series also) to decorate the house, which protects them from evil spirits as believed.


Diwali in Gujarat


Agyaras: (Aso vad 11)

Gujaratis begin their Diwali celebrations before Dhan Teras, on the 11th day of aaso. The day is devoted to preparing the choicest snacks and dry fruits, to wish new year to relatives & neighbours.

Vagh Baras

This is also known as Govatsa dwadashi and Guru Dwadashi. On this day the cow and calf are worship. Vagh here refers to repaying one's financial debts. Therefore people clear their account ledgers (khata) today and do not enter into new transactions, using new ledgers until after Labh Pancham. Vagh baras is also celebrated in a unique fashion in some Dhodia villages where, men colour themselves in stripes representing the Vagh and others as plain white or other colours denoting cattle. The tiger chases the cattle. Finally at the end of the sport the village inhabitants eat food together at a common place and celebrate.

Dhanteras

Most community worship the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, by performing puja. Material wealth in the form of gold jewelry & money (or old coins/Diamonds) often represent wealth in these worship ceremonies. Gujaratis believe money spent on this day will bring prosperity to their family and home during the coming year.

Kali Chaudash

Kali means black or mahakali (goddess who wins over black magic). Chaudash means 14. So the natives prepare Vada to Hanumanji and get protection from ghosts & evils spirits. Tantric's goes to the crematorium (called samshan in Hindi) to get powerful results.

Diwali: (30th day of aaso)
Aaso Amas

(15th day from full moon day when moon disappears). Celebrated in all parts of India. Diwali is the last day of the Hindu year and people go to temples and thank the gods for the wonderful previous year. People wish a Happy Diwali to neighbors & relatives via cards (recently SMSs/emails/calls). The whole day is considered as the last day to prepare for the coming new year. People explode expensive fireworks throughout the entire night. Mostly natives perform special puja(worship) of the goddess of Wealth 'Laxmi'. The houses are decorated with diyas specially in open spaces opposite the front door. Even rangoli is prepared around the lit diyas.

Bestu Varas (Hindu New year)

Kartak sud Ekam
* It is referred at the Hindu new year according to the Indian calendar based on lunar cycles, and 'Kartak' is the first month in this new year while 'Ekam' refers to first day
* People greet each other on this day by uttering, Saal Mubaarak this is an Urdu saying but is said commonly by Gujarati people (Hindi/Gujarati/ Urdu),'nutanvarsh abhinandan'(Sanskrit/ Gujarati) "shub varsh",Happy new year.

The day starts with the heavy fire works, to welcome New Year, in the early morning as Hindu believes morning starts at 4am. The local young boys sells raw salt (collected from Salt evaporation pond) calling it "sabras"means all taste, to make the natives new year prosperous. House is decorated with the aaso palav & marigolds(galgota)/s toran (Door hangings) & rangoli beside front door. Home made snacks are offered to the guests & neighbors who comes to wish the new year.

* Bali pujan on this day. Lord Vaman asked king Bali for 3 strides of land (ref. Devpodhi Ekadashi for details). King Bali pleased the Lord by offering everything. In remembrance of his devotion, Vamanji gave a boon that this auspicious day will be famed as 'Balipratipadaa' (Skand Puran 24/10).


Bhai Bij

kartak sud Bij(2), is the time where in the bond of love between a brother and sister is further strengthened as sister invites brother at her home for dinner/lunch asks God for her brother/s long and successful life while she receives presents from her beloved brother's.

Labh Pacham

kartak sud pacham(5), the shop owners & most businessmen starts their business for the year, which they had closed since diwali. They start new account ledgers(Khatu) by writing "Shubh" means Auspicious, on left & "Labh" means Profit, on right & Sathiya on center, on 1st page. People also go for shopping which is said to be profitable & lucky for whole year.


Dev diwali

Kartak sud Purnima (full moon day), 15th day of kartak, the belief is that, after leaving king Bali, the lord rejoined on this day. The Gods celebrated his arrival in jubilation. Locals also celebrate the day with the fire works in the morning & wishes all the relatives/neighbours new year wishes whom they could not wished during new year, as it is considered the last day to greet new year.



This is Our Gujarati's style for celebrating diwali traditionaly form Agyaras to Dev Diwali so, enjoy safe Diwali and Piece Diwali.

Districts of Gujarat

On 1960-05-01, Gujarat was created out of the 17 northern districts of former State of Bombay. These districts were further subdivided later on. There are 26 administrative districts in the state (as of 2007).

1. Ahmedabad
2. Amreli
3. Anand
4. Banaskantha
5. Bharuch
6. Bhavnagar
7. Dahod
8. Dang
9. Gandhinagar
10. Jamnagar
11. Junagadh
12. Kheda
13. Kutch
14. Mehsana
15. Narmada
16. Navsari
17. Panchmahal
18. Patan
19. Porbandar
20. Rajkot
21. Sabarkantha
22. Surat
23. Surendranagar
24. Tapi
25. Vadodara
26. Valsad

Ahmedabad To Diu By Road

Land Transports from Ahmedabad to Diu

Ahmedabad has a host of private luxury coaches, which leave at night and reach Diu Islands by the next morning. Some of the bus service agencies that provide transportation facilities to Diu Islands are Sahjanand Travels, and Shiv Shakti Travels.

There is a land route to Delwara (which is about eight kilometers from Diu) from Ahmedabad via Rajkot, Junagadh and Veravel. The exquisite landscape and lush greenery which dots the bus route is very soothing to the eye.

Diu Island can also be accessed from Una, which is only 13 km away. Both the State Transport buses as well as private bus lines offer transportation facilities to Una. Auto rickshaws are also available from the Tower Chowk at Una, which offers transport services to Diu Island.

The picturesque cities of Bhavnagar, Veraval and Palitana fall on the way to Una, one of the access points to Diu Island, from Ahmedabad. The distance from Diu Island to Ahmedabad via Una is 495 km. From Bhavnagar the distance is 225 km while from Veraval the distance to Diu Island is only 77 km.

Connections to Mumbai, Sasangir, Somnath and Rajkot

Diu Islands is well connected to Mumbai (a metropolitan city of India) via bus route. The distance from Mumbai to Diu Islands is about 930 km. Diu is also connected to the nearby cities of Sasangir, Rajkot and Somnath. The distance from Somnath to Diu is 87 km while the distance from Rajkot is 261 km. Sasangir is 128 km away from Diu Island.

With the development of the infrastructure, traveling to Diu Island by road has become more convenient.

About Kutch

Hey,Are you going for adventure, vacation, or getting some desert safari fun? Then,go for Kutch. Yes, really Kutch, Gujarat, India...





Kachchh literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; a large part of this district is known as Rann of Kachchh which is shallow wetland which submerges in water during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. The same word is also used in the languages of Sanskrit origin for a tortoise and garments to be worn while having a bath. The Rann is famous for its marshy salt flats which become snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains.



The district is also famous for ecologically important Banni grasslands with their seasonal marshy wetlands which form the outer belt of the Rann of Kutch.

Kachchh District is surrounded by the Gulf of Kachchh and the Arabian Sea in south and west, while northern and eastern parts are surrounded by the Great and Small Rann (seasonal wetlands) of Kachchh. When there were not many dams built on its rivers, the Rann of Kachchh remained wetlands for a large part of the year. Even today, the region remains wet for a significant part of year. The district had a population of 1,583,225 of which 30% were urban as of 2001.[1] Motor vehicles registered in Kutch district have their registration Number starting with GJ-12.

Beaches of Gujarat

Somnath Beach



Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach




Porbandar Beach

Jhaverchand Meghani

Jhaverchand Meghani (Gujarati: ઝવેરચંદ મેઘાની; August 28, 1896(1896-08-28)-March 9, 1947) was noted poet, litterateur, social reformer and freedom fighter from Gujarat.He is well known name in the field of Gujarati literature. He was born in Chotila. Mahatma Gandhi spontaneously gave him the title of Raashtreeya Shaayar (National Poet). Besides this he received many awards like Ranjitram Suvaranachandrak and Mahida Paaritoshik in literature. He authored more than 100 books. His first book was a translation work of Rabindranath Tagore's ballad Kathaa-u-Kaahinee titled Kurbani Ni Katha (Stories of martyrdom) which was first published in 1922. He was attached to Gujarati folk literature. He went village-to-village in search of folk-lores and published them in various volumes of Saurashtra Ni Rasdhar. Other Gujarati authors like Harilal Upadhyay have also shown respect to the writing skills of Shri Meghani. He was also the Editor of Phoolchhab Newspaper of Janmabhoomi group (which is being published till date from Rajkot).
A sample of his collection of folk tales from Saurashtra has recently been published in an English, with the translation done by his son Vinod Meghani. The three volumes published so far are titled A Noble Heritage, A Shade Crimson and The Ruby Shattered.

કસુંબીનો રંગ

લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ -
રાજ, મને લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ !
જનનીના હૈયામાં પોઢંતા પોઢંતા પીધો કસુંબીનો રંગ;
ધોળાં ધાવણ કેરી ધારાએ ધારાએ પામ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

બહેનીને કંઠે નીતરતાં હાલરડાંમાં ઘોળ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ
ભીષણ રાત્રિ કેરા પહાડોની ત્રાડોએ ચોળ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

દુનિયાના વીરોનાં લીલાં બલિદાનોમાં ભભક્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ
સાગરને પારે સ્વાધીનતાની કબરોમાં મહેક્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

ભક્તોના તંબૂરથી ટપકેલો મસ્તીભર ચાખ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ
વહાલી દિલદારાના પગની મેંદી પરથી ચૂમ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

નવલી દુનિયા કેરા સ્વપ્નોમાં કવિઓએ ગાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ
મુક્તિને ક્યારે નિજ રક્તો રેડણહારે પાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ… રાજ..

પીડિતની આંસુડાધારે - હાહાકારે રેલ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ
શહીદોના ધગઘગતા નિ:શ્વાસે નિ:શ્વાસે સળગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ … રાજ..

ધરતીનાં ભૂખ્યાં કંગાલોને ગાલે છલકાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ
બિસ્મિલ બેટાંઓની માતાને ભાલે મલકાયો કસુંબીનો રંગ … રાજ ..

ઘોળી ઘોળી પ્યાલાં ભરિયા : રંગીલા હો! પીજો કસુંબીનો રંગ
દોરંગા દેખીને ડરિયાં : ટેકીલાં હો! લેજો કસુંબીનો રંગ … રાજ ..
રાજ, મને લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ -
લાગ્યો કસુંબીનો રંગ !

ઝવેરચંદ મેઘાણી

Beautiful Beaches From Gujarat.

"Gujarat" has a wide range of the most spectacular attractions-which includes breathtaking locations and scenic landscapes and also is home to several architectural marvels, and is a pilgrim center for many faiths. Gujarat has a coastline measuring more than 1660 km, and this is the longest among all Indian states. Beyt Dwarka, Diu Beach, Somnath & Veraval beach, Chorward are other famous beaches of Gujarat. If Beyt Dwarka is sensuous then Chorwad is perfect for long beach walks and a quiet holiday. The coast was also a historical centre with interesting Portugese forts, shore temples, princely port cities and beach palaces.

" Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach
" Chorwad Beach
" Diu Beach
" Gopnath Beach
" Umbergam Beach
" Tithal Beach


Ahmedpur Mandvi
Mandvi is one of the finest beaches on the Gujarat shoreline. The beach is white and firm, ideal for walks, and the water perfect for swimming. Seemingly unending, with sands ideal for castle building by kids, and shallow waters for a wading, this is a great spot for a family holiday. A variety of water sports like water scooters, skiing, surfing, para sailing, speed boat trips ...... are on offer. Cottage Resort Magico Do Mar is one of the highlight of this beach offering air-conditioned rooms, pleasant lawns, palm groves. The resort bungalow facing garden towards sea offers wonderful sight which should not be missed.

Chorwad Beach
Chorwad , a small fishing village is a great place to enjoy. Chorwad is famous for rocky shores and boat riding. It is also a base to visit places like Porbandar, Somnath etc. A resort is there which was previously a palace built by Nawab Saheb Mohabbat Khan as a vacation spot on hot summer days where he held weddings of his dogs, royal banquets and processions amidst cool breezes from the sea. Porbandar the historic princely state on the shores of the Arabian Sea is famous for being the birthplace of the Father of The Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. His old residence Kirti mandir is now a memorial museum having a series of memorabalia and library. The Daria Mahal Palace facing the sea, is a delightful work of architecture.

Kutch Mandvi Beach
Another fine beach in Gujarat is in Mandvi, a historic port town of the Maharao's of Kutch. The port of Mandvi was an important sea trade post between the near east and the far east which brought prosperity to the Royal family. Mandvi town was important city for the Maharaos of Bhuj being endowed with some splendid palaces and buildings. The Vijay Vilas Palace built in the 1940's depicts some splendid arcitectural features like umbrella domes and cupolas etc. For peace and tranquillity, visit the Maharao's private beach, accessible for a fee. Watch the sunset from the pavillion.

Gopnath
Gopnath by sea is just 80km from Bhavnagar, which has daily flights from Mumbai and overnight trains from Ahmedabad. It was the summer home of Maharaja Krishna Kumar Singhji of Bhavnagar 75 kms from Bhavnagar, Gopnath is well connected by rail and bus to Ahmedabad. The breathtakingly beautiful sea coast with it's spectacular limestone cliffs and great views, sea breezes and colourful birdlife, must have made an excellent break from the city during the summer months.

Dwarka
Dwarka is an important city for Hindu Pilgrimage. This was the kingdom of Lord Krishna. The entire city was revealed by marine excavations. The city is famous for the Dwarkadish temple or Jagat Mandir. Today it is not only a major pilgrimage site but a pleasant spot for a beach holiday. Dwarka has fine stretches of beach and though crowded by pilgrims one can always find quiet spots too. Large number of birds could be seen on the coast. There is a small island covered with temples, a white beach, coral reefs and extensive marine life. Dolphins and porpoise can be seen surfacing to breathe, sea turtles, octopus, star fish, sea urchins etc. inhabit the beach.

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About Dwarka Temple

Dwarka is located on the western coast of Gujarat on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Dwarka is famous for the Dwarkadheesh temple (Jagat Mandir) built on the north bank of the Gomti River . Dwarka was destructed by the sea and present dwarka is the 7 th city built.

Dwarka is once of the seven holy cities of India . Lord Krishna spent 100 yrs hear. The main temple is of Lord Dwarkadhish. There is temple of Lord Baladevaji to the right of the main temple. The main temple is five-story high with the lavishly carved conical spire rising to a height of 157 feet. Dwarka is also the site of Dwarka Pitha, also known as Kalika Pitha.
The present temple was built in 16th century CE, while the original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna's grandson, Vajranabha. The 5-storied temple is made of limestone and sand. A flag hoisted in the temple tower five times each day. There are two gateways - Swarga Dwar, where pilgrims enter, and Moksha Dwar, where pilgrims exit. From the temple one can view the Sangam (confluence) of River Gomati flowing towards the sea. In Dwaraka, there are also shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki, Balarama and Revati, Subhadra, Rukmini Devi, Jambavati Devi and Satyabhama Devi. You can get fair throught this site: Ahmedabad To Dwarka

About Somnath Temple

Somnath: celebrated city of India, situated on the shore of the sea, and washed by its waves. Among the wonders of that place was the temple in which was placed the idol called Somnath. This idol was in the middle of the temple without anything to support it from below, or to suspend it from above.You can serf it with our blog About Gujarat
Facing the wide open Arabian Sea, the temple at Somnath is an imposing structure offering a spectacular sight to the beholders. At a distance of 79 km from Junagadh and 25 km from Chorwad is the temple of Somnath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.

It was held in the highest honor among the Hindus, and whoever beheld it floating in the air was struck with amazement, whether he was a Musulman or an infidel. The Hindus used to go on pilgrimage to it whenever there was an eclipse of the moon, and would then assemble there to the number of more than a hundred thousand. They believed that the souls of men used to meet there after separation from the body, and that the idol used to incorporate them at its pleasure in other bodies, in accordance with their doctrine of transmigration. "The ebb and flow of the tide was considered to be the worship paid to the idol by the sea. Everything of the most precious was brought there as offerings, and the temple was endowed with more than 10,000 villages.

Soma is the name for the moon, the son in-law of Daksha. Once Soma disobeyed a certain instruction of his father-in-law. Daksha was so angry that he cursed him, saying, "Thou shalt wane!" The moon, who used to shine in full splendor every night till then, started to shrink. However, before the curse brought about an absolute end to the moon, many a god requested Daksha to revoke his curse. Daksha asked Soma to take a bath in the sea at the mouth of the river Saraswati and then to pray to Lord Shiva. Hence at Prabhasa, Shiva came to be known as Somanath, the Lord of the moon.

About Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad was founded in 1411 by Sultan Ahmed Shah to serve as the capital of the Gujarat Sultanate, and was named after him. Under the British rule, a military cantonment was established and the city infrastructure was modernized and expanded.

Tourist Places of Ahmedabad:
The Walled City
On your tour to Ahmedabad you will at once notice that the walled city is one of the must visits. Leading into the city of Ahmedabad, it allows a glimpse of the affluence of the ancient buildings of the 18th century.

Gandhi Ashram
Another of the tourist attractions in Ahmedabad is the Satyagraha Ashram, set-up in AD 1920 on the lull western banks of the Sabarmati River.

Mosque of Sidi Sayid
The Mosque of Sidi Sayid with its stone tracery and the patterns of the banyan tree on its windows is another of the tourist attractions in Ahmedabad.

Hathee Singh Jain Temple
Built by Sheth Hathee Singh in 1848, the Hathee Singh Temple, located outside the Delhi Gate, is worked in pure white marble. It houses 52 shrines, each with an idol of a Jain Tirthankar.

Sidi Bashir Mosque
The Sidi Bashir Mosque situated outside the Sarangpur Gate, has minarets, one of which when shaken, leads to the vibration in another.

Kankaria Lake
A circular lake constructed in AD 1451 by Sultan Qutub-ud-din, the Kankaria Lake offers tourist places of interest like the island garden known as Nagina Wadi, parks, an aquarium, a boat club, a natural historical museum, and a zoo.

Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaza
A venue for Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations in Ahmedabad, the Bhadra Fort of Ahmedabad has a temple devoted to the Mother Goddess, Bhadrakal.

Teen Darwaza
Used as a royal entrance to the Royal Square of the Bhadra Fort, the massive Teen Darwaza is another place of interest in Ahmedabad.

Calico Museum
The Calico museum of fabric, yarn and textiles was established in 1949 consequent to the meticulous efforts of Ms Gira Sarabhai.

The other sites worth visiting in Ahmedabad are the Rani Sipri's Mosque, Rani Rupmati's Mosque, Raj Babri Mosque, Shreyas Museum of Folk Art, the Kite Museum, and Utensil Museum.

Excursions
Excursions to places like Sarkhej, Adlaj Vav, Lothal, Modhera, Patan, Gandhinagar, Mahudi and Nalsarovar Wildlife Sanctuary can be entertaining and exciting at the same time.

Events and Festivals
Navratri and Rath Yatra are the main festivals celebrated in Ahmedabad and the city also hosts the contemporary International Kite Festival too.