Arrive in Ahmedabad, check in at the hotel, & later we go on a sightseeing tour of Ahmedabad, visiting the Gandhi Ashram, Hutheesingh Jain Temple, Adalaj Stepwell, & Vaishnodevi Temple.

Gandhi Ashram: On a quiet, peaceful stretch of the Sabarmati River, Mahatma Gandhi set up a simple retreat in 1915. This was his Satyagrah Ashram, and for many years it was the nerve center of India’s freedom movement. It was from here, in 1930, that Mahatma began his famous Dandi March to the sea to protest the salt tax imposed by the British. Hridaya Kunj, the simple cottage where he lived, is now a national monument and preserved as it was during the Mahatma’s lifetime. You must pick up gifts and souvenirs from the Ashram shop. Spend a little time here by the river watching the parrots and the squirrels. Peace and tranquility prevail here.

Hutheesingh Jain Temple: Built outside the Delhi Gate in 1850 by a rich Jain merchant, the Hutheesingh Temple is the best known of Ahmedabad’s many ornate Jain temples.

Adalaj Step-well: Step wells were built in ancient times to serve the man’s purposes of holding rainwater for later use, providing a resting place for the travelers, and providing a watering hole for the travelers who had caravans and animals with them. The best examples of rainwater harvesting! The Adalaj Step is situated 17 kilometers north of Ahmedabad. The step well at the village of Adalaj is another fine example of this magnificent architectural form. Adalaj Vav is richly carved, with every pillar and wall surface covered with leaves and flowers, birds and fish, and friezes of ornamental designs.

Vaishno Devi Temple: A popular temple of goddess Vaishno Devi located on S.G. Road (Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway), it is modelled after Vaishno Devi temple situated in Jammu & Kashmir. The only difference between the two is that one in Ahmedabad can be visited within a couple of hours. It can be seen crowded every day, and on weekends, devotees from all over India visit this temple.

Overnight at hotel

After breakfast proceed for day excursion to Ambaji temple.

Ambaji Temple contains no idol but an inscribed Yantra in the niche. Ambaji is essentially a temple town, with a temple dedicated to Goddess Ambaji at the center. The Ambaji Temple and the front court, ‘Chachar no Chowk’, are aligned on the same axis as the cave at Gabbar Hill, the original abode of Goddess Ambaji. Twenty-two kilometers from Danta is one of the major Shakti piths of India, situated in the Arasur hills. The present temple was constructed a few years ago, maintaining the original architectural style. Millions of pilgrims visit the temple every year, especially during Navratri, to seek the blessing of Goddess Ambaji.

Later drive back to Ahmedabad.

Overnight at hotel

Early morning visits the Dwarkadhish Temple and witness the Aarti.

After breakfast, drive to Somnath, visiting Porbandar end route. Porbandar, the coastal heritage town of Gujarat, is located on the Saurashtra peninsula, on the Arabian Sea. This city is described in the Skanda Purana as Sudamapuri and Ashmavati and had a flourishing trade with Africa and Arabia. To date, the spice market in Porbandar draws a huge crowd. According to the legends, this city was the main link in the great friendship between Lord Krishna and Sudama. Porbandar was established as a capital by Rana Sartanji in 1785 AD. Porbandar was the former capital of the Jethwa Rajput petty princely state.

The most impressive feature of Porbandar is the city planning, the stone buildings with ashlar masonry and rich carving, and the facades of the houses on either side of the streets, with windows and carved gateways. Porbandar is also associated with Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, as he was born here. Today, fine-quality silk and cotton are manufactured here. There are also chemical factories and cement works.

Later, visit Kirti Mandir. Kirti Mandir was the house of Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba, his wife. This place is situated near the place where the Mahatma was born. This place is now a small museum and also has a Gandhian library and a prayer hall. Bharat Mandir is another place to visit, which houses a relief map of India and reliefs of great historical personalities who shaped India’s future.
Later, continue to drive to Somnath; arrive in Somnath and transfer to your hotel.

Somnath consists of a few streets leading away from its phoenix-like temple. The rugged sea below gives it a lonely, wistful charm. Somnath is mainly known for the legendary shore temple of Somnath, which is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The temple is an example of grit and determination and how to rise out of downfall, as the temple has been plundered and destroyed many times and re-erected again in all its glory. To be precise, it was destroyed seven times and built eight!

The legendary shore temple of Somnath is one of the twelve most sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple contains the Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. According to the legends, the Somnath temple is very old and was originally built in gold by Somraj, the Moon God. Later, it was rebuilt by Ravana in silver, then by Krishna in wood and Bhim Dev in stone. Mahmud of Ghazni, upon hearing the description of the richness of the Somnath temple by Al Biruni, an Arab traveler, visited this temple in 1024 AD. At that time, this temple had about 300 musicians, 500 dancing girls, and 300 barbers to shave off the heads of pilgrims. After a two-day battle, Mahmud destroyed the temple and carried away jewels and gold to his homeland. In all, the Somnath temple was rebuilt and destroyed eight times. This temple was finally rebuilt in 1950 with the support of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel. The current temple was built as per the traditional designs on the original site by the sea and is a serene, symmetrical, and sinuous structure. Today, this majestic temple is a replica of the earlier temple.

Later visit Bhalka Tirth: Bhalka Tirth is situated halfway between Veraval and Somnath. At this place, Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow. It is here that Lord Krishna decided to leave his human form and proceed to the eternal world.

Overnight at hotel

After breakfast drive to Chotila hills.

Chotila: On Ahmedabad-Rajkot Main Highway, Chotila town is situated at the foot of the Chamunda hill which is surmounted by the temple of the Goddess Chamunda at a height of 1173 feet. Originally a holding of the Sodha Parmar clan, Chotila was conquered from Jagasio Parmar by the KhacharKathis in 1566 AD. Most of the KhacharKathis trace their origin to the Chotila house.

According to a legend, Jagasio Parmar of nearby town Muli was murdered by the Kathis of KhacharKuman and Vala clans. These Kathis took possession of Chotila and then divided it into four parts (char tiles), the village thereafter came to be known as Chotila.

Later drive to Rajkot; arrive in Rajkot and transfer to your hotel.

Rajkot is a very pleasant provincial town. Mahatma Gandhi spent a few years of his life in this town. His father was the Dewan (Chief Minister) of Rajkot, once a small princely State. In the evening arrive Rajkot and visit Kaba Gandhi No Delo (literally “Kaba Gandhi’s house”). Mahatma Gandhi spent the early days of his life here. You can see the exhibition of Gandhi’s items here. This will be followed by a visit to Rajkumar College. Mahatma Gandhi completed his secondary education from this school. 

Overnight at hotel

After breakfast drive to Junagadh enroute visiting Girnar hills.

Mount Girnar: Girnar Mountain is about 1100m (3630 ft.) high and is an extinct volcano. It is said that Mount Girnar was once a flying mountain. It is 4km east of Junagadh and is the main tourist attraction in the area.

On the plateau about 180m (600 ft.) from the top of the hill, is a group of beautifully carved Jain temples built between 1128 and 1500. Nominate, the 22nd tirthankara, is said to have died on Mount Girnar after living here for 700 years. There is a special marble temple dedicated to him here, and a black marble statue of him. The Mallinath Temple (1177) is impressive. On top of the hill is a small Vishnu temple dedicated to Dattatreya. There is also a temple dedicated to the goddess Amba Mata dating back to the 12th century. It is said that a visit to this temple guarantees a happy marriage. There are good views from the top of the mountain.

The steps go down and up again to Gorakhnath Peak at 1100m (3666 ft.), where there are footprints of the rishi Gorakhnath. There is another peak where there are footprints of Nominate. Further on is a goddess Kalika shrine. Visitors must climb 5,500 steps to reach the top of the hill, so it is best to start early in the morning (before 7 am). It is a difficult two-hour climb. Hundreds of people climb this hill every day. There are many stalls selling cold drinks along the way, but none selling bottled water, so bring your own.

Later drive to Junagadh; arrive Junagadh and transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast drive back to Ahmedabad. Arrive Ahmedabad and in time transfer to Airport / Railway Station to board your flight / train for onward journey to your next destination.

**** TOUR ENDS ****