Junagadh

[ Chorwad Beach | Tulsi Shyam Hot Spring | Somnath | Dwarka | Shopping ]

Chorwad Beach
72 Kms. from Junagadh and 23 Kms. from the fishing centre of Veraval, Chorwad is a delightful resort on the sunny coast of Gujarat. An excellent road connects it to Junagadh, Girnar, the Gir Forest Sanctuary and the famous temple of Somnath.

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Tulsi Shyam Hot Spring
In the heart of the Gir Forest 65 Kms. from Junagadh is the scenic spot of Tulsi Shyam with its hot spring.

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Somnath
Somnath is about 79kms from Junagadh, 30kms from Chorwad and 5kms from Veraval. It is believed that the Somnath temple here was originally built by Somraj, the Moon God himself, out of gold, and then rebuilt by Ravana in silver and then by Krishna in Wood, then by Bhimdev in stone. Somnath is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of lord Shiva. Somnath is also known as Prabhas Patan.

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Dwarka
On the extreme western tip of the Kathiawar peninsula, Dwarka is one of the four most holy Hindu pilgrimage sites in India and is closely related to the Krishna legend. Lord Krishna left Mathura and established his Kingdom here. Dwarkanath, the name of the main temple here, is dedicated to Krishna.

Entrance to this temple is restricted to Hindus, although through some sources, one can sign up a form to gain an access. The exterior, with its tall five-story spire supported by 60 columns, is far more interesting than the interior. Archaeological excavations have revealed five earlier cities at the site; all now submerged. Dwarka is the site of the most important Janmashtami Festival which falls in August September.

Dwarka's lighthouse is open to the public between 4.30 and 6 pm, and affords an excellent panoramic view from the top (Rs1). A little north of Dwarka, a ferry leaves Okha for the Island of Bet, where Vishnu is said to have slain a demon. There is modern Krishna temple on the island.

Dwarka and Jamnagar are connected by railway line, 132km away (Rs36), and there are trains to Mumbai (945km, Rs230/690) via Rajkot (207km, Rs73/279) and Ahmedabad (453km, Rs147/474). STC buses run to all points in Saurashtra, and to Ahmedabad.

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Shopping
Junagadh is a market for gold and silver embroidery, perfume, and copper and brass vessels.

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