Built in 1421 AD during the reign of Ahmad Shah, the Juma or the Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India. The mosque is built in a decorative Indian Persian-Muslim architecture and contains the tombs of the Muslim emperor, his wife and his sons.
The structure is built entirely in sandstone with intricate artistic carvings, sandstone meshes (jails) and pillars. According to the inscriptions, the mosque was intented to be used by the Sultans and their family.
Perched atop a small hillock, this all-marble temple in Bhavnagar is high enough to provide splendid views of the city and out onto the Gulf of Cambay. It is constructed in a Gujarati style with 18 ornate pillars, and a main hall before the sanctum which houses an idol of Lord Shiva.
Marble stairs offer access to devotees from the bottom of the hillock to the main courtyard of the temple. The temple doubles up as a ‘catch-up’ point for youngsters and regulars in the evenings. The breezy hill-stop offers a quiet oasis from the city’s din below.
Ghogha Beach is a great place for long walks. As this beach is not very developed from the viewpoint of commercial tourism, you won't find too many tourists hanging around the place. So, if you are looking for an offbeat destination where you will be able to unwind in complete isolation, Ghogha beach is the location you should be heading to. One can also visit Hazrat Pir Dargah and Barwada Masjid while in Ghogha. The ancient Barwada Masjid was built in 623 AD and is one of the oldest mosques in India. This mosque, therefore, predates all the other mosques in India whose mihrab faces Mecca. It also bears the oldest Arabic inscriptions in India.
Besides, the beach is famous for Ghogha - Dahej Ro-Ro ferry service. The ferry service takes one and half hour to travel between Ghogha in the Saurashtra region and Dahej in Central Gujarat. If you want to travel on the ferry along with your vehicle, one has to reach around an hour before the departure time as it was crowded all the time. The ferry service will be able to carry up to 100 vehicles (cars, buses, and trucks) and 250 passengers between the two ports.
Situated on the coast of the island, the Diu Fort was built by the Portuguese Governor Nuno-Da-Cunha between 1535 and 1541 AD. There are three main churches located within the fort- Church of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Paul's Church, and St. Thomas Church. Apart from the churches, there is also the Shiva temple, known as Gangeshwar Mahadev which is a very famous tourist attraction.
Venetian Gothic style bungalows and Havelis (mansions) which used to belong to upscale colonial Portuguese and Indian merchants are seen in the Makata bylanes, near the Zapata Gate of the fort. The fort also provides sea access for trade and commodities with Khambat, Bharuch and Surat in Gujarat.
Besides Africa, Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only place in the world where you can spot lions roaming free in the wild. The real discovery channel of India is situated approximately 65 Kms South East of Junagarh District. The Government notified the large geographical extent of Sasan Gir as wildlife sanctuary on 18th September, 1965 in order to conserve the Asiatic Lion. It covers total area of 1412 square kilometers of which 258 Km forms the core area of the National Park. Indiscriminate hunting by the people of Junagarh led to their decrease in population drastically, while they were completely wiped out from the other parts of Asia.
It was the kind effort of Nawabs of Junagarh who protected the queen royalty in his own private hunting grounds. Later in due course of time Department of Forest Officials came forward to protect the world’s most threatened species. From a population of approximately 20 lions in 1913, they have risen to a comfortable 523 according to 2015 census. There are 106 male, 201 female and 213 sub-adult lions in the wilderness of these four districts.
Devoted to Lord Vishnu, Laxmi Narayan Temple is roosted perfectly on the peaceful shores of Somnath. It is notable for its wonderful compositional plan that is loaded with complex carvings on its 18 columns. These carvings portray the holy messages of Krishna which are proliferated in Bhagavad Gita.
Drawing in various lovers consistently, the sanctuary is quite possibly the most well known spots to visit in Somnath. It is prestigious for being a perfect imitation of the Laxmi Narayan Temple which is in Badrinath. When visiting here, remember to savor some serene minutes while watching a splendid dusk on the banks of River Hiren.