Gandhinagar - Gujarat Tour

Gandhinagar is the capital of the state of Gujarat in Western India, lies on the west bank of the Sabarmati river about 32 km from Ahmedabad. The city is named after the Father of the Nation, "Mahatma Gandhi". It is a major center of learning in Gujarat. Many educational institutes have sprung up in the city, which provide knowledge in different fields like science, medicine and engineering. It is also famous for "Akshardham Temple". Gandhinagar is situated about 32 kms. north of Ahmedabad on the west banks of the Sabarmati river. Gandhinagar is the new state capital of Gujarat after Ahmedabad. Gandhinagar forms a striking contrast to Ahmedabad, with big broad avenues and lots of greenery. When the old state of Bombay was divided along the linguistic lines into Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960, Bombay city fell to the share of Mahrashtra. It was then decided to build an entirely new capital for Gujarat. Ahmedabad became the capital of Gujarat and later a new capital city was planned for Gujarat. In the spirit of independence, this new administrative centre was named after the state's most famous son, Mahatma Gandhi as Gandhinagar. As with Chandigarh, Le Corbusier was instrumental in design. The numbered sectors are similarly impersonal. Its construction began in 1965 and the secretariat was moved here in 1970. It is the India's second largest city after Chandigarh. This is where state politicians live in large well fortified houses. Gandhinagar presents the spacious, well-organised look of an architecturally integrated city. Tourist Attraction in Gandhinagar The main tourist attraction in Gandhinagar is the Akshardham Temple. The Akshardam temple is one of the famous temple in Gandhinagar. This temple belongs to the wealthy Hindu Swaminarayan Group. The other tourist attractions in Gandhinagar are the Capital Complex, Children's Park, Sarita Udyan and Craftsmen's Village. The Adalaj Stepwell is famous for its unique architecture with a huge artistic edifice and a flight of steps that enables one to reach the water, whatever be its level. The Adalaj stepwell is considered to be the best of all stepwells in Gujarat.  The main tourist attractions in Gandhinagar are the Akshardham Temple, Capital Complex, Children's Park, Sarita Udyan, Craftsmen's Village and Adalaj Stepwell. Akshardham Temple The Akshardam temple is one of the famous temple in Gandhinagar. This temple belongs to the wealthy Hindu Swaminarayan Group, the richest sect in the world. This temple was built by nearly 1000 artisans. It is an elaborately carved building constructed out of 6000 tonnes of pink sandstone with beautiful carvings and surrounded by the manicured lawns, perfect trees and admirable fountains. In September 2002, this temple was attacked by the terrorists. Capital Complex In the heart of the capital, in Sector 10, is the well laid out complex of buildings housing the legislature and government offices. Vithalbhai Patel Bhavan, a magnificent domed building, stands majestically on a high podium in the centre of a circular lake and houses the Vidhan Sabha and the legislature offices. Flanking it, and linked by hanging corridors, are two modern multi-storeyed buildings. Sardar Bhavan, which houses the various departments of the State Secretariat, and Narmada Bhavan, where the offices of all the heads of departments are situated. The Secretariat along with the offices of the heads of various departments are now located in a complex of three-storeyed buildings constructed to house the district offices, in sector 9.  Craftsmen's Village Located near Gandhinagar, on the Sabarmati river back, is Pethapur village, only 7 kms from the capital. Once famous for its colourful `Bandhani' saris, the village also used to export wooden printing blocks to Singapore. The wooden blocks, with exquisite patterns carved on them, are used for the hand-printing of cloth. They are still in demand among the people. Some of the printing centres in India are Ahmedabad, Bombay, Jetpur and Rajkot. The Pethapur craftsmen are mainly Gujjar Suthars. Adalaj Step Well Adalaj Step Well, the architectural marvel, is situated about 15 kms from the capital on the National Highway. This well is famous for its unique architecture with a huge artistic edifice and a flight of steps that enables one to reach the water, whatever be its level. The Adalaj Step Well is considered to be the best of all step wells in Gujarat. Children's Park Children's Park is a major attraction for children and holiday makers. The Children's Park has a mini train and a lake with boating facilities. Sarita Udyan In sector 9 and along the river front is the lovely Sarita Udyan, an ideal spot for picnickers. The entire area is being developed to provide full recreational facilities. Deer Park - Adjacent to Sarita Udyan, at Indroda village, on the outskirts of the capital city, is the sprawling deer park, a big draw for both children and adults. How to reach Gandhinagar By Air  The nearest airport is Ahmedabad. By Rail  The nearest railway station are Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. By Road  Gandhinagar is connected to the various cities of Gujarat like Ahmedabad, Baroda, Patan. Adalaj Step-Well The Adalaj step-well is a popular tourist attraction of the city and is situated 18 km. south of Gandhinagar. The well was built in 1499 A.D. by Queen Rudabai. The step well or Vav, as it is called in Gujarati, is intricately carved and is several stories in depth. The designs on its walls and pillars include, leaves, flowers, birds, fish and other breathtaking ornamental designs. In the past, these step wells were frequented by travellers and caravans as stopovers along trade routes. There is an opening in the ceilings above the landing which allows the light and air to enter the octagonal well. However, direct sunlight does not touch the flight of steps or landings except for a brief period at noon. Hence some researchers say that the atmosphere inside the well is six degrees cooler than the outside. Another remarkable feature of this stepwell is that out of the many stepwells in Gujarat, it is the only one with three entrance stairs. All three stairs meet at the first storey, underground in a huge square platform, which has an octagonal opening on top. The vav is a spectacular example of Indo-Islamic architecture and design. Top Akshardham Temple Akshardham Gandhinagar is one of the largest temples in the Indian state of Gujarat. The temple complex combines devotions, art, architecture, education, exhibitions and research at one place. It was inaugurated on November 2, 1992, during the centenary celebrations of Yogiji Maharaj. The complex is very popular among tourists visiting Gujarat. The monument enshrining the seven foot high, gold-leafed Murti of Lord Swaminarayan is the focal point of the complex. The majestic, intricately carved stone structure stands amid sprawling gardens. Six thousand tonnes of pink sandstone was used in building the monument which is regarded as an architectural masterpiece. The structure measures 108 feet (33 m) in height, 240 feet (73 m) in length and 131 feet (40 m) in width. The colonnade around the monument is 1,751 feet (534 m) in length. Amarnath Dham Amarnath Dham is situated on a eye-catching panorama of Sabarmati river-bank at Amarapur village in Gandhinagar. Amarnath Dham is divine and world's first 'CAVE-TEMPLE'. There is a 5 feet high 'shiv-ling' (ICE-LINGAM) of pure ice. The pious icelingan of Amarnath Dham is available for worship through out the year. Capital Complex in Gandhinagar City In the heart of the capital, in Sector 10, is the well-laid-out complex of buildings housing the legislature and government offices. Vithalbhai Patel Bhavan, a magnificent domed building, stands majestically on a high podium in the centre of a circular lake and houses the Vidhan Sabha and the legislature offices. Flanking it, and linked by hanging corridors, are two modern multi-storeyed buildings. Sardar Bhavan, which is to house the various departments of the State Secretariat, and Narmada Bhavan, where the offices of all the heads of departments are situated. The Secretariat along with the offices of the heads of various departments are now located in a complex of three-storeyed buildings constructed to house the district offices, in sector 9. Children's Park Children's Park is one of the most sought after parks in the capital. It is a good picnic spot for families and kids. The main attraction of the park is the mini train and the lake with boating facility. Craftsmen's Village Craftsmen's Village is located at a distance of merely 7 km from the capital. The city is famous for its Bandhani Sarees. It is also known for its wooden blocks carved with exquisite designs for hand printing on cloth. The skilled craftsmanship of these villagers is still in great demand in other textile centers of the state. It is a good place to buy saris and hand printed material at reasonable prices. Deer Park Deer Park is situated just adjacent to Sarita Udyan, on the outskirts of the city. It serves as the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. The park is quite popular amongst both the young and the old, alike. Hanuman Temple The Hanuman Temple in Gandhinagar is one of the major tourist attractions for Hanuman is believed to be a very powerful God. The idol here in this temple is the statue of Hanuman with a mountain on his shoulder. The temple is visited by lot of devotees and tourists on Tuesdays and Saturdays. This temple is located in the centre of the city at a very convenient place which can be accessed by any mode of transport. The central sanctum of the temple has a 13 feet high idol of Shri Simandhar Swami weighing 18 tones. The idol of His shaashan dev Shri Chandrayan Yaksh and devi Shri Panchanguli Yakshini are also placed. It also houses the idols of Shri RushabhDev Bhagwan, Shri Ajitnath Bhagwan , Shri Parshwanath Bhagwan and Shri Mahaveer Bhagwan, Shri Chakreshwari Devi and Shri Padmavati Devi. The first sanctum of the trimandir includes the Shivling, Parvati Devi, Hanumanji and Ganpatiji whereas the third temple includes Shri Yogeshwar Krishna Bhagwan, Tirupati Balaji Shri Shrinathji, Shri Bhadrakali Mataji and Shri Amba Mataji. Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park The Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park in the Gandhinagar in the state of Gujarat, India, has been described as the second largest hatchery of dinosaur eggs in the world. The Park was set up by the Geological Survey of India and is the only dinosaur museum in the country. The Park is run by the Gujarat Ecological and Research Foundation (GEERI) and is regarded as India's Jurassic Park. Several fossilised dinosaur eggs and skeletal parts have been found here. The fossils which were found in Upper Cretaceous formations in the region date back 65 million years ago. The eggs are of different sizes, some the size of cannon balls. Fossil trackways of these gargantuan animals are also on display in the park. Mahudi Jain Temple This derasar, considered to be one of the most sacred Jain pilgrimages, is situated in Mahudi, Mehsana District, and spreads over an area of 2 square kilometers. In ancient times, the place was known as Madhumati. The idols and artistic remains recovered from the ground show that the history of this place is nearly 2000 years old, based on the inscriptions in Brahmi script. Acharyadev Buddhi Sagarsurisvarji was inspired in a dream to install the idol of Ghantakarna Mahavir Dev in 1923 A.D. This idol is considered to have miraculous powers. Thousands of Jain devotees, as well as devotees from other backgrounds, come to receive blessings from this idol. Ghantakarna Mahavir was a Kshatriya (warrior) king named Tungabhadra in his previous birth and considered to be the protector of the less fortunate. So even today his idol carries his weapons a bow and arrow. It is always said that in his previous birth he was very fond of sukhadi, and so there is a tradition of all visitors offering sukhadi to him during the prayer. However, it is believed that the sukhadi should be consumed or donated before leaving the premises, otherwise it might bring bad luck. Sarita Udyan Sarita Udyan is another picnic spot along the Sabarmati River. It is an ideal destination for a delightful picnic. There are a number of recreational facilities available here for the entertainment of the visitors. Trimandir A gorgeous non-sectarian trimandir inspired by Akram Vignani Pujya Dada Bhagwan has taken shape at Adalaj on the outskirts of Gandhinagar. The followers of Pujya Dada Bhagwan from all over the world gathered to celebrate the Pranpratistha from 25th to29th December 2002. The central sanctum of the temple has a 13 feet high idol of Shri Simandhar Swami weighing 18 tones. The idol of His shaashan dev Shri Chandrayan Yaksh and devi Shri Panchanguli Yakshini are also placed. It also houses the idols of Shri RushabhDev Bhagwan, Shri Ajitnath Bhagwan , Shri Parshwanath Bhagwan and Shri Mahaveer Bhagwan, Shri Chakreshwari Devi and Shri Padmavati Devi. The first sanctum of the trimandir includes the Shivling, Parvati Devi, Hanumanji and Ganpatiji whereas the third temple includes Shri Yogeshwar Krishna Bhagwan, Tirupati Balaji Shri Shrinathji, Shri Bhadrakali Mataji and Shri Amba Mataji. Other Places Punit Van - A Botanical garden including walking track, developed by Gandhinagar Administration. Gandhinagar Townhall and Central Library, Dholeshwar Mahadev Temple, Jakshini Devi Temple, Central Vista Garden, GH-4 Circle Fountain etc.