Gujarat is one of the most prosperous states of India. It is also culturally rich, highly industrialist in nature, and gives a major share in India’s GDP. The current Prime Minister and Home Minister of India are from Gujarat only. Still, somehow Gujarat has not got enough attention from various platforms of the country. When asked about major cities of Gujarat a very few can guess beyond the top three cities of the state.
So, here we are to give you a few of the most important details about the 7 major cities of Gujarat. Although there are many smaller cities and towns that also exist in the state, but to start with we have chosen those cities that have Municipal Corporations. Out of these 7 major cities of Gujarat, 4 of them are in the Saurashtra region, and the remaining are in the Gujarat region.
So, let’s begin our journey.
Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar is situated in the South-East region of Saurashtra and it has its own history. The historical facts suggest that Bhavnagar was established by Maharaj Bhavsinhji Gohil way back in 1724. Just like many other princely states, Bhavnagar too merged with India after the independence and it is believed that it was one of the first princely states to do so. The city of Bhavnagar is some 180 km away from the main city of Ahmedabad and it is not so far from the Bay of Khambhat.
Gangajalia, Nilambag Palace, Barton Library, Takhteshwar Mandir, and Darbar Hall are some of the attractions of Bhavnagar. Gujarat is known for the farsan called Ganthiya, and Bhavnagar is known to be called the inventor of Ganthiya in Gujarat.
Junagadh
With the Girnar hills on one side and the Gir forest where the Asiatic Lions have their home not so far from the city, Junagadh is probably one of the coolest places in Gujarat to visit. Junagadh is also known for the big Hindu sadhus’ ashrams and akhadas as Girnar is known to be home for Bhagavan Shiv. Every Shivratri the city of Junagadh hosts one of the biggest Shivratri melas in India. Places like Somnath, Gir, and Diu are not so far from Junagadh hence if you are visiting any of these places do not miss visiting Junagadh.
Girnar hill, Ambaji, Dattatreya and Jain Temples at the top of the Girnar hills, Narsinh Mehta No Choro, Damodar Kund, Ashok Shilalekh, Willingdon Dam, and City Museum are a few of the tourist attractions in Junagadh.
Jamnagar
Jamnagar is one of the oldest cities of Gujarat and it was modernized by Jam Saheb the ruler of Jamnagar. Previously Jamnagar was known as Navanagar State and it was one of the strongest princely states in Gujarat. Along with Vadinar, Rozi and Bedi Jamnagar is one of the port cities of India. Currently, the world’s largest oil refinery set up by Reliance Industries is also situated near Jamnagar at Khavdi. Celebrated Indian cricketer Ranjitsinhji, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja and current Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja are from the city of Jamnagar only.
Darbargadh Palace, Lakhoto Lake, Bala Hanuman Temple, Solarium, Dhanvantari Mandir, etc are a few of the must-visit places in Jamnagar.
Rajkot
Often considered to be the ‘Paris of Saurashtra’, Rajkot is situated right in the center of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. For many centuries Rajkot was ruled by Rajput dynasts and it was the capital of Saurashtra state before it got merged with Gujarat in 1960. Rajkot is one of the fastest-growing cities of Gujarat and it is an industrial hub for many industries especially for the pump industry. Mahatma Gandhi took his preliminary education in Rajkot and the city has two museums after him.
Alfred High-School or Mahatma Gandhi High School, Kaba Gandhi No Delo, Rashtriya Shala, Dolls Museum, Aji Dam, and the all-new cricket stadium just on the outskirts of the city are a few of the must-visit places of Rajkot.
Vadodara
Also formerly known as Baroda, was the Gaekwad state before the independence of India. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad was known as one of the most popular kings of India. The Gaekwad state was so huge that it was extended till today’s Navsari which is more than 200 kms from the current city boundaries of Vadodara. Vadodara is known for its culture and education. So many industries have been established within and also outside the city boundaries.
Pavagadh hills, Ajwa, Vadodara Museum, Maharaja Sayajirao University and Laxmi Vilas Palace are few of the popular tourist places in Vadodara.
Surat
Situated in the South Gujarat region Surat is considered to be one of the fastest-growing cities not only in India but also of the world in some of the recent surveys. Slowly but surely Surat is becoming the industrial and business hub of Gujarat. Proximity with the current business hub of India, Mumbai Surat is seeing a sudden growth in the industry for the last decade or two. Industries mostly related to clothes and diamonds are flourishing all over and outside the city. Surat is also known for its unique and delicious food verities.
Dumas beach, Science Center, Pandit Dindayal Indoor Stadium are a few of the tourist attractions of Surat.
Ahmedabad
The former capital city of Gujarat, Ahmedabad, or Amdavad is known for its industrious nature and hardworking people. Set on the banks of Sabarmati, where Mahatma Gandhi established two of his four Ashrams, Ahmedabad is well connected with almost all the parts of Gujarat. Textile, machinery, chemicals are a few of the main businesses of Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad also has its stock exchange and it was once called Manchester of India. Because of its proximity to the capital city of Gandhinagar Ahmedabad is also buzzed with political activities across the year. In 2017 Ahmedabad was declared as India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City.
Sabarmati River Front, Kankariya Lake, Kankariya Zoo, Akshardham Mandir Gandhinagar, Swaminarayan Mandir Kalupur, Science City, Narendra Modi Stadium and ISKCON Temples are a few must-visit places in Ahmedabad. Being the 7th largest city of India Ahmedabad has its own international air terminal which is called Sardar Patel International Airport, from which the city connects with the major cities across the world.
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