Gujarat is one of the prominent states of India, which has evolved as the most promising contender to other states in fields of business, economy, industry etc. This land is more famous for its religious pillars which have been balancing the legacy and ethnicity of this soil.
Gujarat is the western most state of India. It is the bordering state of the nation, facing Pakistan on its north-western side and fondles the Davy Jone's Locker of Arabian sea on its south-western side. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli are its neighbouring states. Some of the monikers bestowed upon this auspicious soil are Saurashtra, Lata, Pratichya and Varuna. Gandhinagar is the capital city of this coastal region.
Geography
Gujarat, being close to the Thar desert and also to the Arabian sea, has a versatile topography including climate and soil. While one part of the region is fertile due to the influence of rivers and sea, the other part is deserted and arid due to the presence of the Thar desert. The peninsular tract which is more famous as Saurashtra is mainly dominated by the hilly terrain. The Kutch region of this state, which embraces the great Rann is a jagged and petrified. However, nature has always had a soft corner for this state and has gifted this soil with some of the fertile most rivers such as Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Damanganga, Rukmavati etc. The forests of this landscape has always been the abode to various wild life habitats including black bucks, chitals, nilgai, wild boar, hyenas, antelopes etc.
History
Gujarat can be considered to be the soul witness of every mythological incident that had taken place. The great Somnath temple of the state is believed to be the witness to the creation of the world. This place shares a pivotal place in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. Lord Krishna had spent some of the prominent years of his life in the Dwarka region of this state. Besides the mythological concept, the history of this land dates back to 5th century A.D, when Gurjars, the native clans migrated and settled here. However, the history is more archaic, as traces of the Harappan and the Indus Valley Civilisation have been found here. But the real bygone times started when the Mauryan empire, Chandragupta Maurya conquered and ruled over this place. This legacy was maintained by his successors Ashoka, Vikramaditya and Skandagupta. The Gurjars belonging to the Solanki clan led their foundation 960 A.D and ruled till 1243 A.D. The Solanki ruler, Bhimdev had built the famous Somnath Temple. This dynasty eventually saw downfall and was succeeded in later years by the Yadavas followed by Chalukyas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas. Karandev, the ruler of Vaghela empire was the last Hindu king to rule over Gujarat. The soil then sustained scars given by the Muslim intruders. The Mughals had initially landed on this region with an excuse of having trade relations, but gradually took control over the soil. Allauddin Khilji was the first Mughal ruler to establish his dynasty. The Muslims then ruled over this place for 400 years. Zafar Shah, Ahmed Shah, Mahmud Shah were some of the vivacious rulers of those period, who are much famous for their cruelty and barbarism in the history. However, the Muslim rule came to an end in 1758, when the last survivor, Momin Khan got defeated on the hands of the Marathas. Saurashtra flourished and witnessed a new sunshine under the administration of the great Maratha emperor, Chatrapati Shivaji.
Tourism
Gujarat has some of the major attractions both for the meddlesome tourists and for pilgrims which include Somnath Temple, Dwarka, Pavagadh, Taranga, Porbandar which is the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi, Patan, Siddhpur Ghurnli, Modhera, Ahmedabad, Saputara, Ambaji, Bhadreshwar, Shamlaji, Dabhoi, Mandvi beach, Gir forest etc. These spots not only satisfy the curiosity of the meddlesome visitors, but also touch the soul of pilgrims who come here in quest of peace and harmony.
