Gujarat has a strong hold of Jainism. It is also the home of Father of Nation — Mahatma Gandhi, the land of gentle and most enterprising people. Gujaratis are today a thriving business community in the country. The present state of Gujarat came into being on 1^st May 1960.

   Most spoken languages are Gujarati, Marathi and Hindi.

   The rivers of the state are Narmada, Tapi, Sabarmati, Mahi.

   Gandhinagar is the capital of the state. It is only the second state capital after Chandigarh to be planned and built ‘from zero’. It is divided into 30 sectors built around Central Government complex and several parks.

   Ahmadabad, on the river Sabarmati, was built by Sultan Ahmed Shah. It is a industrialised city, textile mills occupying the top slot. Places of interest include the Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram, Shaking Minarets, Sarkhej Roza complex, Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, Hutheesing Jain Temple, Dada Hari and Adalaj Vavs (step wells), Akshardham Hindu Temple, the Indian Institute of Management, the National Institute of Design, and Kankaria Lake.

   You can visit the pre-independence princely states and principalities of Jamnagar, Bhuj, Bhavnagar, Junagadh (Junagarh), Porbandar (the city and the birth place of Gandhiji), Vadodara, Wankaner, Surat, and Rajkot ancestral home of Gandhiji, and Pavagadh — an ancient capital. All of them have interesting forts, exquisite palaces, places of worship and other monuments. Lothal, the 4000 year old Harappan civilisation, and the Dabhoi ruins talk of the antiquity of this land.

   Among religious sites you can visit Dwarka, that is famous for the Krishna legend that is one of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrim centres, and Ambaji, Kotishwar, Shamlaji, Suklatirth, and Dakor, are marked by temples and annual fairs. Also there are The Sun Temple of Modhera whose deity is illuminated by the rays of the rising Sun; Palitana’s 863 temples in bone white marble, set atop the Shatrunjaya Hills, Somnath, one of the 12 most sacred Shiva shrines in India and the venerated tomb of the Muslim Angar Pir.

   The long coastline offers a string of beaches for sunning, bathing, swimming, or simply relaxing — Chorwad, Dumas, Kandla, Hazira, Ubhrat, Tithal, and Veraval. Saputara is a hill station in the tribal belt of Dangs.

   Among wildlife sanctuaries and national parks can be listed Greater Rann of Kuchchh (Kutch) Wild Ass Sanctuary, home to the rare and beautiful Onagers, Little Rann of Kutchchh bird sanctuary, Gir National Park, home to the last of the Asiatic lions, and four-horned antelope, Nal Sarovar, a water-bird sanctuary and Velavadar.

   Another possibly interesting places in Gujarat: Anand — biggest Dairy Project, Mahasena — Dairy centre, Patan — patola handloom silks.