Junagadh
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Junagadh was the capital of
the Junagadh state under the
Muslim rulers of Babi Nawabs.
In Gujarati, "Junagadh"
means an ancient fort. The
word "Junagadh" is made up
of two words, Juna and Garh
where Juna means old and
Garh means a fort. The town
of Junagadh takes its name
from the fort that enclosed
the medieval town. Junagadh
is situated in the
Saurashtra region at the
foothills of the sacred
hill, the Mount Girnar and
occupies a special place in
the history of Gujarat. The
town of Junagadh is
beautiful with very wide
streets, arches, shopping
arcades and cool gardens.
Its splendour is more like
an English factory city
rather than a city in the
remote corner of Gujarat. The
14 rock edicts 257-56 BC of
the great Emperor Ashoka,
inscription by King Rudradaman
(150 AD) and Skandagupta (456
AD) are the proof of
importance of Junagadh from
the ancient times.
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This city was home to one of
the great poets of India, Narsinh Mehta.
Various ancient temples,
museums, palaces and caves
rich in myth and legends are
the major interesting
monuments located in
Junagadh. |
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History of Junagadh
The history of Junagadh is
chequered by the rule of the
Mauryans, Kashatrapas,
Guptas, Vallabhas,
Chaudasamas, Gujarat Sultans
and Babi Nawab. In the
earlier periods, Junagadh
was under the influence of
four major religions mainly,
Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and
Muslims. Both political
powers and religious
influences enriched the
culture and created
fantastic edifices leaving
their mark on the
architecture of Junagadh.
The Babi ruler of Junagadh,
Nawab Mahobat Khan II
(1851-82 AD) beautified
Junagadh and patronized the
construction of several
buildings and urban design
projects like Aina Mahal,
Circle Chowk with clock
tower and Dewan Chowk. Some
of the other buildings of
the Nawabi period are the
Bahauddin College,
Manoranjan Guest House,
Mahobat Madresa (Narsi Vidya
Mandir) and the maqbaras
(mausoleums) of the royal
family. All the
architectural elements are
highly decorative and
reminds one, of the last
phase of architecture of
Lucknow.
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Tourist attractions
in Junagadh
The most important
tourist attraction in Junagadh
is the remarkable Uparkot Fort
(Upper Fort). Over the
centuries, enemies had laid
siege to this fort but it
remained impregnable. The walls
of the fort are as high as 70
feet. Some Buddhist caves are
also situated in Junagadh which
show that there might have been
a monastery here before its
regal history began. Another
attraction in Junagadh are the
14 rock edicts (257- 56 BC) of
the great emperor Ashoka which
are inscribed on a huge stone in
Pali script. His 14 edicts in
Pali are exhortations to virtue
and assurances that he, “the
Beloved of the Gods”, is looking
after all his subjects. Other
important place in Junagadh is
the Mount Girnar. Mount Girnar
is one of the hills which is
most sacred to the Jain
community. One of the largest
and the oldest, 12th century
temple dedicated to Neminath is
situated on this hill. Besides
this, the Bhavnath temple
dedicated to Lord Shiva and the
temple of Amba Mata are also
situated on this hill.
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How to reach there:
By Air:
The nearest airport is located at
Keshod and Porbandar which are about
40 and 113 kms. respectively.
By Rail:
The railway station is located on
the Ahmedabad – Junagadh and Rajkot
– Junagadh line.
By Road:
Junagadh is connected with various
major cities in Gujarat like Rajkot,
Porbandar and Ahmedabad. |
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