Tour Name : GUJARAT TEMPLE & HERITAGE TOUR
Duration - TOUR CODE #003 / 9 NIGHTS / 10 DAYS
Destination Covered : BHAVNAGAR / PALITANA / GONDAL / SOMNATH / DIU / PORBANDAR / DWARKA / AHMEDABAD

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Ahmedabad - Bhavnagar :
Arrival at AHMEDABAD meets, great & proceed for Bhavnagar. On arrival, check into hotel. In the evening visit of Takhteshwar temple of lord shiva, temple was named of Maharaja Takht sinh Ji. Temple was located on hill & made of marbles. Gandhi smriti, an institute, library, museum & gallery of photographs represent the life of Gandhi. Barton library & museum is a collection of Colonel Barton, An important British representative in Saurashtra. Coin collection is the attraction of this museum. Overnight stay Nilambag Palace at Bhavnagar.

Day 2: Bhavnagar – Palitana – Bhavnagar :
Early Morning after breakfast drive to PALITANA (56 Kms), check in to hotel. Visit of PALITANA Jain temple. PALITANA is one of the India’s most pilgrim centers. The 600-metre climb to Shatrunjaya is usually on foot. Lift chairs (Dolly’s) are also available. Mount Shatrunjaya hardly a kilometer away from the town, which on both sides by minor temples, include museums. The mountain is associated with Rishabhdev, the first Tirthankar, also known as Adinath. Overnight stay Bhavnagar.

Day 3: Bhavnagar - Gondal :
Morning breakfast & proceed to GONDAL (160 Kms), check in to the Orchard Palace, Evening visit of Naulakha palace is a festival of stone carvings with balconies. It gift for Maharaja Bhagwat Sinh Ji on his silver jubilee as ruler of GONDAL. Visit of vintage car collection, have a collection of several vintage and classical cars including a 1910 new engine with so many imposing American cars of the 1940s. Overnight stay Orchard Palace at GONDAL

Day 4: Gondal – Somnath :
Morning visit of SwamiNarayan Temple, Bhuvneshvary Ayurvedic Library, which makes the herbal medicines according to ancient principals. In the noon drive to SOMNATH (140 Kms) via Junagadh, In Somnath visit of Somnath Temple – A lord shiva temple known as Jyotirling built by Moon God. Overnight stay hotel Kaveri / Park / Keshodwala / Safari Resort at VERAVAL.

Note: No such good accommodation is available at VERAVAL. All are of similar categories.

Day 5 : Somnath – Diu :
After B/F proceed for Diu. visit of Diu Fort & beach. The fort has canons, which reminds one of the struggles between bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat, Mughal emperor & the Portuguese. Later visit Diu includes st.Paul Church which is founded by Jesuits, Diu Museum which is collection of wooden carving, idols, shadow clocks & so many other items. In the evening visit of Beaches. O/N diu.

Day 6 : Diu – Porbandar – Dwarka :
Morning procced to Porabandar(130 Kms) visit of Kirti temple knoen as house & born place of Mahatma Gandhi. In back side house of Kasturba wife of Gandhi. Also visit of Gandhi museum, study room of Mahatma Gandhi in the Kirti temple. Later visit of Sudama temple & continue procced to Dwarka. Evening Aarti Darshan at Dwarkadhish Temple. O/n stay at Dwarka.

Day 7 : Dwarka :
Attend early morning aarti at Dwarkadhish temple. Have breakfast & thereafter visit Bet Dwarka & Nageshwar Jyotirling.
Bet Dwarka
Also known as Bet Shankhoddar, Bet Dwarka is only 5 kms from Okha Junction in sea and Okha is 30 kms from Dwarka. It is said to be the place where Lord Krishna lived with his family when the ruled at Dwarka. It is also the place where Vishnu slew the demon Shankhasura. Visitors make it a point to visit the Krishna temple at this site which holds much of interest to be seen and experienced.
Nageswar Mahadev
The Puranas mention 12 Jyotirlingas or columns of light representing Lord Shiva, who manifested himself in that form in different parts of India. This shiva shrine near Dwarka is one of these and is there- fore accorded great respect.
Rukmani Temple – Temple of Lord Krihsna’s wife.

O/n stay at Dwarka.

Day 8 : Dwarka – Ahmedabad :
After B/F proceed for Ahmedabad. Enroute visit Jamnagar, visit of Bala Hanuman Temple is a pilgrim place venerated by the devotees of Lord Ram. It is a world famous temple, known for the continuous chanting of Jai Ram, Shri Ram. The chanting is going on since 1964 and has found a place for it in the Guinness Book of World Records. People chant the name of the Lord in shifts, 24 hours a day.

On arrival, check into hotel. O/n stay at Ahmedabad.

Day 9 : Ahmedabad :
After B/F visit Akshardham temple - Akshardham is situated in the capital city of Gandhinagar, which lies near Ahmedabad. The magnificent temple is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan. It was constructed on the directions of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS Sanstha. The complex of this temple is the largest in Gujarat. Akshardham temple was inaugurated in the year 1992 and has become a major tourist attraction in India, during the last decade. It has a sprawling 23 acre area and is chiseled out in pink sandstone. Later visit Iskon Temple - This temple depicts Lord Krishna with his beloved lover Radha, who isregarded as the epitome of true love. Also called as the Hare Krishna Temple, The Swetambara Temple Hatheesing temple was built outside delhi gate in 1850 by a rich jain merchant Sheth Hatheesing. This is the best known of Ahmedabad’s many ornate jain temples. It is dedicated to Dharamnath, the fifteenth Tirthankar whose status stand in the main sanctuary Built by pure marble profusely decirated with rich carving, Gandhi Ashram The beautiful ashram complex of Ahmedabad, with shady trees populated by thousand of paraketers, Beaters, sunbirds, squirells, offers a refuge from the loud streets of the city and is one of the foremost tourist attraction of Ahmedabad. This ashram was Gandhi’s headqquartersduring the long struggle for Indian independence. His ashram was founded in 1915 and still makes handicrafts, handmade paper and spinning wheels. This ashram is open from 8.30 AM to 6.30 PM. Overnight at hotel.

Day 10 : Depart from Ahmedabad for Onward Journey.