1- Laxmi Vilas Palace
Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III built this opulent palace in 1890. This stunning edifice is four times the size of Buckingham Palace and is still the private dwelling of the royal Gaekwads. At the time of its building, it proudly bragged of all modern amenities like elevators and similar other things. The ornate Durbar Hall hosts music concerts and cultural events. The palace premise houses many other buildings like Moti Baug Palace and Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum. Raja Ravi Varma’s works grace the museum.
2- Somnath Temple
One of the twelve jyotirlings, Somnath Temple is a famous pilgrimage point. This temple is known to have been destroyed and reconstructed many a time. The sheer opulence and wealth of the temple attracted the invaders and it was looted a dozen of times. The first temple was built in some unknown antique past later reconstructed by the Seuna kings of Vallavi. According to mythical accounts the Moon God (Soma) was cursed to lose his lustre. He regained back his health here after performing penance to Lord Shiva and bathing in the mythical Saraswati River here. This gave Lord Shiva the name “Somnath” (Lord of Moon god).
3- Akshardham Temple
This Hindu temple in Gandhinagar is a magnificent temple dedicated to Swaminarayan, his life and teachings. Sprawling over 23 acres of ground, 6000 metric tons of pink sandstone were used to build this beautiful temple. In the central hall, there is a tall idol of Swaminarayan in gold. There are other life size statues of the successors of Swaminarayan in marble. The followers worship Swaminarayan as God himself. The exhibition halls display various themes of Hinduism from Upanishad, Ramayana, Mahabharata and the likes.
4- Dwarkadhish Temple
Dedicated to Lord Krishna, this magnificently beautiful temple is a tourist magnet. ‘Dwarkadheesh’ means ‘Lord of Dwarka’. The ancient city served as the state capital of Lord Krishna. The main building is a five-storied building which rests on 72 pillars. Archeological findings attest it to be more than 2000 years old. It is believed that Lord Krishna’s grandson Vajranabha built this temple. One of the 108 Divya Desham of Lord Vishnu, it is also one of the four holy spots of ‘Bada Chardham’ after Adi Shankaracharya visited the temple.
5- Modhera Sun Temple
This temple is dedicated to Sun god, Surya. Situated on the bank of River Pushpavati, this beautiful edifice was built by Maharaja Bhimdev of Solanki dynasty in 1026 AD. Solankis are known to be the direct descendants of the Sun god, and hence called Suryavanshi. This temple was destroyed by Alauddin Khilji and the ruins are still reminiscent of the beauty it was once. No prayers are offered now in the temple and it is under ASI supervision.
6- Sardar Sarovar Dam
It is the largest multi-purpose dam on the Narmada River of the Narmada Valley project. The second largest concrete gravity dam in the world was built to supply water to more than 18,000 sq. km of the draught prone areas of Saurashtra and Kutch.
7- Great Rann of Kutch
Located mostly in Gujarat and southern Sindh of Pakistan, the splendidly beautiful salt marsh is a unique tourist spot of Gujarat and is an extension of Thar Desert. The marshy land is divided into two parts- the Great Rann of Kutch and the Little Rann of Kutch. The moonlit night in the Rann of Kutch looks simply magical as the white sands shine and create a mesmerizing view.
8- Gir National Park
Home of Asiatic lions, Sasan-Gir or Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1965 and is a fully protected area for the residing species. It was the hunting ground of the royals, but the sudden drop of the number of the lions impelled Nawab Muhammad Rasul Khanji Babi to declare it as protected zone.
9- Wild Ass Sanctuary
It is the largest wildlife sanctuary situated in Little Rann of Kutch. It is the only place in the world where the endangered Indian wild ass (Equus hemionus khur) is preserved in its own habitat. This biosphere reserve is a world heritage site.
10- Lothal
Located in Bhal region of Gujarat, this ancient city of Indus Valley civilization was a flourishing port in ancient times. In Gujarati, it means ‘Mount of the Dead”. It is the earliest known dock, thriving trade centre trading gems, beads and valuable ornaments.