Tushar's Trip to Gujarat, India

Somnath Temple is one of the very ancient temples of India located in Gujarat  and stands as a famous landmark in the Indian history.  The temple is so situated that there is no land from here to the South Pole. An arrow indicates the direction.   Somnath Temple  Slide show 

10/25/2024 Second Heritage  Walk with Madhu Jan 14 2013 First Heritage walk with CN HS friends The old, walled city of Ahmedabad is a contrast to the new city that’s known for its spic and span environs, well laid out roads and dedicated bus lanes, A visitor can choose morning or evening heritage walks, organised either by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation or private players like the House of MG.  The old city has around 360 ‘pols’ or gates with the Mahurat Pol being the first. Each pol, in some cases suffixed with ‘khadki’, leads into a small housing colony where people pursuing different vocations used to live. The deep division of social strata is evident from some of the names, for example ‘Khacharasi ni Khadki’ or where the sweepers and rag pickers lived. The old city throws up magnificent Jain temples, densely populated market areas and many structures bound to pique tourist interest. The guides will not miss pointing out at the old Ahmedabad Share and St...

I am  fast forwarding from   2500 BC to  300  BC.   From Lothal to Ashok's Shila Lekh . History lovers can visit the Ashok Shilalekh or the rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka.  They may see  a jackpot in this  rock. It gives  an unique  connection to India's Past. I f you are  an Indian or know tid-bits of the Indian history, then you must know " Chakravarti Samraat Ashok"  from Maurya dynasty and his writings on stones known as " Ashoka Stambh ". Indian  national symbol have been taken from it About 2 km east of Junagadh and 3 km from the foot of Girnar Hill, between the two places, is an edict of Emperor Ashoka inscribed on a rock dating from the 3rd century BC. The Ashokan edicts impart moral instructions on dharma, harmony, tolerance, and peace. An uneven rock, with a circumference of seven meters and a height of ten meters, bears inscriptions in Brāhmī script etched with an iron pen. I t is interesting to note ...

Photo album link for Lothal  Lothal is  one of the most fascinating  remains  of  an  ancient  port city from the  Indus civilization (  3300–1300 BCE; mature period 2600–1900 BCE) .  The place    was discovered   in 1958  Dr. Rao from the  archaeological  society of India.  Lothal is    the  exhibit- A   of the  existence of    life  and advanced  civilization thriving  in Gujarat  in prehistoric or geologic times  ..  The place is only 80 KM form  Ahmadabad. Lothal is one   the oldest man-made structure and city  on the planet.  Per   Wikipedia's list of the oldest  man-made  structures ,  only two structures pre-dates that. (The wiki list of the oldest man-made structures is not updated with the   new archaeological find in the Orkney Islands off the northern tip of Scotland ...

I  am neither  a history  buff  nor  a travel  buff.   However  I  always find myself enticed most  by both of them.   It is  said, heritage is the  essential part if the present we live in; and of the future we  built.  I  marvel at the immense  repository  of  history through five millenniums, cultures and  traditions,  religions diversity and  knowledge. History in Indian subcontinent  is  invariably associated  with the  parallel track of  history through mythology. Gujarat is the place of power of Lord Krishna who  ruled his kingdom from the port city  of  Dwarka.  Gujarat is also the birth place of  father of the nation of  India, Mahatma Gandhi and  of Pakistan   Muhammad Ali Jinnah ( along with mine   ) along with some of the most leading entrepreneurs  of India li...