Junagadh is a ancient fortified city with a charming atmosphere and few tourists. Located at the base of the Girnar Hill, about 100 kms away from Rajkot, Junagadh is best known for the Uperkot Fort, Girnar Hill and Ashokan edicts among other tourist attractions.
The town which was previously called Girnar, is named after the fort that encloses the old city. (‘Juna’-old in Gujarati). The town has an interesting mix of architectural styles. Here you can wander around looking at the mosques, Ashokan edicts, Gothic archways, Jain & Hindu temples and exotic old buildings.
Tourist Attractions:
Uperkot Fort: Uperkot is an impressive fort built in 19 BC by Chandragupta. It was besieged 16 times over an 800-year period. The entrance has an ornate triple gateway leading to the ruins inside where lies the ‘Nilamtope’- a cannon acquired by the Nawab of Junagadh, the ‘Adi Chadi Vav’ and ‘Naughan Kuva’ – two interesting step wells and the Jami Masjid which was built from a demolished Hindu temple. 1500-year old Buddhist caves near the Jami Masjid are also worth a visit.
The Durbar Hall and Museum has an interesting collection of weapons, thrones, silver articles, costumes, paintings, tapestries, and palanquins on display. It is not far from the entrance to the fort.
Mahabat Maqbara , built in 1892, is a glorious mausoleum of Mahabat Khan I. It was built in the Indo Islamic style and has silver doors, minarets and a spiraling stairway.
On the way to the Girnar Hill 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, ten metres tall, bears inscriptions in Brahmi script.
The Girnar Hill is an important pilgrimage place for the Jains and there is a cluster of beautifully carved marble temples on top of the hill.. Since there are a number of important Hindu temples also, you can find many Hindu pilgrims trudging up the hill along with Jains Getting There: State Corporation and private buses connect Junagadh to Rajkot, Veraval, Porbandar, Una, Diu, Ahmedabad. and Udaipur.
