Gir

West India · Gujarat

Gir, Gujarat

The last home of the Asiatic lion · ~160-165 km from Rajkot

Getting there

By road

~160-165 km from Rajkot

By rail

Sasan Gir's own small station, right by the park; Junagadh (~55-80 km) and Veraval (~40-72 km) have more train connections

By air

Keshod Airport, ~50-90 km (limited flights); Rajkot (~160-175 km) has far more options

Best time to visit

December to March; park closed mid-June to mid-October

Don't miss

Gir safari zones

Kamleshwar Dam

Somnath an easy add-on

Things to do

Lion safaris at Sasan Gir

Devalia Park quick sightings

Crocodile point

Where to eat

Lodge kitchens' Kathiyawadi thalis; try ringan no olo

Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia, Photo: 0720reemagupta · CC BY-SA 4.0

What to pack

Neutral safari wear, binoculars, early-morning warm layer

A quieter corner

Maldhari cattle-herder settlements inside the sanctuary

About Gir

Forest

Where it is

Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary protects dry deciduous forest and scrubby hills in the Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, in the Junagadh, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts, with Sasan Gir as its gateway village.

History

The Gir forests were a hunting reserve of the Nawabs of Junagadh, who protected the last few Asiatic lions after hunting had nearly wiped them out by the early 20th century. Gir was declared a sanctuary in 1965, and careful protection since then has let the lions increase and spread beyond the park.

People

Maldharis, pastoral herders who keep buffalo and cattle, have lived in small settlements inside the forest for generations, and the Siddi community, of African descent, lives in villages around Gir. Gujarati is the main language.

Known for

Asiatic lions in the wild
Jeep safaris from Sasan Gir
Kamleshwar Dam and its crocodiles
Leopards and spotted deer in teak forest

Did you know?

Gir and the surrounding countryside of Saurashtra are the only place in the world where the Asiatic lion survives in the wild.