West India · Gujarat
Junagadh, Gujarat
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
Girnar's ~10,000 steps are a pilgrimage for Jains and Hindus alike; the ropeway now covers most of the climb. Gir's lions are ~60 km away.
About Junagadh
- Hills
Where it is
Junagadh is a city in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, at the foot of the Girnar hills and not far from the Gir forest, home of the Asiatic lion.
History
An inscribed boulder here carries edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka from the 3rd century BCE, and the Uparkot fort is traditionally dated to Mauryan times. The city was later the seat of the Chudasama kings until the Gujarat Sultanate took it in 1472, and from the 18th century until 1947 it was ruled by the Babi nawabs.
People
Junagadh speaks Gujarati, and the Kathiawadi countryside around it is known for its Gir Kesar mangoes, its Maldhari herders and its folk music. At Mahashivratri sadhus gather at Bhavnath, and in the month of Kartik pilgrims walk the Lili Parikrama round Girnar.
Known for
- Girnar hill and its Jain and Hindu shrines
- Ashoka's rock edicts
- Uparkot Fort and its stepwells
- Mahabat Maqbara
- The Mahashivratri fair at Bhavnath
Did you know?
A single boulder at Junagadh bears inscriptions of Ashoka, of the Saka ruler Rudradaman and of the Gupta emperor Skandagupta, spanning some seven centuries.
Shrines and sites
- Girnar hill
- Girnar ropeway
- Bhavnath Temple
- Uparkot Fort
Traditions
- Hindu
- Jain
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.