Somnath Temple
The Somnath Temple (Gujarati:સોમનાથ મંદિર) located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is the most sacred of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of (the) Moon God". The Somnath Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having been destroyed six times and rebuilt six times. Most recently it was rebuilt in November 1947, when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel visited the area for the integration of Junagadh and mooted a plan for restoration. After Patel’s death, the rebuilding continued under K. M. Munshi, another minister of the Government of India.
Read more ..
Gir Forest
The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Sasan-Gir and गिर वन) is a forest and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India. Established in 1965, with a total area of 1412 km² (about 258 km² for the fully protected area (the National Park) and 1153 km² for the Sanctuary), the park is located 65 km to the south-east of Junagadh.
It is the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) and is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species. The ecosystem of Gir, with its diverse flora and fauna, is protected as a result of the efforts of the Government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs. The forest area of Gir and its lions were declared as "protected" in the early 1900s by the then Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh. This initiative assisted in the conservation of the lions whose population had plummeted to only 15 through slaughter for trophy hunting.
Read more ..
Kutch
Kutch district (also spelled as Kutch or Kachchh) (Gujarati: કચ્છ જિલ્લો, Sindhi: ڪڇ ضلو) is a formerly-independent district of Gujarat state in western India. Covering an area of 45,612 km², it is the largest district of India.
Kachchh literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; a large part of this district is known as Rann of Kachchh which is shallow wetland which submerges in water during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. The same word is also used in the languages of Sanskrit origin for a tortoise and garments to be worn while having a bath. The Rann is famous for its marshy salt flats which become snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains. [Read more]
