Blogs from Gujarat, India, Asia

Gujarat state in western India is geographically and culturally divided in to at least four regions: Saurashtra, Kutchh, North Gujarat and South Gujarat (with Central Gujarat in between). I have lived in Saurashtra for 36 years and North Gujarat for 27 years. Interest in re-(re)-visiting some parts of Saurashtra is therefore natural. I have copied some information (mostly legends) from sources available on internet (not necessarily authentic – I have used them only because I liked the contents). I have also given links to these sources. You may use hyperlinks to read more about the place. I have not re-written the description wherever good source is available. Saurashtra (also known as Kathiawad) is further divided into different areas (which are more relevant historically): Halar (present day Jamnagar), Sorath (Junag... read more

You want to know how strong is color WHITE, well visit The Great Rann of Kutch !!!! My wife and me had this Trip in mind from long and we always wanted to visit White Desert and explore the nothingness around us... I made some inquiry about the Rann Utsav which normally starts in Nov and goes till Feb and found that the Tent City which is highly marketed by the Gujarat govt. is definitely an experience to look for but the cost..... Extortionate !!!! So when I checked they gave me a tariff of approx 10K per person per day, which means a 2 day trip to Rann Utsav with a partner would cost you 40K approximately. So, I thought of finding a competitive option to get this trip going. So, here you go..... Trip ... read more

From Goa I flew to Surat, where I met up with my first couchsurfer host: Archish. After he picked me up from the airport, we drove to the centre to have some breakfast. We had some idly (sort of rice cake) with coconut chutney and plain rwa (sort of crêpe). After finishing breakfast, we drove to his place. It was a long drive from Surat. We stopped somewhere to get some water and the man at that shop let me try some very sweet candy. My host has a farm in a small village, where he grows mango trees, rice, eggplant, ladies' finger & more. It was so nice, green and quiet. He showed me around the house first before going up to the water tower. There we had a great view over the farm, some ... read more

We decide to pass on Achalgarh fort; apparently there is nothing left of the fort and it is more of local rubbish tip. Instead we elect to first visit the Ambaji temple. Mr Singh commends our choice. He tells he and his wife and 4 year old son visit the temple each year. They queue for five hours to see the deity. We'll be passing on that queue. The road snakes down through the Aravalli hills, Mount Abu town being at about 4000ft above sea level. The views and the hairpin bends are impressive. The roads here are being improved and progress can be slow. We arrive in Ambaji, which appears to be in the middle of pilgrimage season. There are groups of pilgrims, mainly young men, dressed in red shirts with matching bandanas and flags. ... read more

After tea and biscuits at 715am, we start off to see the birds at the lake. It would be nice to report a good night’s sleep, but the beds were rock hard and the imam was ranting till past 1am. One of the other guests, an Indian expat living in New Zealand, tells us that the new mosque was built with Wahhabi money from Saudi Arabia, as are most new mosques in India. They bring a more fundamental form of Islam than Indian Muslims practise, and this can cause conflict both with local Muslims and with the Hindus. So it can become another source of tension between the communities. She said that over the last few years since the Wahhabis moved in, the number of little Hindu shrines has much increased in the village, as a ... read more