Somnath Temple, one of the oldest temples in India, has overlooked the Arabian Sea on the west coast of Gujarat since around the fifth century AD. The building has been destroyed and rebuilt at least six times since its first incarnation, a feat that only elevates its legendary status. It is considered the most sacred of 12 Jyotirlinga shrines to the God Shiva, and once a year, millions of worshipers make a pilgrimage to Somnath for a four-day celebration.
Gujarat was the birthplace and home state of Mahatma Gandhi, and many locations -- collectively known as the Gandhi Circuit -- have become monuments to the beloved father of Indian independence. Visitors honor Gandhi and learn about his life at Gandhi Ashram, the de facto headquarters for the nonviolent independence movement, and the place where Gandhi practiced spinning and weaving. A museum at the site displays documents, handwritten letters and other artifacts, and you are welcome to tour his humble living quarters. Kirti Mandir, the three-story home in the city of Porbandar in which Gandhi was born, is also open to the public and houses a small museum. In the town of Bardoli, the birthplace of the No Tax Movement, you can sit under the same mango tree where Gandhi declared his quest for a peaceful transition to independence for India.
Gujarat is the only place outside Africa where Asiatic lions live in the wild, and the best place for visitors to spot the endangered species is Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. The rugged, hilly park is also a habitat for other interesting creatures, including leopards, rusty spotted cats, civets, jackals and pangolins, as well as some 300 bird species. For the best chance of seeing lions in their natural habitat, spend at least a few days exploring the park with a guide. If you don't have a lot of time, head to the Gir Interpretation Zone, where a number of lions are in captivity.
In the cool highlands of southern Gujarat's Sahyadri mountain range is Saputara, the state's only hill station. The resort town offers numerous hotels, as well as scenic parks and a lake. The Saputara Tribal Museum introduces visitors to the interesting culture of the local Dang people; the Artist Village is a great place to see tribal art and artifacts, and purchase locally crafted souvenirs. A cable car takes you to the peak of Sunset Point for unmatched views over Saputara and its surrounding valleys, rivers and ridges. Nearby attractions include a wildlife sanctuary in the Mahal Bardipura forest and the Gira Waterfalls.
Gujarat was once the location of one of the world's largest known dinosaur hatcheries and a habitat for more than 13 dinosaur species -- a fact only discovered in the early 1980s. At Dinosaur Park Balasinor, budding paleontologists can see some of the best-preserved dinosaur eggs in the world and take a tour of the site's most interesting fossils. You can even hold a 65 million-year-old egg fossil.
