Gandhidham Sightseeing, Quick Facts, History, Packages, Tours & Excursions

Sightseeing highlights:

Gandhidham has some remarkable temples and one monument dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, which is worth visiting. Other interesting sights in Gandhidham include the Khavada handicrafts village and the Flamingo colony. Khavada is a famous tourist spot known for its handicrafts and cattle rearing in Banni. Go to Flamingo colony by road or camel. A famous Jain pilgrimage centre, Bhardeshwari, is an exquisite piece of architecture as the deity is visible from the ground floor as well as the first floor. Another temple, the Purneshwar temple dates back to the 9^th and 10^th century. Other attractions include a stepwell, a mosque and a quaint palace.

Modhera is another town close by built in early 11th century in the western Indian Solanki style. Modhera's Sun temple is one of the finest examples of Indian temple architecture of its period situated at a village 20 kms from Mehsana. Built in 1026 A.D., the temple is dedicated to the Sun-God, Surya and stands high on a plinth overlooking a deep stone-steeped tank. The temple is magnificently carved with gods and goddesses, birds, beasts and flowers.

Tourism Info:

Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited

Udhyog Bhavan

Block No. 16, 4^th Floor, Sector 11,

Gandhinagar - 382 011

Phone: 91-79-23222523 23222645, 23220002

Fax: 91-79-23222189-23238908

E-mail: gujtour@icenet.net, ps2md-tcgl@gujarat.gov.in, ps2jtmn-tcgl@gujarat.gov.in

Ahmedabad initially came to be the capital of Gujarat state, when the old state of Bombay was split into Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960. However, a new capital was planned 32 km north-east on the west bank of the Sabarmati. Gandhinagar, named so after Mahatma Gandhi, who was born in Gujarat, is India's second planned city after Chandigarh and, like that city, is laid out in numbered sectors. Built in the 1950s, it was made for the exclusive purpose of being venue for relocation of refugees pouring in from Sindh, Pakistan as a consequence of the partition of India.  It is now a major commercial city and municipality of the Kutch region of Gujarat.

Gandhidham was originally a barren land full of dangerous reptiles and creatures. And since a major part of the population were either refugees or labourers it was a huge challenge to meet the monetary demands of the development of this town and the residents had to compromise a lot. However over the years there has been a significant growth of this town and it is now thriving because of the nearby port Kandla and industrial growth in the region.