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

The main tourist attraction in Gandhinagar is the spectacular Akshardham temple.

Built by nearly 1000 artisans, it is an elaborately carved temple and gets scores of thousands of visitors every day. This imposing 10-storey-high, intricately carved architectural masterpiece, enshrines a 7 feet high golden idol of Lord Swaminarayan, the founder of the Swaminarayan faith.

You can also visit the Vithal-bhai Patel Bhawan or Bidhan Sabha surrounded by a lake, along with the Sardar Bhawan and Narmada Bhawan, all of which have outstanding architecture. There is a Children's Park in Sector 28, which is extremely popular for the mini train. Sector 9 is another favorite place as it offers picnic spots at the Sarita Udyan and a deer park.

The nearby village of Adalaj is known for its extraordinary stepwell. The multistoried well has many underground rooms and each carved pillar is a piece of art. The festival of 'Palli' in Roopal village during Navaratri festivals is one more tourist attraction while the Vasaniya Mahadeo at Vasan village is also worth a visit.

Other Activities

At Akshardham, besides the temple, there are three exhibitions on Indian Culture with light and sound shows, a multimedia show, and an animatronic show. Games, rides and food refreshments are other attractions at the complex.

One can shop for Gujarati textiles and handicrafts in Gandhinagar and there are many places to have authentic Gujarati cuisine.

One of the greenest cities in the country and the capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar is located 32 km northeast on the west bank of the Sabarmati river. Named after Mahatma Gandhi, it's India's second well-planned city with big broad avenues and streets, after Chandigarh. When the old Bombay state was partitioned in 1960, into Maharashtra and Gujarat, the city of Bombay went to Maharashtra. Gandhinagar was then constructed as a new capital for Gujarat. This architecturally integrated city has 30 sectors with each having its own shopping, health, and community centers and housing colonies. Extensive planting of trees and large recreational areas along the Sabarmati River, gives the city a fresh, green garden city atmosphere.