DAY 1 (Saturday, 13 August 2011) 5:15 am 7:35 am

Reporting at Mumbai Airport. (Flight : Kingfisher Red IT-3171) Arrival at Ahmedabad Airport. Pre-Booked Taxi is available at the airport from Niranjana Travels (Contact Person/Owner : Mr. Jaydeep Sampann complex, Opp Havmor Restaurant, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad. 380009 Ph: 079 - 26468605 / 30002044 Mobile : 9825021762 / 9974313636 Check in Ginger Hotel (Reservation no. 0000879773 & 0000879772) Behind Himalaya Mall, Drive-In road, Ahmedabad - 380 015 Phone: 079 6666 3333 After breakfast from Hotel, Start exploring various tourist attractions in and around Ahmedabad city, using the pre-booked taxi. Dinner and Overnight Stay at Ginger Hotel

8:30 am 10:00 am 9:00 pm

Attractions in Ahmedabad Gandhi Ashram The Satyagraha Ashram, set-up in AD 1920 on the lull western banks of the Sabarmati River. Akshardham Temple A rare combination of tradition and expertise, Akshardam in Gandhinagar explicates the richness of Indian culture. Akshardham is one of the largest temple complex in India. The awe inspiring structure was given shape using 6000 tonnes of pink sandstone neatly fashioned together to make for an awe inspiring architectural marvel consisting of 93 carved pillars, 40 sculpted windows and numerous other stone statues. It required more than 12 million man hours to build, provided by 900 skilled craftsmen. Hathee Singh Jain Temple Built by Sheth Hathee Singh in 1848, the Hathee Singh Temple, located outside the Delhi Gate, is worked in pure white marble. It houses 52 shrines, each with an idol of a Jain Tirthankar.

Shaking Minarets The Sidi Bashir Mosque situated outside the Sarangpur Gate, has minarets, one of which when shaken, leads to the vibration in another. The suffix a wonderful construction would not suffice in describing the greatness of this architectural grandeur. Situated adjacent to the railway line, Jhulta Minarets remains as a mystery to the most elite technocrats of modern era. These towers move back and forth if one imparts a slight push on the top most arch of the towers. Hence it got the name Jhulta Minarets, which means swaying towers.

Kankaria Lake A circular lake constructed in AD 1451 by Sultan Qutub-ud-din, the Kankaria Lake offers tourist places of interest like the island garden known as Nagina Wadi, parks, an aquarium, a boat club, a natural historical museum, and a zoo.

Bhadra Fort A venue for Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations in Ahmedabad, the Bhadra Fort of Ahmedabad has a temple devoted to the Mother Goddess, Bhadrakal.

Teen Darwaza Used as a royal entrance to the Royal Square of the Bhadra Fort, the massive Teen Darwaza is another place of interest in Ahmedabad.

Calico Museum The Calico museum of fabric, yarn and textiles was established in 1949 consequent to the meticulous efforts of Ms Gira Sarabhai.

Law Garden Most popular picnic spot in the city, the Law Garden in Ahmedabad would be a fantastic experience to all. Located at the heart of the city, the lovely ambiance of the garden provides the visitor with enormous and splendid pastime hobbies. Along with lots of recreational activities, one can make the evenings more colourful by tasting the mouth-watering delicacies of Gujarat. Law Garden is not just a beautiful place but it is a hub of local vendors who sells excellent clothing items and handicraft materials. These shopping centers are more popular with the locals since it sells fine verities of Navaratri outfits. Other frequent visitors in the park are college students, who prefer to eat and shop in affordable prices.

DAY 2 (Sunday, 14 August 2011)

5:00 am

1:00 pm

3:00 pm 6:00 pm 9:00 pm

Early Morning Check Out from Ginger Hotel and Start for trip to Dwarka using Pre-Booked Taxi. Travel Distance : Approx. 400 Kms Travel Time : Approx. 7.5 Hours (Good Highway Road During the Trip) Checking in at Hotel Dwarika Residency (Booking ID is NH251551378857) Near Iskon Temple Gate, Dwarka Contact : Mr. Deepak (Mobile : 09426208910) Ph : 02892 - 235032 After lunch from Hotel, Start exploring various tourist attractions in and around Dwarka. Visit The Dwarakadhish Temple for Darshan Dinner and Overnight Stay at Hotel Dwarika Residency

Tourist Attractions in Dwarka Dwarka an important Hindu Pilgrimage site was the dwelling place of Shri Krishna. Marine excavations discovered the entire Dwarka city. There was a time when the sanctified city of Dwarka was the capital of the Empire of Shri Krishna. It is believed that Lord Krishna settled in Dwarka city after he left Mathura. This happened thousands of years back but the association of the city with Lord Krishna has given Dwarka its sacredness and thus millions of pilgrims are lured to this holy land.

The Dwarakadhish Temple (Trelokya Jagad Mandir) The present temple was built in 16th century CE, while the original temple was believed to have been built by Krishna's great grandson, King Vajra. The 5-storied temple is made of limestone and sand. A flag hoisted in the temple tower five times each day. There are two gateways - Swarga Dwar, where pilgrims enter, and Moksha Dwar, where pilgrims exit. From the temple one can view the Sangam (confluence) of River Gomati flowing towards the sea. In Dwaraka, there are also shrines for Vasudeva, Devaki, Balarama and Revati, Subhadra, Rukmini Devi, Jambavati Devi and Satyabhama Devi. DARSHAN TIMINGS Morning 7.00 to Afternoon 12.30 and Evening 5.00 to 9.30 Sabha Mandapa Sabha Mandapa is a 12th century structure which has been the highlight of Dwarkadhish Temple. Sabha Mandapa is a stunning multi-pillared structure of prominent Dwarkadhish Temple. This structure leads to 60 pillared sanctum of the temple which has very old scriptures dating back of 2500 years.

Rukmini Hrid This is one of the major Dwarka tourist attractions. There are 7 ponds, which are jointly called the Rukmini Hrid. This place is believed to destroy all the sins and bestow salvation. It is also said that by taking a dip at Rukmini Hrid, a man becomes powerful and is untied from the birth and death cycle. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple also called Nagnath Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva in India. This structure is considered to represent the removal of evil activities from earth. It is located 17 kilometers from Dwarka and remains open from 6am to 10pm. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga has interesting legend. There was a devotee of the temple, named Supriya who was attacked by a demon called Daaruka. Daaruka imprisoned the devotee and several others in his Daarukaavana. Lord Shiva appeared at the temple in the form of Jyotirlinga. Lord Shiva freed the prisoners and killed Daaruka. Brahma Kund Another popular tourist attraction in Dwarka is the Brahma Kund. Here the actual bathing takes place. It is believed that at the kund, nectar got mixed with the sacred Ganges water. Rukmini Devi Temple It is a small but beautiful temple located at a distance of around 1.5 kms north of Dwarka town. The temple is an architectural bliss that you cant afford to miss during sightseeing in Dwarka, India. Bet Dwarka Situated at a short distance from Dwarka, Bet Dwarka is a small island with several ancient temples. The east end of the island has an excellent beach with extensive water plants and animals. The beach is not much visited, therefore an excellent place to get away from the bustle of the city life. Dwarka Lighthouse Lighthouse of Dwarka offers magnificent panoramic view of the setting sun which shows in the nightfall. The calm and quiet atmosphere of this monument provides the much needed relaxation from the busy life. This tourist spot-free for the public, is remains open between 16:30 and 18:00 hours.

DAY 3 (Monday, 15 August 2011)

8:00 am Check Out from Hotel Dwarika Residency after Breakfast and Start for the Trip to Veraval. Veraval is a town in Junagadh District (very close to holy place of Somnath) Travel Distance : Approx. 240 Kms Travel Time : Approx. 4 Hours (Good Highway Road During the Trip) Check in at Lords Inn, Somnath (Booking ID is NH251551378877) Veraval Somnath By-Pass Road, Prabhash Patan, Somnath -362266 Contact : Dhaval Lodhiya (Front Office Manager) Mobile No. :-91 9375642001 Telephone : 02876 - 232072 / 73 / 74 After lunch from Hotel, Start exploring various tourist attractions in and around Somnath Dinner and Overnight Stay at Lords Inn, Somnath

12:00 noon

2:00 pm 9:00 pm

Tourist Attractions of Somnath Somnath Temple The legendary shore temple of Somnath is located near Veraval and is about 80 kms from Junagadh. The Somnath temple is one of the twelve most sacred shrines dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The temple contains the jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. This temple has a very long history. According to the legends, the Somnath temple is very old and was originally built in gold by the Somraj, the Moon God. Later, it was rebuilt by Ravana, in silver; then by Krishna in wood and Bhimdev in stone. Mahmud of Ghazni, upon hearing the description of the richness of the Somnath temple by Al Biruni, an Arab traveller, visited this temple in 1024 AD. At that time, this temple had about 300 musicians, 500 dancing girls and 300 barbers to shave off the heads of pilgrims. After a 2 days battle, Mahmud destroyed the temple and carried away jewels and gold to his homeland. Hence, a tradition got started, the Muslims destroy the temples and the Hindus rebuilt them. The Somnath Temple was raided again in 1927, 1934 and 1706. In 1706, this temple was raided by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In all, the Somnath temple was rebuilt and destroyed eight times. This temple was finally rebuilt in 1950 with the support of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel. The current temple was built as per the traditional designs on the original site by the sea and is a serene, symmetrical and sinuous structure. Today, this majestic temple is a replica of the earlier temple. Dedicated to: Lord Shiva Temple Timings: 6 AM to 9 PM

Rudresvara Temple Rudreshvara Temple is a ruined temple located near the Somnath temple. This temple dates from the same time as the Somnath Temple and was laid out in a similar fashion. The sculptures on the walls and doorways give an indication of what the Somnath Temple was like.

Prabas Pata Museum The Prabas Pata Museum is strikingly laid out in courtyard centered rooms and contains interesting remains of the previous temples, with lots of beautiful fragments, including an elaborate 11th century ceiling. Bhalka Tirth Bhalka Tirth is situated halfway between the Veraval and Somnath. At this place, the Lord Krishna was mistaken for a deer and wounded by an arrow. The legendary spot is at the confluence of the three rivers. This place is entered through the small Sangam (confluence gate), known as the Nana. North of this sacred spot is the Suraj Mandir or Sun Temple. This ancient temple was destroyed by the Mahmud of Ghazni. The temple, with a lane of lions with elephant trunks, probably dates from the same time as the Somnath temple.

Triveni Ghat A point of confluence of three river Kapil, Hiran and Saraswati, after which the rivers reach their final destination, symbolizing the cycle of birth and death. It is a sacred destination where people in huge numbers come from far flung places to take a holy dip.

Mai Puri Masjid Situated at a distance of 1 km from the Junagarh Gate, the mosque was earlier a temple of Sun God which was converted into a mosque by the foreign invader Mohammad Ghazni, who plundered the wealth of the town. The mosque with the carvings and tombs is a fine piece of architecture. Junagarh Gate The importance of this gate can only be derived from the fact that it is the only gate through which one can enter Somnath town from the important nearby city, Veraval. This was the gate which was used by foreign invader Mohommad Ghazni to break open and destroy the important structures of the town. Veraval Beach Just about 5 km away from the Somnath temple is the pleasant Veraval beach. The sprawling sands along with the swaying palm trees, the pleasant sound of the sea waves combine to provide a truly enchanting experience. The beach is situated at a distance of a few miles away from the city that lends it a secluded charm...a complete dose of refreshment for mind, body and soul. Visit in early morning hours. Numerous other temples and holy places have been built around Somnath, prominent among those being the Ahaleyshwar Mahadev Temple, Gita Mandir, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Baldev Gufa, Sun Temple and the Shashibhushan Temple.

DAY 4 (Tuesday, 16 August 2011)

6:30 am 8:30 am

2:00 pm 5:00 pm 7:30 pm

Early Morning Stroll at pleasant Veraval Beach Checkout from Lords Inn, Somnath after Breakfast and start trip to Ahmedabad Travel Distance : Approx. 400 Kms Travel Time : Approx. 7.5 Hours (Good Highway Road During the Trip) Small Stopover for Lunch Reporting at Ahmedabad Airport (Flight : IndiGo 6E-216) Arrival at Mumbai Airport