DIU, GUJARAT, INDIA - 1997/12/30: Tribal women carry firewood to the markets of diu. (Photo by Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Gujarat & Diu

Unfairly overlooked by many travelers scurrying between Mumbai and Rajasthan, Gujarat is an easy, and highly rewarding, sidestep off the tourist trail. While its major city Ahmedabad can draw you in with its deep sense of culture and remarkable architecture, the countryside holds most of the state’s many treasures. Artisans in tribal villages weave, embroider, dye and print some of India’s finest textiles, and excellent parks harbour unique wildlife, including migratory birds, wild asses and growling prides of Asiatic lions. Sacred Jain and Hindu pilgrimage sites sit atop mountains that rise dramatically from vast flatlands. For lovers of sand and sea, the chilled-out, former Portuguese island enclave of Diu lies just off the state's southeastern coast.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

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    Girnar Hill

    Gujarat & Diu

    This sacred mountain, rising dramatically from the plains, is covered with Jain and Hindu temples and is a major pilgrimage site. However, as with any…

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    Shatrunjaya

    Gujarat & Diu

    One of Jainism’s holiest pilgrimage sites, Shatrunjaya is an incredible hill studded with temples, some of which are over 900 years old. It's said that…

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    Uparkot Fort

    Gujarat & Diu

    This ancient fort is believed to have been built in 319 BC by the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta, though it has been extended many times. In places the…

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    Gir National Park

    Gujarat & Diu

    Early-morning sunlight filters through the leaves and shadows skittle through the undergrowth. Suddenly, the silence is broken by the high-pitched alarm…

  • Laxmi Vilas Palace, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India (Photo by: Insights/UIG via Getty Images)

    Laxmi Vilas Palace

    Gujarat & Diu

    Still the residence of Vadodara’s royal family, Laxmi Vilas was built in full-throttle 19th-century Indo-Saracenic flourish at a cost of ₹6 million – an…

  • Portuguese fort in Diu, Gujarat, India. (Photo by: IndiaPictures/UIG via Getty Images)

    Diu Fort

    Diu

    Built in 1535, with additions made in 1541, this massive, well-preserved Portuguese fort with its double moat (one tidal) was one of the most important…

  • Jama Masjid, Mosque, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

    Jama Masjid

    Ahmedabad (Amdavad)

    Built by Ahmed Shah in 1423, the massive Jama Masjid ranks as one of India’s most beautiful mosques. Demolished Hindu and Jain temples provided the…

  • Calico Museum of Textiles

    Calico Museum of Textiles

    Ahmedabad (Amdavad)

    This museum contains one of the world’s finest collections of antique and modern Indian textiles, all handmade and up to 500 years old. There are some…

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Gujarat & Diu and beyond

Beyond Gujarat & Diu
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