Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat, in western India, located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. Literally translated, Junagadh means "Old Fort". It is also known as "Sorath", the name of the earlier Princely State of Junagadh. After a brief struggle between India and Pakistan Junagadh joined India on 9 November 1947. It was a part of Saurashtra state and later Bombay state. In 1960, after the Maha Gujarat movement, it became part of newly formed Gujarat state.
History
Mauryan dynasty
An impressive fort, Uperkot, located on a plateau in the middle of town, was originally built during the Mauryan dynasty by Chandragupta in 319 BCE The fort remained in use until the 6th century, when it was covered over for 300 years, then rediscovered in 976 CE The fort was besieged 16 times over an 800-year period. One unsuccessful siege lasted twelve years.
An inscription with fourteen Edicts of Ashoka is found on a large boulder within 2 km of Uperkot Fort. The inscriptions carry Brahmi script in a language similar to Pali and date back to 250 BCE On the same rock are inscriptions in Sanskrit added around 150 CE by Mahakshatrap Rudradaman I, the Saka (Scythian) ruler of Malwa, a member of the Western Kshatrapas dynasty. Another inscription dates from about 450 CE and refers to Skandagupta, the last Gupta emperor. Old rock-cut Buddhist "caves" in this area, dating from well before 500 CE, have stone carvings and floral work. There are also the Khapra Kodia Caves north of the fort, and the Babupyana Caves south of the fort.
The Maitraka dynasty ruled Gujarat in western India from 475 to 767 CE The founder of the dynasty, general Bhatarka, a military governor of Saurashtra peninsula under the Gupta empire, established himself as the independent ruler of Gujarat approximately in the last quarter of the 5th century. However, James Tod states Maitraka rule ended as early as 524 CE.
Solanki dynasty
The Solanki, of the Chalukya dynasty, ruled Gujarat in the 11th and 12th centuries. The two large step wells (vavs) of Uperkot Fort were both commissioned by Rah Navghan I (1025-1044 CE)Muslims conquered Gujarat in 1299 and the Sultanate of Gujarat was formed in 1407. Mahmud Begada (Mahmud Shah I) invaded Junagadh in 1467. The city was annexed to the Gujarat Sultanate; the city foundation was laid for Mahmudabad in 1497. Strong embankments were raised along the river, and the city was adorned with a palace, handsome buildings and extensive gardens. When the Portuguese took over the ports of Diu and Daman in the 16th century, a fifteen-foot cannon, made in Egypt in 1531, was abandoned at Uperkot Fort by a Turkish admiral opposing the Portuguese forces at Diu.
Chudasama Dynasty
The Chudasama are a Rajput clan found in the state of Gujarat in India. The Anthropological Survey of India, which relies heavily on sources compiled during the period of the British Raj, notes that they are "an offshoot of the Samma tribe, probably of Turk origin who entered India during the seventh or eighth century and are found in Kachchh, Junagadh and Jamnagar districts." They claim to be originally of the Abhira clan or Ahirs from Sindh . Harald Tambs-Lyche believes that there is evidence, based on myths, that a Chudasama kingdom existed at Junagadh in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. The dynasty is traditionally said to have been founded in 875 CE and around 1030 received assistance from members of the Ahir community in order to restore its power following a conquest of the kingdom by the king of Gujarat. The Chudasamas are sometimes referred to as the Ahirani Ranis, and Tambs-Lyche says that, "The structure of the Chudasama state , seems to have been an alliance between a small royal clan later to be classified as Rajputs and the Ahir tribe." The last of these kings was Mandlik Chudasama then Mahmud Begarha, who also annexed the state . Begarha had attacked the Chudasama kingdom, which was known as Girnar, on several previous occasions.
Chudasama Rulers Time Period
Chudasama rajput were longest ruler of junagadh and some of the notable rulers are:-
- Chandra Chuda- 875-907
- Rah’ Grahripu - 940-982
- Solanki Rajput 1010-1025
- Ra Navghan 1025-1044
- Rah’ Khengar - 1044-1067
the state of Junagadh by expelling the Mughal governor and declaring independence in 1748. Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I, who assumed the name "Zaid Khan" when he came to power in Junagadh, was the founder of the Babi dynasty. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagadh, conquered large territories in southern Saurashtra and ruled over the state for the next two centuries, first as tributaries of Baroda, and later under the suzerainty of the British. Nawabs of Babi dynasty:
1735 - 1758 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I
1758 - 1775 : Mohammad Mahabat Khanji I
1775 - 1811 : Mohammad Hamid Khanji I
1811 - 1840 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji II
1840 - 1851 : Mohammad Hamid Khanji II
1851 - 1882 : Mohammad Mahabat Khanji II
1882 - 1892 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji III
1892 - 1911 : Mohammad Rasul Khanji
1911 - 1948 : Mohammad Mahabat Khanji III
British periodIn 1748 Junagadh state founded. In 1807 it becomes British protectorate. The East India Company took control of the state by 1818, but the Saurashtra area never came under the direct administration of British India. Instead, the British divided the territory into more than one hundred princely states, which remained in existence until 1947. The present old town, developed during the 19th and 20th centuries, is one of the former princely states which were outside but under the suzerainty of British India.
The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Junagadh was constructed on the land presented by Jinabhai (Hemantsingh) Darbar of Panchala, and dedicated on Friday, 1 May 1828 A.D. Swaminarayan appointed Gunatitanand Swami as the first mahant (religious and administrative head of temple), who served in this role and preached there for over 40 years.
Accession to IndiaDuring the period spanning the independence and partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, the 562 princely states that had existed outside British India under British suzerainty were given a choice of acceding to either India or Pakistan or remaining outside them. Although the states were theoretically free to choose, Earl Mountbatten stated that "geographic compulsions" meant that most of them would choose India. Mountbatten took the position that only states that shared a common border with Pakistan should choose to accede to it, but he had no power to impose this point of view on the states.
- 15 Aug 1947 Accedes to Pakistan.
- 15 Sep 1947 Accession to Pakistan accepted.
- 9 Nov 1947 Occupied by India.
- 10 Nov 1947 Rescinds accession to Pakistan, accedes to India
- 24 Feb 1948 Referendum approves accession to India.
- 25 Feb 1948 Accession to India in effect.
India asserted that Junagadh was not contiguous to Pakistan and believed that if Junagadh was permitted to accede to Pakistan, communal tension already simmering in Gujarat would worsen, and refused to accept the Nawab's choice of accession. The government pointed out that the state was 96% Hindu, and called for a plebiscite to decide the question of accession. India cut off supplies of fuel and coal to Junagadh, severed air and postal links, sent troops to the frontier, and occupied the principalities of Mangrol and Babariawad that had acceded to India.
Pakistan agreed to discuss a plebiscite, subject to the withdrawal of Indian troops, a condition India rejected. On 26 October, the Nawab and his family fled to Pakistan following clashes with Indian troops.
On 7 November, Junagadh's court, facing collapse, invited the Government of India to take over the State's administration. The Dewan of Junagadh, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, the father of the more famous Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, decided to invite the Government of India to intervene and wrote a letter to Mr. Buch, the Regional Commissioner of Saurashtra in the Government of India to this effect.
The government of India rejected the protests of Pakistan and accepted the invitation of the Dewan to intervene. A plebiscite was conducted in February 1948,but it was not internationally monitored and Pakistan claims was not based on the plebiscite but on the logic of Kashmir Annexation, which went almost unanimously in favour of accession to India. Junagadh became a part of the Indian state of Saurashtra until 1 November 1956, when Saurashtra became part of Bombay state. In 1960, Bombay state was split into the linguistic states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, in which Junagadh was located.
Time periods of various rulers
- Maurya Dynasty ruled over Junagadh in 319 BC
- Kalinga Dynasty ruled over Junagadh in 185 BC
- Greek ruled over Junagadh in 73-70 BC
- Shaka (Scythians) ruled over Junagadh 100-275 AD
- Kshatrapa ruled over Junagadh 276-455 AD
- Gupta ruled over Junagadh 456-770 AD
- The Chinese Traveller Hu-en-Tsang had visited Junagadh 640 AD
- Chudasama ruled over Junagadh 875-1472 AD
- Muslim Rulers Mohammed Begada, Khalil Khan 1472-1572 AD
- Mughals ruled over Junagadh 1573-1748 AD
- Nawabs of Babi Dynasty(Yousufzai Pathan) ruled over 1749-1949 AD
Junagadh is located at 21.52°N 70.47°E. It has an average elevation of 107 metres (351 ft).
Junagadh is situated at the foot of Mount Girnar. Junagadh has Arabian sea to its southwest, Porbandar to its north and Amreli to its east. Junagadh city is divided into number of areas Main city is clustered around M.G. Road and Kalwa Chowk. Other areas are Gandhigram, Zanzarda Road, Talaw Darwaza, Bus-stand, Sakkar Baug, Timbawadi, Joshipara and Girnar Taleti. These areas comes under the administration of Junagadh Municipal Corporation.
Junagadh city has two rivers namesd Sonrakh and Kalwo. However Kalwo is facing major pollution problem because city sewers. Junagadh city has many lakes named Narsinh Mehta Sarovar, Damodarji, Sudarshan Lake etc. There are man made dams around Junagadh named Willingdon dam, Hasnapur Dam, Anandpur Weir. These are the main water sources for the city. Apart from that ground water supply is very widely available in the city so wells are scattered all across the city.
Junagadh city has pretty much similar soil as whole Junagadh district. It is Deep- Medium black coastal alluvium. It is because proximity of sea and long shore line and also because of the Girnar mountain ridge. Because of many fault lines in proximity Junagadh is in seismically active zone. Junagadh lies in Seismic Zone III region which means earthquake up to magnitude 6.5 on the Richter-scale may be expected.
ClimateJunagadh has a tropical wet and dry climate, with three distinct seasons observed, a mild winter from November to February, a hot summer from March to June, and a monsoon from July to October. The Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Cambay are also influential factors affecting the climate and weather of Junagadh. Junagadh faces adverse climatic conditions in the summer months with the temperature ranging from 28° Celsius to 38° Celsius. In the winter months, the temperature ranges from 10° Celsius to 25° Celsius. The city is drained by the south-west monsoon from June to September. It records a rainfall of 1000 to 1200 mm annually. Various factors such as its close proximity to the sea influence the weather of Junagadh. The latent winds from the sea affect the climatic conditions in the region. Highest rainfall in a calendar year was recorded back in 1983 and it was 2800 mm.
Transport
Public Transport
Public Transport in Junagadh is limited to City Bus and Auto rickshaws. As the old city area is very congested, city bus service is not available in some old city areas. However the city is not that big in area. City bus service is operated by a partnership mode between Municipal Corporation and a private firm. Taxi service is very limited but taxis are available in numbers though mostly for intercity journeys. Junagadh is well connected by Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation buses with most cities in Gujarat.
RoadJunagadh is connected to Rajkot and Ahemadabad by National Highway NH8D which also connects Junagadh to Veraval and Somnath. Junagadh city Bypass on NH8D obviates the need for through vehicles to enter the city. In the south, Junagadh is connected to Bilkha and Sasan Gir Lion Sanctuary. Kalwo river runs through Junagadh; Ferguson bridge is built over it to connect the two parts of the city. A bridge is also constructed on river Sonrakh in the northern outskirts of the city. Mount Girnar is connected with Junagadh by road. Rickshaws are generally preferred as mode of transportation.
RailJunagadh comes under Western Railway zone of Indian Railways. Junagadh is connected with Rajkot, Ahemadabad and Veraval by railway lines. Many long distance trains connect Junagadh to other cities in India.
AirJunagadh city does not have an airport due to mountainous terrain. Keshod Airport, 40 km. southwest of Junagadh, used to have a scheduled daily flight from Bombay though no scheduled services operate from it currently. Other nearest airports are Rajkot Airport 99 km and Porbandar 113 km.
Junagadh has a Heliport at Zafar Maidan in Gandhigram area. Regular flights were made in past for helicopter service provided on mount Girnar. Otherwise it is used for visiting V.I.P.
Tourist Places
- Girnar The mountain, 6 km. from Junagadh city, has five principal peaks. It has roughly 8,000 steps. The third peak, Gorakhnath, at 3,661 ft (1,116 m) above sea level, is the highest point of Gujarat state. UPERKOT certainly worth seeing Jain tamples. Spots to visit Bhimkund, Satpuda, Gaumukhi Ganga, Pathar chati, Bhairavjap, Bharatvan Sheshavan, Hanumandhara. The peak of Ambaji, with a height of 3,330 ft (1,010 m), is famous for the temple of Ambaji. Kamandal kund; stepway diverts between temples of Gorakhnath and Dattatreya. The path to Dattatreya temple is difficult (photo gallery), but on the top of the peak is a small temple on the padukas of Guru Dattatreya. The best time to start ascending is early morning.
- Mahabat Maqbara- It is a typical palace-mausoleum of late 19th Century Royal Monuments of Junagadh. Famous for its intricate architecture.
- The Wild Museum - In the same premises as the zoo. Rare specimens of art furniture, stuffed animals, ancient coins, Persian Sanskrit inscriptions and various other articles of interest.
- Narsinh Mehta no Choro - This place is said to be one where the great poet Saint and reformer Narsinh Mehta held his assemblies of discovers in 15th century. Some believe that Lord Krishna held a traditional "Rasleela" dance for his devotee Narsinh Mehta.
- Uperkot - Uperkot is an impressive fort located on a plateau in the middle of town. It was originally built in 319 BC. Visitors enter the fort through a large gate. Some parts of the fort’s walls are 20 m high. If, after entering the gate you turn left, you will come to Jama Masjid. It has 140 pillars supporting its ceiling.
- Old Buddhist caves, said to be 1,500 years old (dating from before 500 AD). They are carved into the rocky hill and have stone carvings and floral work. There are also the Khapra Kodia caves north of the fort, and the Babupyana caves south of the fort.
- There is a huge, fifteen-foot cannon, made in Egypt in 1531. There are also two interesting large step wells (vavs) here. The 11th century Navghan Kuva has a circular stairway that descends over 50 m down into the well. The Adi Chadi Vav descends 170 steps.
- Gayatri Mandir & Vagheshwari Mandir - On the way to Girnar Talati, are both of the beautiful temples of Maa Gayatri and Maa Vagheshwari. At every navratris, a mela is held.
- Damodar Kund - Built in 500 a.d., this often reconstructed kund (water reservoir) is a check dam. This kund is about a km before the bottom of Girnar Hill. It is a sacred bathing tank. Close to Damodara Kund is Revati Kund. It is said that Revata left Dwarka and moved near Girnar Hill after his daughter, Revati, married Lord Balarama.
- Damodarji Temple Near Aswatthama Hill, which is north of Damodara Kund, is the Damodarji Temple, said to have been built by Vajranabha, Lord Krishna’s great-grandson.
- Dataar Hills - 2,779 feet (847 m) high stepway is built for going up shrine of Jamiyalshah Datar.
- Science Museum - Gujarat’s first and the only private science museum. More than 60 working science projects based on science facts. Which can be operated by visitors. Worth visiting attached one small aquarium and evening open air garden restaurant garden café serves south Indian and Punjabi dishes since 1981.
- Wellington Dam - The dam is built on the river Kalwa at the foot of the hill from where it originates. It was built as a reservoir for drinking water for the people of Junagadh. It was named after Lord Willingdon, the then Governor of India. The three sides and a garden in front it affords an enchanting view.
- Moti Baug - The best garden the campus of agricultural university and botanical garden. It also houses the Junagadh Agricultural University Campus which has total land area of 754.62 ha and 2485 ha including 17 sub centers and 1500 manpower with annual budget around 28.5 crores. Having very nice pari talao.
- Mujkund Caves - Famous place where Krishna ran and came from Mathura after which he was named as Ranchod Rai.
- Ayurvedic Museum- Ayurvedic Museum is located at the Ayurvedic College at Sardarbag in the western part of town. The personnel are helpful to those interested in learning something about this ancient and natural medical treatment.
- Narsinh Mehta Lake- A beautiful lake constructed by joint effort of the people of Junagadh near Talav Gate.
Junagadh Photogallary
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