Gujarat’s subtle cultural eloquence spreads over the sleet of garba dance, Rajputana ancestry, and embellished stepwell architecture. Walk into India’s only World Heritage City, Ahmedabad, or volunteer in a village school in Devpur. Drive through the thoroughfare of the salt deserts of Rann of Kutch, or join palms with the local women painting Mehendi on Gujarati weddings.
Welcome to Gujarat, located on the western coast of India. Gujarat is a dynamic state known for its historical significance, cultural diversity, and economic prowess. Bordered by Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and the Arabian Sea, Gujarat features varied landscapes, from the arid Rann of Kutch to the lush Gir Forest, home to the Asiatic lion.
In this sustainable travel guide to Gujarat, you’ll learn the best places to visit in Gujarat, where to stay for a local experience, and some travel-inclusive hooks.
Table of Contents
How to Spend Your Time in Gujarat Like A Local
Ahmedabad is India’s Only World Heritage City
Take A Heritage Stroll Down the Lanes of Old Ahmedabad
Hazrat Bai Hatir Vav
Vav in Gujarati means stepwell. With 16 ancient stepwells for water-harvesting all over Ahmedabad, the craftsmanship of Hazrat Bai Harir Vav, more than the famous Adalaj Stepwell, will make you admire stepwell-architecture of India even with more aspiration. The story of Dhai Harir, the household lady who commissioned this Stepwell, echoes through the Persian and Sanskrit wall-inscriptions.
Hutheesing Jain Temple
Hutheesing Jain Temple is truly the best white-marvel structure you can stop over in Ahmedabad. It was planned by a wealthy Gujarati merchant Hutheesing Kesarisinh, at a cost of ‘over a million dollars’. It’s a conversion of the Solanki style of West Indian temple architecture towards new elements of haveli architecture.
Jhulta Minar
The mystery of Jhulta Minar is scientifically distilled. What the scientists cannot comprehend is when one minaret is shaken, the other begins to vibrate, though the connecting passage between the two remains vibration-free; what causes this vibration is not known. The interior of the adjoining Sidi Bashir Mosque is multi-arched in the Gothic Muslim theme interblended with shades of Rajputana style.
Among many other heritage architectural monuments of Old Ahmedabad, the stepwells, Hutheesing Jain Temple and Jhulta Minar are the highlights of the walk down the heritage lane. You can also book an organized heritage walk to learn more about the history of Ahmedabad.
Share Space with A Local Family in Ahmedabad
In the Capital City Ahmedabad, staying with a Gujarati local family would be an experiential cultural exchange for you. Couchsurfing is a wonderful space for travellers to connect with the region’s people. A very trusted host in Ahmedabad is Vishesh, who has hosted over 200 travellers in his house. He knows the local hideouts and hidden places you won’t find anywhere else!
Drink Tea at A Graveyard in Ahmedabad
Two-three graves around a sturdy tea trunk are covered in green Muslin clothes, Ktl Mohammad from Calicut laid the foundation of his tiny tea-stall in the 1950s in a graveyard, known as Lucky Tea Stall. Now a successful food joint in Ahmedabad, it hardly gives the chills of a graveyard. But don’t forget to taste some ‘Bun Maska’ and tea.
Authentic Gujarati Thalis at Local Eateries
Gujarati cuisine has lots of special snacks and sweets – Khakra, Fafra, Dabeli! Don’t miss out on the famous Gujarati thali at some of these local restaurants – Agashiye, Gordhan Thal, Toran Dining Hall, Rajwadu and Havmor Restaurant.
Visit Rani ki Vav in Patan to Know India’s Stepwell-Architecture
On the banks of River Saraswati, the Queen’s Stepwell or Rani ki Vav is a prolific reminder of the human engineering of ancient water storage systems. All these years, this marvel lay buried under a slit, before the ultimate excavation in 1960. This gigantic step-well houses over 500 sculptures with more than 1000 estimated small sculptures. Shaped in an upside-down temple, it converges to the well in seven steps.
Learn About the Rural Kutchi Culture by Volunteering in Devpur
Stay in the Locally-Run Heritage Devpur Homestay in Kutch
The three-generational family-run Devpur Homestay in Village Devpur in Kutch lets you peak at the Roha history. Krutarthsinh Ji’s mother will greet you to the family with teekas and marigold-garlands, and you will stay at the Kutch-Roha styled Darbargarh (a small manor) that has survived the 2001 fatal earthquake. Krutarthsinh Ji is the host for you at Devpur Homestay.
You Can Volunteer in their School as A Teacher
Krutarthsinh’s father was a Mathematics teacher, and the CBSE-affiliated “The White Eagles School” was the brainchild of his desire to brew a learning platform in his own village. The White Eagles School founded its own brick in 1960, and continues to run with 60 students from Devpur and neighbouring villages. As a volunteer, you can spend 4-5 hours for 5 days a week teaching the children, and dine and stay with the Jadeja family.
Of Course, the Salt Deserts of the Rann of Kutch
In Shriraj’s words, ‘They (the Kutchi people) realized that agriculture is not something that can support the financial aspects of the Kutch region. So everyone got involved in the trading of spices, handicrafts and everything. There was a trade triangle between Kutch, Africa, and Oman. We used to import a lot of elephant tusks from Zanzibar in Africa. In Oman, it was the trading of textiles and spices.’ Shriraj is the present architect of Pragmahal in Bhuj, the Royal Palace of Kutch.
‘Road to Heaven’ – that’s how the Rann of Kutch road is dubbed now. It moves through the white crystalline salt desert on both sides. It’s just white, open and uncovered. Welcome to the Great Rann of Kutch – one of the largest salt deserts in the world.
Dholavira Will Give You Ancient Insights
Dholavira is an island in the Rann of Kutch, a bleak proof of the Harappan Civilization or the Indus Valley Civilization. Archeologists believe that Dholavira was an important nucleus of trade between the settlements in South Gujarat, Sindh and Punjab, and Western Asia.
Passing up and down the long channel of an antiquated filtering system, and witnessing the water-engineering of a civilization from the Bronze Age, a local guide will point at a smoother-than-a-pebble stone. ‘This is limestone. It has a cutting at a 90-degree angle. This curve is like a machine-cut.’
Kadiya Dhro is A Mini-Canyon in Kutch
Kotaro is a Kutchi word for rock formations crafted by wind and water. These uneven rock cloves were formed through ages of vulnerability to strong wind and river flow.
‘If you go, you will get lost, and you will recover something of your own.’ Those were the words of the local Kutchi explorer, Varun Suchday, who put Gujarat’s Kadiya Dhro on the world map, and more famously on The New York Times’ ‘52 Must-Visit Places in the World’.
Your own cars or vehicles can only reach a certain point. And for the last 5 km stretch of roller coaster road, you have to hire a jeep (available on the spot) to reach the canyon (Charges: Rs. 800 for the entire jeep that can accommodate 4-5 people).
Buy Local Gujarati Handicrafts from Bhuj
Is there any better way to contribute to the locals’ revenue stream than purchasing local products directly from the artisans? In Gujarat, you can rave into the handicraft villages and buy the craft directly. But where?
Bhujodi, A ‘Weaver Village’ in Kutch
Known as the ‘Weaver Village’, every house in Bhujodi is immersed in the craft of Handloom and textiles. Meet the Vankar community who are pioneers in weaving, tying and dying. This more than 500-year-old village advocates indigenous disclosure of their generational handicrafts to outsiders through its open marketspace.
Ajrakhpur is famous for Block Printing
When in Kutch, make sure to stop by Ajrakhpur to buy block-printed souvenirs! It’s a 3000-year-old craftmanship that uses natural dyes made of indigo, henna, turmeric, pomegranate and mud to create fabric.
Rogan Art in Kutch
Where would you find Rogan Art in Kutch? In Nirona. The Khatri family will welcome you to their workshops! It’s your chance to take authentic Rogan Art pieces back to your home-country promptly from the artisans.
Go for A Wildlife Safari at Gir National Park, But Responsibly
A safari to Gir National Park would draw you near Asiatic lions, leopards, jungle cats, Chital, Wild boars and striped hyenas. Book a safari online, and don’t forget the responsible travel-practices around wildlife tourism. Respect the wilderness by leaving no trace of your consumption behind (no plastic packets or non-biodegradable things), don’t disturb the exclusivity of this world with unnecessarily loud noise, and don’t engage in riding an animal for commercial touristic reasons! Stay at Gir Vanraj Farm in Bhojade with a local Gujarati host at a homestay.
