Junagadh is considered to be a very ancient historical place in India, situated in the area called Saurashtra( there were supposed to be a hundred states in this area once) in the Indian state of Gujarat. In recent memory, Junagadh was the erstwhile Nawab of Junagadh’s princely state, before India’s independence and partition into India and Pakistan. After partition, the Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan, leaving his palace and many things behind. During the time of the Nawabs and the British a large variety of imported vehicles were used in Junagadh. Some of them e.g. the Dodge, Ford, Austin, Chrysler etc. can still be seen on the roads, being used as taxis on the highway between Junagadh and a place where there is a small airport nearby.
Another novelty in this area are the three wheeler auto rickshaws which carry goods and passengers in the back portion. These autorickhsaws are brightly painted. Names of various Gods and Goddesses are also painted on the bodies of these autorickshaws. The city of Junagadh has the palace of the Nawab converted in to a museum. There is a tomb which is a very interesting architectural specimen. The college in Junagadh, built in the time of the Nawabs has a beautiful front. Some other buildings of that time remind one of the past of the city. The city has an Agricultural University with beautiful gardens, fields and orchards. Junagadh is famous for its mangoes, which have a very special taste. The fields around Junagadh are furrowed and present a very photographic site when the green groundnut plants come up on the raised bunds running parallel to each other. In the background stands the tallest hill in Saurashtra-The Girnar Hill with lesser hills alongside.
Beyond and touching the Girnar Hill is the Gir forest, where the Asiatic lions can still be found in their natural habitat. It provides a very scenic background to the city of Junagadh, when there is no haze. The ’’Girnar Parbat’’ is a very sacred hill for the Jains. A large number of Jain sadhus and munis had undertaken penance on this hill long ago and have attained ’’Moksha’’ or ’’Nirvan.’’ The Jain Tirthankara ’’Neminath’’ is supposed to have attained his Nirvana on this hill. The hill has a very large number of beautiful Jain temples. It is a very important pilgrimage spot for the Jains. On top of the hill some Hindu temples are also there. Junagadh is considered to be a very ancient Hindu city. Before one reaches the base of the Girnar Hill one comes across the ’’Ashoka’s Shilalekh’’on a big round stone boulder.It has inscriptions which indicate that it was from a period before Ashoka the Great. There are several Hindu kunds along the streams which come out from the hills around the base of the Girnar hill and a number of shops and dharamshalas. One can walk up the steps to the top of the hill or take a paid ’’palkhi’’( negotiate the rates-though some guidelines about rates are mentioned in some place near the dharamshalas. The ’’palkhi’’ is somewhat inconvenient, but the only choice for some of the old pilgrims. On a diversion at the base of the forested hills is situated a lovely spot-a lake and a small dam-some British name. It is a favorite place for the evenings.
Junagadh has an old fort, very ancient, built by some ancient Hindu King. There is a zoo too , where one can see the Asiatic lions bred in the zoo, along with other animals, reptiles and birds. Junagadh is also reported to be the place, to which the cute and lovely Bollywood film actress Parveen Babi belongs. And if you are a television serial addict then you can easily associate Junagadh with the ’’Gujarati’’ actress in the Star Plus serial’’Kyunki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi.’’ Junagadh literally means the other or the new Fort. We all would like to know what is new in Junagadh nowadays, since my review is based on experiences, five-six years old.