Editing Gujarat (section)

== Tourism ==
{{Main|Tourism in Gujarat}}
[[File:Saputara, Gujarat, India - panoramio (5).jpg|thumb|[[Saputara]] – a hill station in Gujarat]]

Gujarat's natural environment includes the [[Great Rann of Kutch]] and the hills of [[Saputara]], and it is the sole home of pure Asiatic lions in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 January 2010 |title=Amitabh Bachchan offers to become brand ambassador of Gujarat |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Amitabh-Bachchan-offers-to-become-brand-ambassador-of-Gujarat/articleshow/5418507.cms |url-status=live |access-date=14 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419042844/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-07/india/28113940_1_brand-ambassador-harivansh-rai-bachchan-amitabh-bachchan |archive-date=19 April 2013}}</ref> During the reigns of the sultans, Hindu craftsmanship blended with [[Islamic architecture]], giving rise to the [[Indo-Saracenic]] style. Many structures in the state are built in this fashion. It is also the birthplace of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]], figures of [[Indian independence movement|India's Independence]] movement. [[Amitabh Bachchan]] is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TAAI award for Gujarat Tourism |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/TAAI-award-for-Gujarat-Tourism/article20373068.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026035058/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/economy/article2735467.ece?homepage=true |archive-date=26 October 2012 |access-date=10 December 2019 |website=@businessline}}</ref>
[[File:Statue of Unity in 2018.jpg|thumb|[[Statue of Unity]] facing the [[Sardar Sarovar Dam]] on the river [[Narmada]] in Kevadiya colony]]

=== Museums and memorials ===
Gujarat has a variety of museums on different genres that are run by the state's Department of Museums located at the principal state museum, [[Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery]] in [[Vadodara]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact us |url=http://sycd.gov.in/museum/mus_contact_us.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103165553/http://sycd.gov.in/museum/mus_contact_us.htm |archive-date=3 November 2011 |access-date=14 February 2012 |publisher=[[Government of Gujarat]]}}</ref> which is also the location of the [[Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum]]. The [[Kirti Mandir, Porbandar]], [[Sabarmati Ashram]], and [[Kaba Gandhi No Delo]] are museums related to Mahatma Gandhi, the former being the place of his birth and the latter two where he lived in his lifetime. Kaba Gandhi No Delo in [[Rajkot]] exhibits part of a rare collection of photographs relating to the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Sabarmati Ashram is the place where Gandhi initiated the [[Dandi March]]. On 12 March 1930 he vowed that he would not return to the Ashram until India won independence.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gandhi |first=Mohandas |title=Gandhi Ashram Official Website |url=http://www.gandhiashram.org.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=41 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205221519/http://www.gandhiashram.org.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=41 |archive-date=5 December 2011}}</ref>

The Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum is housed within [[Lakshmi Vilas Palace]], the residence of the erstwhile [[Maharaja]]s, located in [[Vadodara]].

The [[Calico Museum of Textiles]] is managed by the Sarabhai Foundation and is one of the most popular tourist spots in Ahmedabad.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pancholi |first=Preksha |date=25 April 2023 |title=Museums of the World: The Calico Museum of Textiles |url=https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/travel-and-architecture/a9943-museums-of-the-world-the-calico-museum-of-textiles/ |access-date=4 December 2024 |website=RTF {{!}} Rethinking The Future |language=en-US}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The Lakhota Museum at Jamnagar is a palace transformed into museum, which was residence of the Jadeja Rajputs. The collection of the museum includes artefacts spanning from 9th to 18th centuries, pottery from medieval villages nearby and the skeleton of a whale.

Other well-known museums in the state include the [[Kutch Museum]] in [[Bhuj]], which is the oldest museum in Gujarat founded in 1877, the [[Watson Museum]] of human history and culture in [[Rajkot]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watson Museum |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/gujarat/rajkot/sights/other/watson-museum-library |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220115535/http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/gujarat/rajkot/sights/other/watson-museum-library |archive-date=20 February 2012 |access-date=14 February 2012 |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]]}}</ref> [[Gujarat Science City]] and [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial]] in Ahmedabad. In October 2018, the world's tallest statue commemorating the independence leader Sardar Patel was unveiled. At 182 metres tall the [[Statue of Unity]] is the newest tourist attraction with over 30,000 visitors every day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statue of Unity – Project Features, Progress & Major Facts |url=http://www.statueofunity.in/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327091552/http://www.statueofunity.in/ |archive-date=27 March 2019 |access-date=26 March 2019 |website=statueofunity.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=3 December 2018 |title=Statue of Unity now getting 30k daily visitors: Guj officials |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/statue-of-unity-now-getting-30k-daily-visitors-guj-officials/articleshow/66920618.cms |url-status=live |access-date=26 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327151106/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/statue-of-unity-now-getting-30k-daily-visitors-guj-officials/articleshow/66920618.cms |archive-date=27 March 2019}}</ref>

=== Religious sites ===
Religious sites play a major part in the tourism of Gujarat. [[Somnath]] is the first of the twelve [[Jyotirlinga]]s, and is mentioned in the [[Rigveda]]. The [[Dwarkadheesh temple, Gujrat|Dwarakadheesh Temple]], [[Radha Damodar Temple, Junagadh]] and [[Dakor]] are holy pilgrimage sites with temples dedicated to [[Krishna]]. The [[Sun Temple, Modhera]] is a ticketed monument, handled by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sun Temple, Modhera |url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_tktd_gujarat_suntemple.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416092518/http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_tktd_gujarat_suntemple.asp |archive-date=16 April 2012 |access-date=14 February 2012 |publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]}}</ref> Other religious sites in state include [[Ambaji]], [[Dakor]], [[Shamlaji]], [[Chotila]], [[Becharaji]], [[Mahudi]], [[Shankheshwar]] etc. The [[Palitana temples]] of [[Jainism]] on Mount [[Shatrunjaya]], [[Palitana]] are considered the holiest of all [[Tirtha (Jainism)|pilgrimage places]] by the [[Svetambara]] and [[Digambara]] [[Jain community]].<ref>{{Cite web |title="Murtipujakas, Jainism", ''Encyclopedia of World Religions'' (PHILTAR), University of Cambria |url=http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/jainism/murti.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013131021/http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/jainism/murti.html |archive-date=13 October 2007 |access-date=30 September 2014 |publisher=Philtar.ucsm.ac.uk}}</ref> Palitana is the world's only mountain with more than 900 temples.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 April 2013 |title=World's only mountain that has more than 900 temples |url=http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/JM-world---s-only-mountain-that-has-more-than-900-temples-4225137-PHO.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121080531/http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/JM-world---s-only-mountain-that-has-more-than-900-temples-4225137-PHO.html |archive-date=21 November 2013 |access-date=6 February 2018}}</ref> The [[Sidi Saiyyed Mosque]] and [[Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad|Jama Masjid]] are holy mosques for Gujarati Muslims.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archnet > Site > Jami' Masjid of Ahmadabad |url=https://www.archnet.org/sites/1560 |website=www.archnet.org |access-date=29 March 2025}}</ref>

=== Fairs ===
[[File:Tarnetar01.jpg|thumb|right|Tarnetar Fair, [[Tarnetar]] ]]
[[File:Tarnetar Fair 09.jpg|thumb|A man in traditional costumes during [[Tarnetar]] fair]]

A five-day festival is held during [[Maha Shivaratri]] at the fort of [[Girnar]], Junagadh, known as the Bhavanth Mahadev Fair (Gujarati: ભવનાથ નો મેળો). The Kutch Festival or Rann Festival (Gujarati: કચ્છ or રણ ઉત્સવ) is a festival celebrated at Kutch during [[Mahashivratri]]. The ''Modhra Dance Festival'' is a festival for classical dance, arranged by the [[Government of Gujarat]]'s Cultural Department, to promote tourism in state and to keep traditions and culture alive.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Modhra Dance Festival |url=http://www.gujaratindia.com/about-gujarat/modhera-festival.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302202810/http://www.gujaratindia.com/about-gujarat/modhera-festival.htm |archive-date=2 March 2012 |access-date=14 February 2012 |publisher=[[Government of Gujarat]]}}</ref>

The Ambaji Fair is held in the Hindu month of Bhadrapad (around August–September) at Ambaji, during a time which is particularly suitable for farmers, when the busy monsoon season is about to end. The Bhadrapad fair is held at Ambaji which is in the Danta Taluka of Banaskantha district, near the Gujarat-Rajasthan border. The walk from the bus station to the temple is less than one kilometre, under a roofed walkway. Direct buses are available from many places, including Mount Abu (45&nbsp;km away), Palanpur (65&nbsp;km away), Ahmedabad and Idar. The Bhadrapad fair is held in the centre of the Ambaji village just outside the temple premises. The village is visited by the largest number of sanghas (pilgrim groups) during the fair. Many of them go there on foot, which is particularly enriching as it happens immediately after the monsoon, when the landscape is rich with greenery, streams are full of sparkling water and the air is fresh. About 1.5&nbsp;million devotees are known to attend this fair each year from all over the world. Not only Hindus, but some devout Jains and Parsis also attend the functions, while some Muslims attend the fair for trade.

The [[Tarnetar]] Fair is held during the first week of ''Bhadrapad'', (September–October according to [[Gregorian calendar]]), and mostly serves as a place to find a suitable bride for tribal people from Gujarat. The region is believed to be the place where [[Arjuna]] took up the difficult task of piercing the eye of a fish, rotating at the end of a pole, by looking at its reflection in the pond water, to marry [[Draupadi]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tarnetar Fair |url=http://www.gujaratindia.com/about-gujarat/tarnetar-mela.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018082543/http://gujaratindia.com/about-gujarat/tarnetar-mela.htm |archive-date=18 October 2011 |access-date=14 February 2012 |publisher=[[Government of Gujarat]]}}</ref>
Other fairs in Gujarat include Dang Durbar, Shamlaji Fair, Chitra Vichitra Fair, Dhrang Fair and Vautha Fair.

The Government of Gujarat has [[Alcohol laws of India|banned alcohol]] since 1960.<ref name="articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com">{{Cite web |title=Narendra Modi justifies gutkha ban in Gujarat |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-02/news/34218094_1_gutkha-ban-gujarat-chief-minister-prohibition-policy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006174131/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-10-02/news/34218094_1_gutkha-ban-gujarat-chief-minister-prohibition-policy |archive-date=6 October 2014 |access-date=30 September 2014 |website=The Economic Times}}</ref> In 2024, the Gujarat police seized around 82 lakh bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor, amounting to ₹144 crore.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 March 2025 |title=In dry Gujarat, a liquor bottle seized every 4 seconds |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/in-dry-gujarat-a-liquor-bottle-seized-every-4-seconds/articleshow/118696390.cms |access-date=7 March 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Gujarat government collected the ''Best State Award'' for 'Citizen Security' by IBN7 Diamond States on 24 December 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=STATE PROFILE |url=http://gujaratindia.com/state-profile/awards.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206120740/http://gujaratindia.com/state-profile/awards.htm |archive-date=6 February 2015 |access-date=20 December 2014 |publisher=Gujaratindia.com}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="134">
File:Statue of Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram.jpg|Statue of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] in [[Sabarmati Ashram]], [[Ahmedabad]]
File:Somnath-current.jpg|[[Somnath Temple]], [[Veraval]]
File:Dwarkadheesh temple.jpg|[[Dwarkadhish Temple]], [[Dwarka]]
File:Damodar Kund - Junagadh - Gujarat - DSC001.jpg|[[Radha Damodar Temple, Junagadh]]
File:Vadnagar Torana.JPG|Kirti Toran, [[Vadnagar]]
File:Akshardham Gandhinagar Gujarat.jpg|[[Akshardham (Gandhinagar)|Akshardham]] [[Gandhinagar]]
File:Jama masjid in Champaner.JPG|[[Jama Mosque, Champaner]]
File:Lakhota Lake Museum.JPG|Lakhota Museum in [[Jamnagar]]
File:Sun Temple, Modhera 06.jpg|[[Sun Temple, Modhera]]
File:Laxmi Vilas Palace - Vadodara.jpg|[[Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara|Laxmi Vilas Palace]], [[Vadodara]]
File:Vijay Vilas - 2009.JPG|[[Vijay Vilas Palace]], [[Mandvi]], [[Kutch]]
File:Bahauddin Maqbara by Kshitij.jpg|[[Mahabat Maqbara]], [[Junagadh]]
File:Kutch Bhadreshwar Jain Temple.jpg|[[Vasai Jain Temple]], [[Kutch]]
File:Wankaner-palace.png|Wankaner palace, [[Wankaner]]
File:Mandvi Beach.jpg|[[Mandvi]] Beach, [[Kutch]]
</gallery>