Kem Cho Gujarat.....!!

Day 1 - 30th January, 2016: Bangalore - Ahmedabad - Lothal - Gir

It was again that time of the year when we head out for vacation. After seeing Big B inviting people to experience Gujarat in the Gujarat tourism ads, we thought why not give it a try! The flight tickets were booked and the travel itinerary was ready. The best time to visit Gujarat is from Dec-Mar since Kutch becomes alive by the beautiful and colorful Rann Utsav and Big B puts it rightly as 'Kuch din toh gujariye Gujarat mein'. Also, the weather though hot in the morning gets cool by evening.

Gujarat being the only place now where Asiatic lions can be found is a must visit place. The ancient ruins of Dholavira and Lothal transport you back in time to the Indus Valley Civilization. The salt pans and wild ass of the little Rann of Kutch are also worth a visit since wild ass are now an endangered species. Little Rann of Kutch also boasts of a colorful bird life with the flamingos migrating in winter to Gujarat. A visit to Somnath leaves you mesmerized by the devotion to Lord Shiva by his devotees. There is something in Gujarat for everyone.

Our trip started with us waking up early morning to catch the Indigo flight to Ahmedabad from Bengalooru at 6:30 am. Indigo is the only flight which is non-stop to Ahmedabad from Bengalooru and also the cheapest compared to others. The journey was of 2 hours 15 mins and we landed around 8:45 am. We had booked a swift diesel from Carzonrent and the total tariff for 10 days was INR. 15000 excluding fuel charges. The car was in a good condition but the only drawback was you could not drive beyond the speed of 100Kmph and doing so would result in fine which when reached a certain amount would result in cancelling of the booking.

So the journey to the first destination Gir via Lothal started. Lothal which means 'Mound of the Dead' is the oldest known port city in the world. It also enjoyed the status of the leading center for trade in its time famous for trade of beads, gems and other ornaments. Lothal is around 80 kms from Ahmedabad.

The Dockyard

The Acropolis

Drainage system

The archaeological excavations have revealed acropolis, bead factory, marketplace, cemetery and lower town along with the dockyard.The dockyard at Lothal was also the largest in the Indus valley civilization and one of the greatest architecture of the ancient world. The Indus valley civilization was also known for the perfectly designed drainage system. The site reveals paved paths, baths, structured houses, workshops, factories and what not. The site set a brilliant example of architecture with respect to drainage system and town planning. Worshiping fire and animal sacrifices were also practiced. A grave consisting of 2 skeletons together was also found which was also practiced. There is a museum as well where many artifacts like beads and other ornaments, toys, weapons used for hunting, storage and cooking utensils and many other things used by the Harappans at Lothal are kept. The museum is closed on Fridays and the entrance charge for Indians is INR 5. It's a site must visit for history buffs who would enjoy each and every place at the site.

A well at the site

Bead Maker's Kiln

The Lower Town

It was almost noon by the time we covered Lothal. On route to Gir, we stopped at a restaurant where we had first Thepla of the trip. The other dishes we tried were dal khichdi and dry fruit khichdi and we were more than happy to have this food for the next 8 days! The road from Lothal to Gir is in a good condition but since we were new to the place, we lost the route a few times. On route, we also saw the colorful part of Gujarat in the 'Chakdo' which is the old diesel version of the Royal Enfield whose pillion is modified to accommodate as many people as possible. All throughout the trip except for the cities, the chakdo was what the autos are for city dwellers. It was around 9 pm when we reached the resort at Gir. Being off-season, we were the only guests in the resort. The dinner was served a while later and it consisted of a typical Gujarati thali of rotlo, butter, jaggery, phulkas, brinjal curry, kadhi, rice, sev tamatar curry and buttermilk. A Gujarati thali is always incomplete without the buttermilk and it was a relief to have it as often as possible in the scorching temperature of 39 degrees.

After a long journey from Bangalore to Gir and a fulfilling meal, all that we wanted was a good night of sleep!

Route:
From Lothal we took the route to Visavadar. The forest gates at Visavadar close by 6 pm/ 7 pm. We did not know of this and reached the gate around 8 pm. Also, the road as you enter the forest around 10 kms before Visavadar gate is in a very bad condition and its preferrable to reach there before 5 pm. The other route to take in case the gate is closed is Mandavad -> Moniya -> Mendarda -> Sasan Gir. This route is longer compared to the route via Visavadar.

Must try dishes of the day:
Thepla, khichdi, sev tamatar curry, kadhi and buttermilk.