Day 74 - Rajkot

Rajkot is a small historical town in the state of Gujarat.Rajkot was founded by Thakur Saheb Vibhaji Ajoji Jadeja of the Jadeja clan and Raju Sandhi in 1612 AD, in the middle of Saurashtra. Rajkot was named in honor of its co-founder, Raju Sandhi.Masum Khan conquered Rajkot in the year 1720 AD. He was a deputy Faujdar of Junagadh’s Nawab. Masum Khan changed the name of Rajkot to Masumabad. The three storied clock towers was built during this period. Masumabad was later conquered by the Jadeja clan and its name was restored to Rajkot. It was then merged into Republic of India during Pradumansinh’s Jadeja’s reign. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, A.K.A Mahatma Gandhi, spent early years of his life in Rajkot when his father was a Diwan to the king of Rajkot. Gandhi fasted to ask to form a people’s council and liberation of people of Rajkot at Rashtriya Shala in 1939.Rajkot has not just rich heritage and history attached with its name but it is one of the fastest growing cities today in India and world over.


How to reach here:

By Air: The airport in the city of Rajkot is a domestic airport that has frequent flights to the city of Mumbai.

By Rail: The city of Rajkot has frequent trains to Mumbai, Ahmadabad  Delhi, Coimbatore, Kochi, Bhopal and other cities within the state of Gujarat.


Best time to visit: Throughout the year.


Languages spoken: Gujarati, Hindi.


Must eat: Khaman , Khandvi, Muthiya, Bajri no Rotlo, Biranj, Bharela Bhinda, Mohanthal.


Famous Restaurants: Flavours, Temptations The Food Zone, Lords Banquet Restaurant, Imperial Palace, Horn Ok Please.


Places you must visit:

The Swaminarayan Temple was established by Shastriji Maharaj of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, in 1907. The temple has been built out of hand carved stones. Within its premises is the figure of Lord Swaminarayan, clad in royal cloth. This temple is renowned worldwide for its social work and humanitarian services and it also runs a charitable trust that helps people in natural calamities, all over the world.

Mahatma Gandhi High School earlier known as Alfred High School was established in 1853. The building of this school has been built in Gothic Norman structure and it is most popular for its high standards of educational system. The name of the school was changed to the present one, when the present management came to know that Mahatma Gandhi himself has been an alumnus to this school. This school was the very place where Mahatma Gandhi misspelled the word ‘kettle'.

The Rampara Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1988 in a total area of 15 square km. It is a compact woodland home to 280 species of flora, 130 species of birds, and 20 species each of reptiles and mammals. Rampara Wildlife Sanctuary  comprises species of amphibians and other animals. Rare species of animals found in this sanctuary includes Nilgai, Chinkara, fox and Wolf.

The Watson Museum is situated in the Jubilee Garden of Rajkot, in the heart of the city. This museum was established in 1888 and is dedicated to Colonel James Watson, who was a political agent of Saurashtra. This museum is regarded among the 7 finest museums located across the Saurashtra region.It houses a huge collection of ancient and traditional artifacts  also exhibiting the cultural heritage of Saurashtra. Main exhibits displayed here include 13th century carvings, tribal costumes, temple statues, silver wares  ancient coins and other objects from the colonial period.ts major attraction is a huge marble statue of Queen Victoria. The museum also possesses a large number of artifacts from the Indus Valley, Harappan Civilization and the period of Mohenjodaro. It is also known for its rare collection of books that provides a glimpse of the socio-cultural aspects and traditions of Saurashtra. Main sections on display in this museum are sculptures, paintings and manuscripts, textiles, inscriptions, coins, anthropology, folk embroidery, handicraft, musical instruments, wood work, natural history, and rocks and minerals.

The Ishwariya Temple is a small temple of Rajkot, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The most popular feature of this is its Shiva Lingam, which is recognized as ‘Swayambhu’.

The Lal Pari Lake is a popular bird watching venue, as it is the roosting place for a large number of species of local and migratory birds. Most popular birds in this category include rosy pastor, pheasant tailed jacan, spoon bill, purple moor hen, wigeon, common teal, black tailed godwit and pelican.

The Ramakrishna Ashram is a math and center for universal teachings of Vedanta, situated in Rajkot. The  of the establishment of this ashram was in 1926, during Swami Madhavanandaji Maharajahs visit to the place. He later became the 9th president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. This ashram illustrates the life and ideals of Ramakrishna to promote religious harmony and universal brotherhood in the world.Ramakrishna Ashram is also involved in rural development and relief, rehabilitation, educational, spiritual, and cultural work. It also performs activities like maintenance of temples, organizing spiritual classes, serving poor and needy, etc. The publication department of the ashram has also published many books of Ramakrishna, which are available for reading in its free library and reading room.




Jubilee garden is home to a large amusement park along with many shops and attractions like Watson Museum, Connaught Hall, Alfred High School, and Lang Library.The amusement park in the place offers a wide variety of rides both for children and adults. This garden is also ideal for spotting a few rare species of winter birds. This place is also a major commercial hub of the city.

Aji Dam Garden comprises an amusement park, foot courts and children’s park in its premises. It also has a bird aviary, zoo and crocodile park.The trees present in the surroundings of this garden bloom at their best, during the winter season. It also stands ideal for activities like evening walks and picnics. This park is also a major commercial hub of Rajkot. It also plays a major role in maintaining the ecological balance of the city by keeping them pollution free.

The Rotary Midtown Dolls Museum of Rajkot provides an insight to the culture and traditions of the world through the medium of dolls. Most of the dolls present at this museum have been donated to the place by a large number of rotary clubs, from across 93 countries around the world. This museum was conceived by Deepak Aggarwal in 2001 with a view to provide children a place, where they could gain valuable knowledge about the world by the mode of fun and entertainment .Main attractions in the place include Cinematic  which is a cinema theater for children, where knowledgeable movies are played. These movies are the valuable videos gathered from National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Britannica and many other multimedia educational CD's . Besides, the museum also comprises Info Kiosks, which are touch screen computers installed within the museum in its information library.

Kaba Gandhi No Delo is the residence of Mahatma Gandhi, situated in Rajkot. It is the place where Gandhiji stayed during his early years of life at Rajkot. The place draws its name from Mahatma Gandhi’s father’s name, Kaba Gandhi. This place displays the old and traditional architectural style of building houses and monuments.Kaba Gandhi No Delo has now been converted into a museum called the ‘Gandhi Smriti’. This museum consists of photographs, crucial objects and belongings of the ‘father of the nation’, Mahatma Gandhi. In vicinity of this place, a NGO is run for young girls to learn embroidery and sewing. 

The Rajkumar College of Rajkot is one of the oldest school establishments of the city, established for the purpose of education for princely by the Princes and Chiefs of Kathiawar, in 1868. This school was opened as a public school in 1938 by the initiative of its founders.This college is also a part of the Indian Public Schools Conference. The important educational facilities provided by the college include laboratories, library, gymnasium, residential area, dining hall, swimming pool, and a medical center.

Mukti Dham is a renowned electric crematorium site of Rajkot, situated in Ramnath para area on the banks of River Nyari. Apart from being a cremation site, the place also comprises a library that houses books related to spiritual and religious topics.Mukti Dham has three umbrella resting points that provides shelter during heat and rain. The pillars of these resting points are decorated with statues of various deities. Some paintings and sculptures related to mythological events are also displayed within the premises of this ‘dham’. There is also a step garden in the exteriors of this site decorated with flowers and shrubs.

The Raiya Naka and Bedi Naka Gate is an old fort situated in Rajkot, which was built by Masum Khan, the Deputy Faudar of Junagadh in 1722 AD. It lies in the Ramnath para area of the city.In 1892, this fort was renovated by Sir Robert Bell Booth, who was the Chief Engineer of a British Agency. He also built a three storied clock tower here. Presently, only the gate of this fort is seen in a perfect state and only the ruins of the rest of the fort is seen at the site.

The Asharamji Bapu Ashram was founded by Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu. This ashram is involved in spiritual, educational, medical and humanitarian activities.

The Jagat Mandir also known as Dwarkadheesh Temple is another significant temple of Rajkot.This is a universal temple built in 1934 and has been carved out of red stones. The main deity of this temple is Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the main hall of this temple comprises his white marbled image placed on a Lotus Vedi. The structure of this temple is quite modern that embodies different religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. The temple also has a shrine balanced on 60 pillars, made of granite and sandstone.

The Panchnath Mahadeo Temple is one of the oldest temples of Rajkot, established in 1933,  dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shiv Maha Puja held in the Hindu month of ‘Shravan’ is one of the most important events of this temple.