There are so many attractions in India, and a lot of these are centuries old.

The tourist spots in Junagadh are not exempt.  With attractions dating back to 600 BC, a visit to Junagadh promises both an informative and awe inspiring visit.  One reason is that these sites have not just survived time, but a number of battles as well.  If an icon survives several battles, it means that it was well built, or well protected.

History of Junagadh

“Junagadh” literally translated means “old fort”.  It isn't difficult to find out where this city got its name.  In the middle of everything lies an extremely old fort that is said to date back to earlier than 600BC.  Archeologists say that this fort was unused for three centuries and then rediscovered at around 980AD.  Further studies say that the fort was besieged 16 times in 8 centuries, and that one siege lasted 12 years.  The fort remains standing up until today.

Tourism in Junagadh

A number of areas of spiritual importance exist in and near Junagadh.  One such place is the Somnath Temple.  It is the most sacred of the twelve Lingas of Light of the god Shiva.  This temple is also known as the “Shrine Eternal” because it has been destroyed six times in the past, and it still stands up until today.  For each time it was destroyed, someone always took up the burden to get it upright once again.

For those who wish to walk and get fresh air during their vacation, there is Mount Girnar located just a few kilometers from the city.  This mountain has 5 principal peaks, and spread across the mountain there is a number of temples.  A walkway of approximately 10,000 steps is carved into the mountain, and the path goes through the mountain, past most (if not all) of the temples on the mountain and through the five peaks of Girnar.  The mountain is high, with fresh and crisp air.  All the temples are worth a visit and the walkway itself is a wonder to see.

There is also the Sakkarbaug Zoo, which is the oldest city in the state, and the third oldest of the country.  Though the collection of animals they have here are well cared for, it is good to know that this is where they keep and breed the rare Gir lions, which are distributed to the other zoos once the lions are old enough.

So many other locations are worth visiting in Junagadh, if one is wanting to go for a foreign land but not wanting to travel too much within it, this is the place to go.  People who decide to chose this city as part of their India tour would be able to just stay put, see sites and learn about the land's culture without moving far away from where they stay.