The ancient city of Junagadh is a famous tourism and pilgrimage centre in Gujarat. It was once the capital of the Nawabs of Junagadh.
About 105 km east of Porbandar in Saurashtra peninsula, Junagadh means old fort and is also known as ‘Sorath’ (the name of a princely state). Located at the foothill of the Girnar range, it is the seventh largest city in Gujarat.
The city is an interesting mix of Buddhist monuments, mosques, Hindu temples, elaborate mansions and gothic archways. There are many Hindu and Jain temples on the Girnar range of mountains that can be reached by climbing about 10,000 steps.
The city was ruled by the Babi Nawabs from 1748 AD till India’s independence. While the ruler merged his country with Pakistan, the overwhelming majority of his subjects wanted to become a part of India. Junagadh was forcibly merged with India through police action and the last Nawab fled to Pakistan. Bollywood actress Parveen Babi hailed from the Nawab’s family.
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