Winding Roads & Never Ending TalesFamily trips, wrong turns and the places we still talk about.
Our Gujarat Road Trip: Chai Stops, Temple Bells and the Road to Heaven
How do you describe a holiday where you sit listening to Ram dhun in one town, go looking for lions on another morning, and then find yourself staring at a white desert that seems to have no end? That was Gujarat for us. I was especially looking forward to the Rann of Kutch and the Road to Heaven, but Dwarka, Somnath, the Statue of Unity and a little detour into Diu were all part of the plan. Darshan bhi, beaches bhi, safari bhi. Quite a lot for one family holiday!
What I liked was how different these places felt from each other. The sea beside Somnath, the mountain setting at Girnar, the salt beds of Kutch, and then Ahmedabad with its busy streets and riverfront. The temple visits had their own stories too. Places connected with Krishna and Shiva, names we have heard so often, now becoming actual stops on our journey rather than just names in a story.
We travelled through December and into the New Year, with a personal SUV and driver for the road trip. There were long drives, yes, but also fresh poha and chai, an old school friend to catch up with, and so much good food that my daughter was quite happy with this holiday's meal arrangements. We also reached the wrong safari gate despite booking in advance. Woh story bhi aayegi! First, this is the Gujarat we explored, with the lovely parts and our small confusions included.
Our route: Surat → Ekta Nagar → Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar → Jamnagar → Dwarka → Somnath → Diu → Gir and Girnar → Bhuj and Kutch → Ahmedabad.
Surat to Ekta Nagar: first, poha and chai
After landing in Surat, we started for the Statue of Unity the next morning. Having our own SUV and driver meant we could stop along the way, and breakfast was a very good reason to stop. Fresh poha and chai. Simple food, served fresh, and so good. Highway food ka level hi alag hai!
Surat was only our starting point this time, but it has a much older travel story of its own: it was once a major international trading port. Worth remembering before dismissing it as just the airport stop, as we nearly did. A little of Surat's history.
Ekta Nagar felt like a different city when we reached. Beautiful, clean roads, open spaces and a system that took a little getting used to. Our cab could not take us right into the attraction areas. There were huge parking areas instead, with frequent shuttle buses taking visitors towards the statue, Glow Garden and the other stops. Once we understood that, getting around was quite straightforward.
We had booked the viewing-gallery ticket in advance, so up we went in the lift. Honestly, the view from that part did not excite me as much as I had expected. I had imagined a clearer, glass-viewing-area sort of experience. It was not that. The statue itself is enormous, of course, but the gallery was not my favourite part of the visit.
The museum-style area downstairs was lovely. There were stories about Sardar Patel and the making of the statue, along with plenty of places to stop and take photographs. We spent time there instead of treating the lift ride as the whole visit. For me, this part added more to the experience than looking out from the top.
The name also makes more sense when you spend time with Patel's story: the monument honours his role in bringing the princely states into independent India. Not just a very tall photo background! The galleries are worth allowing time for.
We found Maggi around the statue area too. Breakfast on the highway, Maggi here, and then back to the hotel for a proper meal and rest. We had an evening outing planned, and a little break in between was very welcome.
The statue was better at night
In the evening we went back for the light show and the Glow Garden area. This was the part I really liked. Everything looked beautiful after dark. The place we had walked around during the day had a completely different feel with the lights on.
We managed to get in early and took seats towards the front, with a great view. That little bit of early arrival paid off. By the time we finished, though, it was quite late. The aarti at the ghats was on the opposite side of the river, and we decided not to add another crossing to the night. Everything in one day sounds very nice while planning; by evening the body also gets a vote.
What worked for us: daytime sightseeing, a hotel break, then the evening visit. Check current experiences, transport arrangements and slots on the official booking site rather than relying on our old timings.
An old friend, and an evening at Akshardham
The next day was easier. We reached Ahmedabad and met one of my school friends. You know how these meetings go. You start talking, one memory brings back another, and suddenly the time you thought you had has disappeared. Before we knew it, it was time to leave for our evening plan.
That plan was Akshardham in Gandhinagar. The darshan was peaceful, and the water-and-light projection show telling Nachiketa's story was mesmerising. After all the catching up and travelling, sitting there watching the story unfold was a lovely way to end the day.
One small warning from our visit: think twice before choosing the first few rows if you want to stay dry. There was quite a chance of getting wet near the front. Front seat har jagah best seat nahi hoti!
We had khichdi prasad at the temple itself. Amazing. A peaceful darshan, a beautiful show and simple food before heading back. That was a very good evening.
For the show: the official name is Sat-Chit-Anand Water Show. Check its current schedule separately from temple visiting hours.
The story comes from the Katha Upanishad, with young Nachiketa asking Yama questions about life and death. That is what makes this more than lights on water. There is a proper story to follow, and the setting makes you sit and pay attention.
Jamnagar was supposed to be a break
There was plenty of driving in this holiday, and Jamnagar was meant to break the journey. I had not given it the same importance in my head as Kutch or the big temples. Then we went towards the lake.
The lake, the beautiful palace building and the surrounding area were such a pleasant surprise. We spent time there rather than simply checking in and waiting for the next morning. Sometimes the stop between the famous places turns out to be worth a story of its own.
That building is Lakhota, the island fort-palace which houses an archaeological museum. A lake walk with a bit of history sitting right in the middle of it. We had come for a break in the drive, not expecting this much character. More about Lakhota.
We also visited Bala Hanuman Temple, where the Ram dhun has been going on for years and years. Sitting inside and being part of it felt overwhelming. We were not doing anything special, just sitting there listening and joining in, but that feeling stayed with me.
And "years and years" is not just a way of saying it. The temple is known for its uninterrupted Ram dhun, begun on 1 August 1964, as recorded in the Tourism Ministry's Gujarat report. Think about that for a moment. We were there for a small part of one evening; people have kept this devotion going across generations. For me, that was what made sitting here so special. No need to hurry off after one photograph.
Dinner was street food again, and then we crashed for the night. By now, food had become a very dependable part of the trip. Gujarati kadhi, chutneys, papad, new dishes to try, and something good at nearly every stop we made. I am not saying we reviewed all of Gujarat's food. Just that our own luck with it was excellent!
Dwarka: blessings, crowds and a camera lesson
Dwarkadhish is also called Jagat Mandir, and Dwarka is one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage destinations. The temple stands by the Gomti, close to where the river reaches the Arabian Sea. Knowing that helps explain why so many different journeys end up in the same queue. Dwarkadhish's background.
In Hindu tradition, Dwarka is Krishna's kingdom, and the founding of the original shrine is attributed to his descendant Vajranabh. That is the devotional story; the temple standing today has been rebuilt and altered over centuries. One small detail worth looking up for is the huge flag above the tower: Gujarat Tourism describes it as made from 52 yards of cloth. Even the flag has a scale of its own! But for the devotees coming here, it is Krishna's presence that matters far more than the building's size.
Dwarka and Nageshwar were important stops for us, and the crowds were huge. At one point we genuinely wondered whether we would manage darshan. There is a difference between seeing a busy temple in a photograph and standing there trying to work out how your family will get through that queue.
Finally, Bhagwan ne sun li. We had a peaceful darshan. Peaceful is the word I remember partly because, when we were coming out, the lines had grown so much longer. People were trying to push in, arguments were starting, and it did not look well managed at that moment. We were grateful we had got through when we did.
Nageshwar: the story behind the darshan
Nageshwar is revered as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The legend recounted by Gujarat Tourism tells of Supriya, a devotee imprisoned by the demon Daaruka, who continued praying to Shiva. Shiva is said to have appeared, defeated the demon and remained here in the form of the sacred linga. For devotees, it is a story of protection and faith even when everything looks hopeless. Knowing the story gives the darshan a little more meaning than simply saying, "one more temple covered".
Outside the darshan, there was time for conversations. At a dhaba, a little girl noticed the five camera lenses on my phone and became very curious about what they did. So I showed her, gave her a little demonstration and explained how to take pictures. She was such a happy soul. Of all the things we went to Dwarka to see, I had obviously not planned a phone-camera lesson, but I remember that interaction so clearly.
We had amazing buttermilk here too. After the crowds and all the moving around, chaach was exactly what we needed.
For Beyt Dwarka, we used the bridge. Older accounts describe the boat journey, but our crossing was by road over Sudarshan Setu. One of those details worth checking before following an old itinerary word for word.
We went to Dwarkadhish Temple again early the next morning. This time the darshan was much easier. Same place, very different experience. For us, going early made a real difference.
Somnath: darshan first, photographs the next morning
Somnath has a story worth knowing before joining the queue. According to the Somnath Trust's account of the Puranic tradition, Chandra, the Moon God, lost his radiance under Daksha's curse and worshipped Shiva at Prabhas. Shiva blessed him and relieved the curse. That restoration is the sacred miracle remembered in the temple's tradition, not something we witnessed or a promise made to visitors. It helps explain why this place means so much to devotees beyond its beautiful seaside setting.
There is a more recent connection with our own route too. Sardar Patel helped set the modern reconstruction in motion, and the present temple's consecration took place in 1951. We had begun the holiday at the Statue of Unity; here was Patel's name again, in a very different setting. The old stories and the more recent history both belong to Somnath.
Somnath felt very different from our crowded experience in Dwarka. The arrangements were well laid out, with places for shoes and for depositing phones, which were not allowed inside. We could see where to go and what to do. After the previous queues, we appreciated that more than usual.
The darshan was amazing. We also wanted a rudraksha mala, but only a few were left when we looked, so even buying that took a bit of effort. And yes, I was missing my phone inside. Not because I wanted to spend the entire darshan clicking, but because the place was so beautiful and I wanted some photographs to take home.
Our driver had a solution. There was a beach-side walkway in front of the temple from where we could get photographs. It had already closed by the time we tried that evening, around eight on our visit, so he promised to take us back in the morning.
And he did. We went the next morning and managed to click some beautiful pictures. Darshan apni jagah, memories in photos apni jagah. I wanted both, and this way we did not have to break any rules to get them.
We also noticed shivlings along the coastal areas, some looking very old. Between the sea and these small places of worship, there was so much more here than a single temple visit.
Triveni Sangam and Bhalka Tirth: do not stop at the main temple
Two stops I should not leave out of our Somnath account are Triveni Sangam and Bhalka Tirth. Somnath gets most of the attention while making the plan, but these places belong in the story too.
Triveni Sangam is the sacred meeting of the Hiran, Kapila and Saraswati rivers before they reach the Arabian Sea. The ghats and the open water give this part of the outing a different setting from the temple complex. It is not another temple queue to tick off; leave some time for the riverside as well.
At Bhalka Tirth, the story is Lord Krishna and the hunter Jara. According to Hindu tradition, this is where Jara's arrow struck Krishna's foot. You may have heard the story many times, but placing it on the route makes the connection much clearer. This is the place associated with the arrow; it should not be confused with Dehotsarg, another nearby sacred site associated with Krishna's final departure.
My daughter was happy with the food situation throughout this stretch. Thalis, chaach, curd-based drinks and so many things to choose from. On some holidays, finding something everyone will eat becomes a separate activity. Here, we were mostly deciding what to try next.
Diu: a fort next door, once we found the hotel
Diu brought beaches and a change of mood. We had chosen a hotel right beside the fort, which turned out to be a great decision once we actually reached it. Reaching it was the small problem.
The approach road was under construction, and the alternative routes were not marked clearly. Our driver worked his way through narrow lanes until we finally arrived. The hotel might have been close to the fort, but at that point we would have appreciated it being close to a useful signboard!
After freshening up, we could head straight out to explore the fort area. The old walls and the sea looked beautiful, and of course plenty of photographs followed. In the evening it looked even better. Staying nearby gave us that freedom to go out again instead of making the whole place a hurried stop between drives.
A small history pause here: the Portuguese built Diu Fort between 1535 and 1541, following an agreement with Gujarat's Sultan Bahadur Shah. Those sea-facing walls had a defensive job long before we arrived looking for photographs. And Diu is a Union Territory destination, not administratively part of Gujarat, even though it fits so naturally into this coastal road trip.
We also visited Gangeshwar Mahadev, down by the rocky shore. The shivlings are at the water's edge, where the tide washes over them. What a setting for a temple. After the larger temple complexes, this felt completely different. You find yourself looking at the water and the rocks as much as the shrine itself.
Local belief connects this shrine with the five Pandavas worshipping Shiva during their exile, a tradition also described by the Diu district administration. With the sea washing over the shivlings, you can understand why people speak of the water itself offering abhishek. The tide is a natural movement of the sea; the devotional meaning is in how people experience it. Samundar hi abhishek kar raha ho, aisa lagta hai. That combination of faith and the setting makes this small place worth more than a quick stop.
At the shore: Gangeshwar's setting is right beside the sea. Follow local guidance and keep back from slippery rocks and incoming waves; a photograph is not worth taking a risk.
We spent time around the beaches and enjoyed the food street at night, trying different things. Our pilgrimage stretch was behind us by then, and chicken made an appearance in our food choices too. This was not an entirely vegetarian trip.
Diu felt like the relaxed break in the middle of all those temple visits and road journeys. Food, sea air, another round of wandering. The camera even has our cups of chai. Important holiday documentation, obviously.
The safari: correct booking, wrong starting point
We had booked our safari early, so I thought that part was sorted. What we had not sorted properly was the starting point. There were two places showing up while we were working out where to go, and we reached the wrong one.
Booking confirmed, family ready, wrong gate. Bas, that was enough to turn the morning into a rush. We had to depend on our driver to get us to the correct place in time. We made it, but I would happily remove that bit of excitement from a future trip.
We chose the shorter, time-bound circuit rather than the longer safari because that was what we could fit into our day. During our visit we saw lions, deer and a leopard, with some wonderfully close views. These were our sightings, not a promise of what anyone else will see.
The bigger story behind the outing is conservation. Gir and the surrounding Saurashtra landscape are home to the surviving wild Asiatic lion population. The Forest Department's account is a useful reminder that this is a living wildlife landscape, not a show arranged around our camera timings.
The safari driver noticed how much I was photographing and offered me the seat beside him. I happily took it. The view from the front was excellent, and I gave him a small tip afterwards. Camera wale ko achhi seat mil gayi, aur kya chahiye! That was what happened on our visit, not an extra-seat arrangement to expect when booking.
Our actual lesson: confirm the exact reporting gate from your booking, not just a map search for “Gir safari”. There are different visitor experiences around Gir; make sure your driver has the details for the one you booked.
Girnar: from wildlife to the hills
We also stayed around Girnar to include the pilgrimage stop. Gir and Girnar are easy to mix up when hurriedly reading an itinerary. In our holiday, one meant wildlife and the other meant looking out over mountain slopes and temples.
The ropeway felt very good quality, comparable to ones we had used outside India. Looking out as we travelled over the slopes was an experience in itself. The temple setting up in the mountains was beautiful. There is something about seeing a place of worship against that much rock and open sky that a ground-level photograph cannot quite explain.
We had wanted to include Girnar for its famous Jain pilgrimage sites, and the mountain setting was a big part of what stayed with us. This was a very different outing from the coastal temples. I would leave enough time for the visit itself, not just the ride up and down.
Among Girnar's important Jain shrines is the twelfth-century temple dedicated to Neminath, the twenty-second Tirthankara. The hills are sacred to both Jain and Hindu pilgrims. Also, a ropeway ride does not remove all the walking between the different shrines: plan for the particular temple you want to reach. Girnar's temple history.
Bhuj and the Rann: this was the part I had been waiting for
After Gir, we headed towards Bhuj and Kutch. Our resort was beautiful, with an Indian-themed setting, huge lawns and lots of activities. After so much time on the road, having that space around us felt good. We spent time around the nearby sights and kept a proper outing for the part I was most excited about: the Rann of Kutch and the Road to Heaven.
Prag Mahal is an interesting change from the temple architecture along our route. Commissioned by Rao Pragmalji II in the nineteenth century and designed by Henry Saint Wilkins, it has an Italian Gothic character. Bhuj has its own layers of history; it is not only the place where you sleep before going to the Rann. The palace's story.
The Road to Heaven really did live up to its name for us. Water on both sides, a road running through the middle, and that feeling of being somewhere far away from the usual city world. I can write “beautiful” three times and still not quite explain it. Some places deserve their photographs.
And then the Rann itself. On the day we visited, the salt beds were still forming in places, but the vastness was incredible. Such a huge expanse, so much sky, and a landscape unlike anything else on this trip. It really did feel out of this world.
One useful thing to understand is that this is a changing landscape, not a white surface maintained for tourists. The Great Rann is a seasonal marsh during the monsoon, with the salt desert emerging in winter. The exact look depends on conditions. Ours still had salt forming in places, and it was amazing anyway.
The arrival area had colour and activity everywhere: decorated camels, buses, people getting ready to head towards the main Rann. There were free buses when we visited, and walking was an option too. The camel ride had its own fun, though. Not every bit of the outing needed to be the fastest way from parking to viewpoint.
I should mention that the bus-parking area was not particularly clean during our visit. That part could have been better. But once we reached the main Rann and spent some time there, the view more than made up for the approach. I was very happy we had kept time for it.
We explored Tent City as well. It had a life of its own, with so much happening around it. After seeing the Rann and then the festival atmosphere, I could understand why people make a special trip here for Rann Utsav. It was not just a patch of white ground to photograph and leave.
Of all the very different places in this holiday, this stretch was one of the best for me. The salt landscape, the water beside the road, and then all the colour in the evening. Words were falling short while we were there too.
Back to Ahmedabad, and not quite ready to go home
We returned to Ahmedabad for the final stretch. There was time to roam along the Sabarmati riverfront, see the bridge and visit the flower show that was on during our stay. After the long drives and the bigger outings, this was a nice way to spend the last part of the holiday.
We wandered around the nearby sights and spent time by the river. The bridge was lovely lit up at night. By then we had seen the sea, hills, temples, lions, a giant statue and a white desert, but a simple riverside walk was still a good plan.
There is another Ahmedabad beyond the modern riverfront: the historic city founded by Ahmad Shah in 1411, with its pol neighbourhoods and closely packed traditional houses. UNESCO's account of the old city gives that side its due. We did not cover everything, and I would not pretend the riverfront walk was the whole city.
Then it was time to go home. Heavy heart, plenty of pictures, and a much longer list of memories than the itinerary we had started with. Gujarat had been good to us.
Beyond the holiday route: Gujarat at work
There is one more side of Gujarat that a temples-and-Rann itinerary can easily miss. Jamnagar is also home to Reliance's integrated refinery complex. Over in Kutch, Adani Ports' Mundra port connects sea trade with road and rail routes into India's northern hinterland. These are working industrial places, not sightseeing stops we toured.
Still, they add something to how I think about this journey. Old trading cities, pilgrimage routes, refineries, ports and modern roads all belong to the same Gujarat. A part of new India's growth story, alongside the places we came to photograph. Sirf mandir aur desert nahi hai Gujarat. The industry matters too, even when the family itinerary is mostly concerned with the next darshan and the next meal.
A few things I would remember next time
- Give the driving its own space. A personal SUV helped with stops and luggage, but it did not make the distances disappear. Leave room for food and proper rest.
- Book the experience, then check how to reach it. Our safari mistake happened after the booking was done. The correct gate matters just as much as the correct ticket.
- Keep evenings for places that change after dark. The Statue of Unity, Akshardham's show, the Rann festival area and Ahmedabad's riverfront all gave us reasons to stay out later.
- Early darshan helped us in Dwarka. It is not a guarantee of an empty temple, but our early return was much easier than the crowded first visit.
- Ask locally about access and photography. Our driver knew about the Somnath walkway; the construction near our Diu hotel needed local navigation. Do not assume an old route or opening time will still work.
- Do not hurry through every “break” on the route. Jamnagar gave us a beautiful evening and that time listening to the Ram dhun. It deserved more than being a name between two drives.
What do I miss most? The Rann and the Road to Heaven are obvious answers. But I also think of sitting in that temple in Jamnagar, catching up with my school friend, showing the little girl how the camera worked, and stopping for fresh poha and chai. Those did not need advance tickets. They just became part of our trip.
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