| FACTS &
FIGURES
Population : 1.13 million
Area : 69 sq km (district)
Languages : Gujarati, Hindi, & English
Best time to visit : October to March
STD Code : 0281
LOCATION
Rajkot is situated in the Saurashtra region of the western
Indian state of Gujarat. The city extends from latitude
23°32' in the North to longitude 70°4' in the
East. Rajkot has good air, road, and railway networks
that connect it to other parts of the region.
CLIMATE
The climate of Rajkot is generally pleasant.
The summer season extends from March to June with daytime
temperature reaching a high of around 42°C. The
monsoons are from July to September. Winter season sets
in during October and extends until February. In association
with cyclonic storms or depressions in the Arabian Sea
in the post-monsoon months, and to a lesser extent in
May and June, Rajkot experiences strong winds and heavy
rain. Thunderstorms occur in June and July. In the cold
season occasional fog occurs. The summer temperature
ranges from 24°C to 42°C and winter temperature
ranges from 10°C to 24°C. The average annual
rainfall is around 276 mm.
PAST
Rajkot (literally, the City of Princes)
was founded in the year of 1610 by Vibhaji Jadeja and
Raju Sandhi. This bustling city was once the capital
of the princely state of Saurashtra and the headquarters
of the British Government Headquarters. Today it is
best known as the town where Mahatma Gandhi spent the
early years of his life when his father was a Diwan
or Prime Minister to the king of Saurashtra.
Today Rajkot is a city vibrant with business activities
and one of the major cities of Gujarat.
SITES TO VISIT
The Watson Museum and Library, located
in the Jubilee Gardens, commemorated Colonel James Watson,
political agent of Saurashtra from 1886-89. The museum
is a good introduction to Saurashtra's cultural heritage.
The entrance is flanked by two imperial lions. Among
the exhibits are copies of artifacts from Mohanjodaro,
13th-century carvings, temple statues, natural history
exhibits, and dioramas of local tribal costumes and
housing styles. There is a huge marble statue of Queen
Victoria seated on a throne.
Kaba Gandhi No Delo is the house where Mahatma Gandhi
grew up. It now holds a permanent exhibition of Gandhian
items. It is within the old city on Ghee Kanta Road.
The Rajkumar College was established by the British
government as early as in 1870. Built for the education
of the princes of the Indian state, it is still regarded
as one of the best private institutions in the country.
Rashtriya Shala was founded by Mahatma Gandhi and has
a center of patola weaving.
Jagat Mandir is the beautiful carved temple of Shri
Ramakrishna Paramhansa. It is made of red stones.
SITES NEARBY
About 50 km from Rajkot, on the way
to Kutch, is the palace of Wankaner, now converted into
a heritage hotel. The palace was built in 1907 and is
a curious Greco-Roman-cum-Gothic-cum-Indo-Scottish extravagance.
Lal Pan Lake and Randerda are picturesque picnic spots,
around 5 km from Rajkot.
Aji Dam is situated 8 km from Rajkot and supplies the
town with water.
Morvi, an off-track tourist destination, is situated
around 65 km north of Rajkot. There is an interesting
swinging bridge here and it actually shakes, creaks,
creaks, and rocks as one passes through it.
Surendranagar is situated on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad main
route and houses the ancient temple of Ranik Devi.
Tarnetar is around 65 km northeast of Rajkot and hosts
the Tarnetar Fair every year around September at the
Trineteshwar Temple.
Gondal is 39 km south of Rajkot on the River Gondali
and famous for some impressive buildings like the Naulakha
Darbargadh Palace.
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS
Rajkot is one of the centers that celebrate
the International Kite Festival. This festival is held
every year in the month of January and kiting enthusiasts
from all over the country participate in it.
SHOPPING
The city of Rajkot is mainly known for
the handicrafts and jewelry that it produces. Especially
famous are its bead and mirror work, tie and dye (bandhini),
silk embroidery and appliqué work.
WHERE TO STAY
There are good accommodation options
available in Rajkot. Most of the hotels are in the budget
to mid-range categories. Some of the hotels also provide
facilities for currency exchange.
HOW TO REACH
By Air
There is an airport in Rajkot and the major domestic
airlines run flights between Rajkot and Mumbai. Indian
Airlines has four flights a week to Mumbai while Jet
and Sahara have daily flights.
By Rail
Regular trains connect Rajkot to other important
cities in Gujarat and India. There are trains for Delhi,
Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Cochin, Coimbatore,
and Bhopal from Rajkot. There is also a meter-gauge
service to Veraval.
By Road
The State Transport Corporation runs regular
buses to and from Rajkot to other cities of Gujarat.
There are buses for Jamnagar, Junagarh, Porbandar, Veraval,
and Ahmedabad. There are a number of private bus operators
connecting this city with Mumbai, Bhuj, Bhavnagar, Una,
Mt Abu, and Udaipur.
Local Transport
To move around in the city, taxis, auto-rickshaws,
and cycle rickshaws are the best options.
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