Places Worth Visiting In 100Kms Area
   

Believed to be of  Buddhist origin, the caves near Sana Hill, 25 kms. north-east of Una; are a testimony of a once flurishing monastery. There are in all 62 caves and several water tanks at the site. The architecture of the caves is simple and it is difficult to determine the period in which they were built.

   
On the bank of the river Bhadar is the town of Atkot which was founded by legendary Lakho Fulani. A paliya (funeral monument) stand in testimony to this. The town must have had eight suburbs, giving it a name Atkot. The famous battle between the forces led by Mulraj of Anhilvad Patan and that of Lakho Fulani took place in the vicinity of this town. Bards sing in praise of Lakho who fell fighting and has become immortal in the Kachchhi folklore.

This splendid wildlife sanctuary can be reached from Rajkot (80 kms.) or Jasdan (15 kms.). Arrive into Rajkot and from here one can hire a taxi to the sanctuary. Those coming from Ahmedabad will have to branch off near Dhandhuka. From here to Hingolgadh one possess by the small towns of Ranpur, Paliyad and Vichhiya and Jasdan.

The sanctuary which is first of its kind imparting nature education could be easily reached from Vichhiya or Jasdan. With its unique ecosystem it provides refuge to 300 species of birds.

The only accommodation  within the sanctuary is at Hingolgadh Castle, now a heritage hotel. Seven royally furnished rooms and a large dining-hall make a stay comfortable. One may also stay in the guest-houses at Jasdan. Jasdan Palace is noted for the private library of the royal family, a handicraft collection and  a stud farm of kathiawadi horses.

  
A textile town on the Rajkot-Junagadh road, Jetpur is known for it's yarn dyeing, block printing and screen printing. 

  
The pretty riverside town of Morvi, was the capital of a wealthy princely state developed by Thakore Saheb Waghaji into one of the wealthiest in Saurashtra-at the time of the accession of states to the Indian union, Morvi and Gondal had higher cash balances then many of the much larger sized states of Gujarat. Today, the town is famous for its clocks, tiles and ceramics. The erstwhile ruler of the State constructed a temple with an adjoining secretariat which is known as Wag Palace, Mani mandir or Wellingdon Secretariat. The Suspension Bridge is an important landmark of the town. The bridge is 765 ft. long and 4.5 ft. wide. It is supported only from the pillars on the banks and is said to have been an inspiration of the royal family when they visited Paris. As a bridge between the magnificent Darbargadh, a royal palace drawn from Venetian, Gothic, Rajput and Mughal design - but looking most like a riverside villa in Paris, and the Zanana Palace of the eight queen harem on the opposite bank of the river - now an Engineering college, the roadway is hung across the river on iron ropes passing over towers and firmly anchored. The town gate is a miniature of the Eefil Tower. Museum of Dramatic arts is worth visiting.

           
Shiva temple, where sacred ceremony of "pitru tarpan" is observed. The temple has aesthetically pleasing features.

   
Yet another of the princely  capitals of Saurashtra, Wakaner was an important town of the Jhala Rajputs who came to Gujarat from Sindh in the 11th century and settled first in Paldi and later in Halwad following battles with the Sultanate in the 15th century. Disputes in 1605 A.D. at Halwad, over a  visit of emperor Jehangir, made Sartanji seperate from Halwad and found a new capital of  Wakaner, a town at the bend of the river Machchhu. The Ranjit Vilas Palace of Wakaner, one of the grandest in Gujarat, was built in 1907 A.D., half-way up a hill beside the British residency. The stupendous palace is a mix of Venetian-Gothic arches, classical pillars, Rajput jarokha balconies, Moorish arch doors, Dutch timber trussed roof, Mughal  pavilions, Islamic doomed minarets, a Victorian clock tower and italianette fountains, yet the whole is so well integrated, the palace looks like a single great facade. The interiors  are equally delightful in their profusion of Italian marble, Persian rugs, Mizapuri carpets, Banarasi thrones, art deco furniture, Burma teak, French crystal, local silver, venetian chandeliers, Belgians stained glass   and 95 species of stuffed animals from five continents. The old treasure rooms house a museum collection of Kathiawadi chests, thrones, elephant howdahs, palanquins, shrines, portraits, paintings, pig sticking pears, standards, emblems and the memorable collection of swords, shields and daggers. You can stay in one of  the two European guest houses which are now heritage hotels. The palace can be visited for a small fee.

A picturesque town, bisected by a river, Gondal has wide ooads, arch gates, colonial period buildings in the Gothic style, walled gardens, chowks, palaces and statuary. Gondal state grew into one of the most progressive princely states in Saurashtra, despite it's relatively small area of 1025 sq miles, 175 villages and 4 taluka level towns, under the Jadeja Rajput ruler, Maharajah Bhagwat Sinhji who is rated as the model ruler of Saurashtra, during the late 19 th and early  20th century. The great ruler introduced wide ranging reforms, abolished purdah, sati and female infanticide, exempted his subjects from all taxes, made education free and compulsory even for girls, commissioned good roads, bridges, irrigation networks and schools in the villages, and endowed his towns with underground electricity, sanitary drainage, wide roads, telephones and other facilities. In partnership with  the Maharana of Porbandar and the Maharajah of Bhavnagar, railways lines were laid linking these port cities with the hinterlands north of Gondal, andearning vital revenue for the state.   
  

Beadwork Wall Hanging at Riverside Palace , Gondal

   
A highlight of Gondal is the 1740s Naulakha palace, a marvellous work of medieval architecture with a stupendous array of stone carvings, ornate jarokha balconies, delicate arches, sculpture, reliefs and carved pillars. Inside, the Darbar Hall with it's huge chandeliers and French gift furniture, the silver room with a collection of silver and gold caskets that carried gifts and messages from other princely states and important businessmen for the Maharajah, the stable with its's dilapidated collection of horse drawn royal carriages, brass inlaid wooden doors, brass furniture and other antiquities can only be visited by those staying in one of the heritage hotels or by personal invitation of the royals. The Huzzor Palace where the family resides has the Orchard Palace heritage hotel, the royal garages where the Maharajah keeps his collection of vintage, classic and sporting cars, the historic library with majestic mahogany coloured wooden cabinets and the writing table of Maharajah Bhagwat Sinhji, the drawing room done up in 18th century Louis the XIV style and the personal appartments of the Maharajah. One of the two royal rail saloons , is now open as accommodation with a suite of drawing, dining and bedroom, beautifully finished with inlaid wood, crystal light fittings, rich tapestries, porcelain figurines and old photographs, a bathroom with English fixtures, and an old kitchen with antique utensils and coal cooking systems. The Riverside palace, an 1880s bungalow of the yuvraj of Gondal, is another heritage hotel with huge high ceilinged rooms, appointed in French provincial, early Victorian and antique Indian furniture.
  

  
Other attraction of Gondal are the Swaminarayan temple, the Bhuvaneshwari temple, the stud farm of Kathiawadi horses and Gir cattle, the ayuredic pharmacy where herbal medicines are made according to ancient recipes, the Sangram Sinhji high school which is a model of Eton in Gondal with Gothic arches, Victorian clock tower, ltalian marble floors and wood panelling, the bird rich lakes and the grasslands inhabited by antelope, jungle cat, sandgrouse, great horned owl and other wildlife.