Beaches
Shivrajpur Beach
Shivrajpur Beach, which just received Blue Flag beach accreditation, is situated 12 kilometers from Dwarka (Gujarat) along the Dwarka-Okha Highway Shivrajpur Beach, one of Gujarat’s most well-known beaches, is the ideal place to spend the weekend with family and children. You might be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of dolphins or other lovely birds. Shivrajpur Beach is currently drawing visitors from all across India owing to the blue flag accreditation, and the state government is also enhancing the beach by providing a variety of facilities nearby. Immerse yourself in a variety of adventure activities with friends and family like snorkeling, scuba diving, island tours, sea bathing, or sit by the silent sea and watch the sun bid adieu to the day!
Madhavpur Beach
One of Gujarat’s most well-known beaches, Madhavpur Beach, is only 58 kilometers from Porbandar. When travelling from Porbandar to Somnath by car, Madhavpur, known for its extensive coastal route, offers beautiful views. Madhavpur Beach is among the most tranquil and lovely locations to visit close to Junagadh. It is worth taking a family holiday because it is so serene.Coconut trees and other nice greenery line the shore. Its tranquil seas make a trip there with the Family is worthwhile.
Tithal Beach
4 kilometers to the west of Valsad town is the beach along the Arabian Sea known as Tithal Beach. The black sand on this beach is well-known. It is a well-liked tourist spot in Valsad. In addition to the beach, Tithal is home to two significant temples: the Shri Sai Baba temple, which is 1.5 km south of the main beach, and the Shri Swami Narayan temple, which is 1.6 km north of the main beach. The Arabian Sea may be seen from both temples.
Mandvi Beach
The Mandvi beach is a stretch of golden-brown sand located at the southernmost point of Gujarat’s Kutch district. It is located south of the main intersection, Bhuj. The beach is located in the same town as its name, which historically had a busy port serving India. The historic part of the town still has the fort wall from the former trading centre. The serene beach is a welcome addition for visitors to the area. Evenings are especially wonderful because of the sunset and all the activity from snack vendors to balloon vendors.
Pingleshwar Beach
Near to Mandvi Kutch, Pingleshwar Beach is a fantastic tourist destination. This Kutch beach’s golden sands are worth visiting, to fully savour special times with your loved ones. It is located close to the Nalia bird sanctuary, around 17 kilometres from the coastal NH 8A. The beach is well known for being a wetland that welcomes migratory birds every year and for featuring stunning wind farms.
Dumas Beach
The Dumas Beach is in Gujarat, a state in Western India, 13 miles southwest of Surat, along the Arabian Sea. It is without a doubt one of the most picturesque and gorgeous beaches, with black sand all around it.
Main attraction: The beautiful black sand that covers the beach makes it one of the unique destinations for a visit.
Suvali Beach
A tranquil and serene beach, Suvali Beach, is located 20 kilometres from Surat. The beach, which is primarily frequented by loners seekers of solitude, is steadily becoming a popular tourist destination. The spotless beach, which is outside the city centre, provides city dwellers and other tourists with the ideal escape from the shrill noise and hectic pace of the metropolis.
Dandi Beach
Ahmedpur Mandavi
The 6-kilometer-long Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach is a spotless stretch of land that the Arabian Sea glistening waters lap. The beach, which boasts of fine white sands and is located at the intersection of Diu and Gujarat, is peppered with windmills .The beach is popular year-round among tourists and is great for swimming, water sports, and watching dolphins.
Main attraction: Along with a nice sandy beach, Ahmedpur Mandvi Beach offers somebreathtaking views of the Arabian Sea. This beach features a variety of water activities to satisfy your daring soul in addition to the visual beauty.
Okha Madhi Beach
Mahuva is a town on the Arabian Sea coast in the Gujarat district of Bhavnagar, located 96 kilometres from Bhavnagar. It is among the lovely spots to visit close to Bhavnagar.
Brief History: Gujarats Bhavnagar district has the little city of Mahuva as one of its suburbs. It is well-known for its pleasantly cool climate all year long and lush, verdant surroundings, which include numerous plantations of coconut trees. This city is home to the well-known preacher Morari Bapu.
Mahuva Beach
Gathiya is a tea-time snack. It is primarily made of besan or gram flour. It is like a thicker sev, however, there are a few notable differences. There are usually two kinds of Gathiya: Tikha (spicy) Gathiya and regular Gathiya. The difference is in terms of the spices used in the dough. The regular one has carom seeds, salt, turmeric, soda bicarb, and a dash of oil. Tikha has additional spices like black pepper and red chilli powder. The dough is then made to pass through a mould, making its strands, straight into the oil for deep frying. The end result is not crunchy, but a bit soft. Must try, for sure!
Leather Work
The indigenous community of Meghwals are prime producers of leather work in the Kutch district of Gujarat. This is one of those timeless crafts which has grown to combine traditional methods of design with modern functionalities. Its production is a combined effort between men and women. The men fashion the product from the leather while the women embellish it with mirrors and bead work. Originally, the craft was used to make saddles for elephants and horses, sword sheaths and accessories for war. Today, it is used to make beautiful bags and shoes with colourful tassels and embellishments.
Rogan Painting
This craft is a form of surface embellishment and practiced for over hundred years, but now by only a single family in Nirona, Kachchh. A special paste made of castor is used in this craft. Castor seeds are hand-pounded to extract the oil and turned into a paste by boiling, Colored powder diluted in water is then mixed with this. The pastes of different colors yellow, red, blue, green, black and orange are stored in earthen-pots with water to prevent them from drying up. The kalam, an iron rod, flat at both ends, is used to paint half the design with the support of the fingers of the left hand.
Sankheda Furniture (Sankheda)
Gujarat is no stranger to the labour of hammering, forging and casting that goes into producing pieces of metal. The state has been home to metal work for hundreds of years and today, you’ll find these stunning pieces in different corners of the world. These include statues, vases, utensils, ornaments, jewellery and furniture that boast of ornate designs. The Kutch specialty is silver jewellery renowned for its intricate handiwork. Besides silver, craftsmen use iron, copper and brass to cast some exquisite artefacts. The metal work reflects the finesse of artists who have spent years perfecting the craft.
Single Ikat
Single Ikat is a style of interweaving tied and dyed warp with plain weft in a single textile form. Single Ikat sarees from the Rajkot region of Gujarat are much in demand for their simple elegance. The single ikat style of weaving is much simpler than the double ikat style, and hence sold at cheaper prices. This makes it a more affordable range of products. The single ikat style is commonly used to make sarees, kurtas, bedsheets and linen.
Tangaliya
This 700-year-old weaving craft is native to the Dangashiya community of Surendranagar, Gujarat. The community consists of weavers and shepherds. The weavers make the blankets out of sheep and goat wool for the shepherds to wear. The threads are woven to create the signature style of the weaving technique which is the effect of raised dots on the fabric. Together, they create beautiful geometrical patterns. Today, these textiles are used to make dupattas, dress material, bedsheets and pillow covers.
Pithora Painting
These wall murals are created as offerings to Pithora, the God of food grains. They are only painted by men commonly in the Chhotaudepur area of Gujarat. These simple paintings are traditionally done to seek blessings before a special occasion such as a wedding, the birth of a child or a festival. The paint is prepared by mixing pigments with milk and liquor prepared from the mahuda tree. Painters use a combination of bamboo sticks, cotton and wooden stencils to create their art. Although it is traditionally practiced only as wall art, today’s generation of pithora painters use paper and canvas that they sell commercially.
Bead Work
This simple craft is popularly practiced in Junagadh, a region most famous for its 19th century mausoleum ‘MahabatMaqbara’. It is also practiced in the Saurashtra region, Rajkot, Amreli and Ahmedabad. Gujarat can proudly be called the centre for bead craft in India. Local craftsmen make delicate household decorative items using beads as well as beautiful pieces of jewellery by string multicoloured beads together.
Ari Embroidery
This complex style of embroidery is commonly applied on silk fabric. Ari embroidery is highly stylised and artisans create delicate patterns that boast of their fine skill. It can even be said that each design spills out on fabric like a dreamy poem on paper. The fabric is usually held on a frame and the embroidery is done using a long needle with a hook at the end. You’ll find this on blouses, sarees and other garments and might include the addition of pearls, beads and sequins.
Applique Work
This is one of Gujarat’s oldest and finest crafts. The art form uses different patches of fabric in various colours and patterns that are placed together to create a multicoloured fabric much like a jigsaw puzzle. The work is used to create attractive, vibrant quilts, wall hangings, linen and clothing. The craft is popular in the Saurashtra, Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch regions of Gujarat.
Khadi
Khadi is a hand-woven natural fibre cloth that’s mainly made of cotton. The Surendranagar district of Gujarat has one of the largest handloom clusters in Gujarat where khadi can be bought in bulk at the bustling markets.The cloth is symbolic of India’s freedom movement and was introduced with the intention of people boycotting foreign goods during the national freedom movement. The material is known for its durability, comfort and ability to keep the wearer warm in winter and cool in summer.
Leather Work
The indigenous community of Meghwals are prime producers of leather work in the Kutch district of Gujarat. This is one of those timeless crafts which has grown to combine traditional methods of design with modern functionalities. Its production is a combined effort between men and women. The men fashion the product from the leather while the women embellish it with mirrors and bead work. Originally, the craft was used to make saddles for elephants and horses, sword sheaths and accessories for war. Today, it is used to make beautiful bags and shoes with colourful tassels and embellishments.
Rogan Painting
This craft is a form of surface embellishment and practiced for over hundred years, but now by only a single family in Nirona, Kachchh. A special paste made of castor is used in this craft. Castor seeds are hand-pounded to extract the oil and turned into a paste by boiling, Colored powder diluted in water is then mixed with this. The pastes of different colors yellow, red, blue, green, black and orange are stored in earthen-pots with water to prevent them from drying up. The kalam, an iron rod, flat at both ends, is used to paint half the design with the support of the fingers of the left hand.