Travel Parmeshwar Dass July 18, 2024 0 Comments

Khushboo Gujarat Ki: 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Gujarat

Aavo Padharo! Gujarat tourism beckons visitors to taste its rich culture and history. The lip-smacking food, the famous Garba dance, and the Statue of Unity are not the only reasons to visit this state. UNESCO World Heritage sites in the ‘Jewel of Western India’ reflect the past in its best form and fascinate history buffs across the world.

Learn more about the recently added Dholavira and 3 other heritage sites here.

Fall In Love with History at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Gujarat

1. Dholavira

Dholavira Gujarat UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Gujarat

India has over 1400 ancient sites dating back to the era of the Indus Valley Civilization. And the first to get global recognition is Dholavira. This site is situated in the small village of Khadir Bet of Kutch district. Locally known as Kotada Timba, Dholavira was a prominent city with a vast rising and declining history from 2650 BCE to 1800 BCE. It captured the attention of archaeologists in 1968 when J.P. Joshi discovered it first.

Since then it has been considered the newest and most important site in the history of Indus Valley civilization. Below are the distinct features of Dholavira that describe its uniqueness for historians:

It is one of the largest metropolis cities of the Indus civilization
Largest excavated Harappan Site in the country
It has funerary architecture and two big grounds for public use
The site was a popular jewellery manufacturing area during the Harappan civilization
A unique feature of Dholavira is that it does not have any mortal remaining human
On 27th July 2021, the Global Organization for Building Peace and Culture UNESCO enlisted this unique site in the World Heritage Sites.

Besides this spectacular IVC site, the village has lush green surroundings, wildlife, and religious temples that make it the best tourist place.

Places to Visit in Dholavira

Kutch Fossil Park is famous for the rare fossils of sea cows, dinosaurs, and more than ten thousand specimens.
Purneshwar Temple situated on the banks of Mutha is a 13th-century-old temple. Pune is named after this famous temple of Lord Shiva.
Must-visit the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary as it is among the few last places where Khur is found.
The highest point of Kutch, Kala Dungar, is a spectacular gravity-defying place. Watching the entire place from the height of 1516 will be a magical experience.
Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary is special for being the largest in India in terms of area. Wild birds and mammals are the attraction here.

How to Go Dholavira?

Taxis, buses, and flights; all are convenient travelling options but we recommended exploring this archaeological site via roads. They are in better condition even now. So, take either bus services or a cab or drive in your car from Rapar district to Dholavira.

Where to Stay?

Resorts and Homestays in this village are well-maintained with simple designs. No-rooftop resorts with single-spacing stays are affordable and have every facility. Here are the top 3:

Dholavira Homestay
Dholavira Tourism Resort
Toran Tourist Complex

Other than Dholavira, Gujarat has 3 more UNESCO World Heritage sites that will fascinate you with its past and architecture.

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2. Rani Ki Vav

Rani Ki Vav Gujarat UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Gujarat

Popularly known as the Queen’s Stepwell, Rani Ki Vav is the cleanest iconic place in the country. The underground water storage facility was constructed on the banks of the Saraswati River in the 11th century. It is the deepest stepwell designed in 7 levels for the queen of the Solanki Dynasty, Udayamati who was also the wife of Bhima I. This Maru-Gurjara architecture style stepwell is considered the most beautiful of all architectures.

These highlights are the reason:

Meticulous 500 religious and mythological sculptures on the walls and pillars
More than 212 pillars of the stepwell are in pristine condition
Rani Ki Vav has 7 levels with different depths and heights, the fourth level is the deepest among all
Sculptures from Rama and Vaman incarnations are the major highlights
The original image of Queen Udayamati lies inside the stepwell

In 2014, Rani Ki Vav was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Directions to Reach Rani Ki Vav

Take a bus from Ahmadabad to the Patan area or take a rented vehicle from the Mehsana Rail Station to this historical site.

Nearest Attractions

Patan City Museum
Shri Panchasara Parshwanath Mandir
Modhera Sun Temple
Sahastralinga Talav
Patan Patola Heritage Museum

Patan has several pilgrimage and heritage sites that will make your one-day trip interesting. All are closer to each other so if you have some more hours to spend, must-see these places as well.

3. Champaner

Champaner Gujarat UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Gujarat

The only Islamic pre-Mughal city that did not go under any changes and remains in its original form is one of the most-visited UNESCO world heritage sites in Gujarat. This place holds immense importance as it blends the cultural, religious, and history in one place. Champaner is spread over more than 3000 acres of land with impressive religious Hindu temples, typical Muslim-style mosques, fortresses, and water-retaining installations. There are around 114 famous monuments and 11 different building types here.

Remarkable Monuments and Architectures of Champaner

Kevada Mosque
Lakulisa temple
Sakar Khan’s Dargah
Jami Masjid
Nagina Masjid
Bawaman Mosque
BulandDarwaza
Kalika Mata Temple
Makai Kothar

How to Reach?

This offbeat place in Gujarat is well connected with roads and rails. Vadodara is the closest city to where you can reach this heritage site within a few hours via bus or taxi. You can also take rail services from the city.

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4. Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad Gujarat UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Gujarat

Gujarat has an entire city listed under the UNESCO World Heritage sites and it is none other than the famous Ahmedabad. It was the first and one of the best sites with traces of the past in every nook and corner. Right from the city’s houses, and walls, to religious places everything tells a unique story. However, to get in-depth insights into Ahmedabad one must take a trip to these historical and monumental places:

10 Historical Places in Ahmedabad

Ahmed Shah’s Mosque
Mata Bhavani’s Stepwell
Tomb of Bibi
Sidi Saiyyed Mosque
Dada Hari Vav
The Adalaj Stepwell
Jhulta Minar
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum
Tomb of Ahmad Shah
Rani Rupavati Mosque

After travelling and exploring the history of Gujarat via these world heritage sites, shop from the Law Garden’s night market. That’s the ultimate hub to get all the authentic outfits and handicrafts. Ahmedabad is also famous for lip-smacking snacks, so satiate your hunger with Khakhra, Dhokla, and Maska Bun.