A VISIT TO GUJARAT... After a long wait....... Part -1
(अहमदाबाद, राजकोट,जामनगर,द्वारिका , बेट द्वारिका ,पोरबंदर , सोमनाथ, दिऊ , सोमनाथ - जामनगर , अहमदाबाद )
Friends .. I want to share exhilarating experience and joy which i had with my family during our Dushhera / Navaratra Holidays.It was planned in destiny to move this Year, ...Why?..as i have been trying to visit Gujarat since 2010 for long break on spiritual tour to Saurashtra.( Dwarkaji, Somnath ji, Diu and Gir National park)...
In short we planned our visit without much of experience and fears of being out on the tour with no body back at home. We were 6 members, My Parents above 65 and myself along with my wife and 2 kids.
It started all of Sudden during Independence day holidays to plan for the Gujarat visit, we chalked out itinerary with map and decided on routes and alternate routes. It started with approval of Holidays and Air Tickets, Train tickets and locations finding at various places, budget was tight but it was unreasonable on my part to restrict within budgets if I am planning to visit the tour after 3 years, I must look around the means and ways to save but not to restrict the budgets. anyways, after humiliation and surprises of the airline and supporting tour planning sites (Never trust Go-ibibo site and promotional codes) I got my ticket confirmations and then it started in IInd week of October. The surroundings were not hot like July and August but almost pleasant due to going rains. Well with God's grace it was beautiful whether with clear skies in Delhi.
On the day of 10th we started from Delhi airport at 10.30 Flight and reached Ahmedabad airport taxi stand at 12.30 PM.
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| Delhi Domestic Airport |
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| Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Airport Ahmedabad |
आ गये
Started with prebooked Innova for the Itenary from Ahmedabad and gone upto Chotila for Lunch as it was just out of Ahmedabad. Midway we had our first Gujurati dish -Khaman dhokla and save bhujia - reaally tasty yaar...
Now on to next route we had experience of bad roads as it was just after heavy rainy season but very low traffic due to navaratri festival, we seen many pandals of garba on the way and felt the festivity in air of gujarat.To Dwarka ji (Okha) we have chosen route via rajkot and jamnagar highway. It was 7 Hrs continuous Drive to finally one stop at Jamnagar. On highway we seen Australian cricket team in Bus and also seen the readiness and cricket fever among the people of Rajkot -marvelous view.We seen largest refinery of Asia in Jamnagar through our Car windows only as we are getting late for the booked Hotel at Dwarikaji. Rightly to mention here - dwarika ji has got lot of hotels to stay so no need to panic for the people - but it is always good to Pre book your stay if you are reaching on odd times. we opted for Kokila Dheeraj Dham and have already confirmed in morning from Ahmadabad about our visit and got very nice AC rooms for Rs 800 per day basis. Though not very exclusively maintained but it was nice to stay. Having beautiful scenic view and close to Sea beach and evening sunset point (generally happens from 6:10 to 6:35 PM (October). For Dinner and lunch prefferred eating in Hotel Guruprerna Restaurant and other small restaurants due to taste licking opportunities for the tounge. Anyways, we all in the family had resolution that we will take care of our ownself whenever we go for the eating and nobody will impose the tastes. we stayed at Dwarika ji on 10th night and 11th Night for the full Mazza...
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| Kokila dheeraj dham room |
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| Sunset at Dwarka ji |
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| Camel ride on Sheru |
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| Feeling the winds |
In Dwarika - reached 10th Night - Planned for the Byet Dwarika next morning at 7.30 AM, on way we gone to Nageshwar Mahadev temple, Nice Temple - one of the famous Jyotirlinga. Visited - Gopi talav
(गोपी तालाब ) and had darshan of Mahaprabhu ji ki baithak and straight to Okha terminal for Byet Dwaarika, there are several small places but these were insignificant if you have very limited time to visit all mandirs, thanks to information from all the places that we were at Okha terminal by 9.30 AM after having all around 25 minutes drive and visits to Nagaeshwar ji and Gopi talav. We boarded the ferry at jetty and there were private family ferries also but we took, which ever is available on the point of boarding and started for Byet dwarika, it was parents wish and there huge courage to travel all through and enjoy this. My mother who was week from legs safely boarded the ferry after stepping troubles and it started...
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| We all in family on the Ferry |
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| Cheers |
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| 5 Kms Away - Byet Dwarika |
We had Darshan of Lord Dwarikadhish, and Rukmani ji, Lakshmi ji and Sudama garhi at Byet Dwarika , later we gone to Hanuman temple - makardhwaj dham on the auto rickshaw, who were not willing to go for small family but on special cost and request they took us to round of 5-6 kms from Dwarika Dhish temple on the very narrow way.
On return from Byet dwarika, we visited Rukmani devi 13th century temple where only sweet water is distributed as prasad as it is cursed for centuries by Rishi Durwasa for salty water (A part of story as narrated by panda of the Mandir, Rukmani stayed in this temple area for 12 years and worshipped Lord Krishna -Dwarkadhish through Idol.)
Well it was whole day now and we felt very hungry - it was 4.00 PM and all restaurants closed their kitchens - only things we are left to taste are Bananas, Chai and Mtthi and Mirchi Masala pav. Planned for the sun set evening rides and evening darshan of Dwarikadhish Temple - the only left out place........ - Wow just thinking of it... is giving me thrills...
read part -II of the experience sharing.... अभी तो द्वारिकापुरी कि रात और पोरबंदर से सोमनाथ जी के रस्ते का पूरा ब्यौरा बाकि है , , बस फिर मिलते हैं ब्रेक के बाद.....
Bye, Regards and Love you a lot :)
Jai Dwarikadhish
Shilpa and Aditya.....
