Gujarat Tour Diary: Day 09 | King of Forest to King of Moksh – Sasan Gir to Somnath Temple

(If you have come to this page while searching for some travel related information of Gujarat, I suggest you start from Day 0 of this travelogue.)

After the information break, now it is time to continue with our tour. We left Palitana in the early morning. On the way, along the roadside, in some nondescript village we had our breakfast. (We had a typical Gujarat breakfast at Tithal, but that was a 5* breakfast compared to this one). We were really frightened to have this deep fried oily stuff on the road side shack in the early morning.

(We were completely off the main roads of important cities from here on wards. Hence getting an Idli Sambar was out of our reach. As nothing untoward incident happened to our stomach and health, we had this type of breakfast at several places till the end of our tour at Gujarat. Luckily, neither the deep fried Pakodas nor the Chillis did not give us any problems. But the same thing cannot be said to every one)

 Now let me tell a bit about ‘how to meet the King in less time with less cost’:

• Sighting any animal in the Jungle is just a luck. Just because we are on a long safari, or just because we have paid hefty sum for the safari, does not mean that the chances of sighting the wild life is more.
• During my travels throughout India, I have seen more wild life while driving in the forest (public) roads than on safari trails.
• I have seen lots of photos and videos of Lion in public roads in Gir. So if our luck is good, then we can sight them while criss-crossing these roads which passes through the forest area also.
• There are two more WLS in Gir. They are Mitiyala WLS and Pania WLS. Some websites says that visitors are allowed there also. We tried to find out, but could not succeed due to language problem. There are chances of sighting Lions here also.
• There is a Tulsi Shyam Mandir nearby. Public are allowed to stay there during night. There are chances of sighting Lions here also.
• Why I am telling all these? … We are having very less time to meet the King. (I will explain the difficulties of jungle safari later on). So we thought of encountering the King through some other means, by spending less time.
• Hence I tried all the possibilities of meeting the King. As everything else failed, we decided to go to the official entry point i.e., Sasan Gir.

Now the difficulties in reaching the right spot:

• Lions, the pride of Gujarat and India, live in Gir forests (also known as Sasan Gir).
• Total area of the forest is around 1500. Which means Gir forest is quite huge. Obviously there will be lots of entry and exit points for this forest.
• However there is only one official entry and exit point for Safaris.
• Palitana to Gir is around 175 kms. With our driving experience on Gujarat roads so far, we assumed that this distance can be covered in around 2 hours.
• However the roads in these parts of Gujarat are not as good as the rest of the state. I am not talking about the roads in the forest area, but even in public area the roads are not excellent.
• Maps told us that we have to take SH 111 to reach Sasan Gir. This road passes through the Gir forest area. There are two check posts (entry and exit) in this road, which are around 13 km apart. It took us around 1.5 hrs to cover this 13 km stretch.
• We were also mislead by a localite about the route to Sasan Gir.
• Because of all these problems, we took around 7 hours instead of 2 hours.

Finally we arrived at Sasan Gir around 1.15 pm. Before I tell you the about safari options here, let us look at the details of this WLS.

Sasan Gir Lion Wildlife Sanctuary:

{From the internet:

– Forest Dept. at Sasan Gir: 02877 285541.

– DCF Wildlife Division, Sasan Gir, Junagadh-Gujarat Tel: 02877 285621

– Email: gslcsgir@yahoo.com

– Official website: www.girlion.in

– Telephonic queries will be responded during 10.30 am to 6.00 pm Mon-Sat.

– Email queries will be responded within 48 Hours. source: wikipedia/internet}

Remember, there are plenty of websites and tour operators who look like the official website/people to show you the King. I have no experience in dealing with them.

{“In the southwest of Gujarat, lies the 1400 sq km Gir sanctuary created to protect the last wild population of Lion outside the African regions. Since 1913 Lion population have increased from 20 to around 415. Many come to Gir because, outside of Africa, it is the only place with wild lions. But to truly experience Gir and the lions, you must explore their natural habitat, with everything from tiny wild birds, not easily seen, but heard singing in the forest canopy, to crocodiles floating in the marsh waters.

Driving around, you are uncommonly aware you are in someone else’s territory. You stay in your vehicle because you are in the home of lions, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles; you remember that humans do not rule the world, and however “advanced” we think we are, most of us would not survive very long on our own in a place like Gir. That is not to say that all humans are out of place. The local Maldhari community has lived here for generations and co-exist magnificently with the wilderness.” 

Gir is a place that deserves time and involvement. Your chances of spotting wildlife in a few hours is small, especially in the middle of the day; to truly experience the wonders of the Gir forest, and hopefully see a wide variety of its diverse wildlife, three or four days is recommended, particularly with a knowledgeable guide.

The most-sighted animals are:

• Indian spotted deer, around 32,000.
• Sambar lives in the western part of the park.
• Chausingha, the world’s only 4-horned antelope (chau= four, singha= horns)
• Chinkara, the only gazelle in the world with horns in both males and females.
• Black bucks, also live in Gir, but are more in Velavadar National Park.
• Lions, around 350
• Leopards, around 300 and hard to spot.
• Jungle cat is the most widespread, and lives in deciduous scrub and riverine areas.
• Mysterious desert cat is almost never seen.
• Rusty spotted cat has only recently been found in Gir.
• Other animals and reptiles like hanuman langur monkeys, striped hyena, wild boars, pangolins, pale hedgehogs, Indian hares, grey musk shrews, honey badger, ruddy mongoose, crocodile, reptiles, snakes, birds etc.

How to get there:

A permit for entering the park is obtained at the Sinh Sadan Orientation Centre. A 35-40 km driving route through the park is maintained for visitors.

Entry fees, per vehicle with up to 6 occupants:

Rs 400/- Mon-Fri; Rs 500/- Sat-Sun; Rs 600/- holidays.

Time: 6-9 (best); 9-12 (good); 3-6 (better). Route No. 2 is the best.

How to book Rest Hous: By an application given to

The Manager, Sinh Sadan Guest house, Post Sasan-362135, Taluka-Talala, Junagadh.

Phone: 02877-285540

 How to book tour: By an application given to

The RFO (Reception), Sinh Sadan Guest house, Post Sasan-362135, Taluka-Talala, Junagadh.

 Address : Member Secretary, Gujarat State Lion Conservation Society and Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle, Sardarbaug Campus, Junagadh- 362 001

Ph: 0285 2631678

 Booking rates for Sanctuaries and National Parks shall be at the following rates:

Entry fee for Gir Sanctuary, Gir National Park & Devaliya Interpretation Park:

1. Individual Persons/ Day – Rs 50
2. Entry Fees For Vehicles including visitors: Car, Jeep (Up to 6 persons) – Rs 700
3. Fee for Devaliya Interpretation Park -75; Car, Jeep (Up to 6 persons) – Rs 700
4. Guide Fee: For first 4 hrs/vehicle/group – Rs 50; extra hrs – Rs 20
5. Still Photography – Rs 100 per day
6.  Rates for Sinh Sadan rest house: AC 1500/; Non AC 500/; Dormitory – 50/per person; Tent – 200/ per tent}

That was the detail from different websites. I suggest to verify and confirm all the information either from the forest or tourism department.

Now let me tell you I what I know (may not be 100% accurate):

We are at Sasan Gir, the entry point for obtaining the permits for jungle safari.

 There are fixed safari routes and batches. We have to take permit. 50% of the permits can be booked through internet (For this, you must plan well in advance, because the permit is valid only for the Day and Batch for which it is booked). Remaining 50% are issued on the spot. There is always heavy rush for this on the spot booking. People start lining up around mid-night for the 6 am batch. If you can’t get the permit for that batch, then you can try for 9 am or 3 pm batches and so on. During peak season, you may have to wait for a couple of days also.

So now you know why we were trying other alternatives to meet the King, instead of this Safari. And remember, there is no guarantee that we can see the Lion if we take the safari route.

 What are the alternatives left for people like us, who are in a hurry and who cannot plan? I have told the alternatives in the beginning itself. But none of that worked out for us.

If you know Gujarati language, or if you have enough time and mindset to explore the options that I have told you, you may tryout the same.

As nothing else works out, there is a way out for people like us. ‘EASY method for LAZY boys’. And it is definitely far better than this arduous task. So let us go to Devalia.

 Gir Interpretation Zone at Devalia:

{It is 12 km west of Sasan Gir. For shorter visits, it has some lions in captivity, but this is not the same as visiting them in the wild. After all, to see a lion in captivity you can visit a local zoo; come to Gir to see them in the wild.

Entry fees for the Interpretation Centre (different from the park itself) are:

Rs 75/- Mon-Fri; Rs 95/- Sat-Sun; Rs 115/- Holidays.

Time: 8am-11am; 3pm-5pm; Closed on Wednesdays.

For more information, contact the Forest Dept. at Sasan Gir, Tel: 02877 285541; source: wikipedia/internet}

That is from the internet. But what is our experience and what I have to say? Well, let me explain the Plus and Minus points.

 Advantages of visiting Devalia:

• The safari is only 30 minutes duration. The whole trip from Sasan Gir to Devalia safari, and back to Sasan Gir in our own car took us less than 1.5 hours, including waiting in the queue.
• Very cost effective. Just Rs 150/- per head.
• Chances of sighting the Lion and other animals are 100%.
• No need to wait in long queues and waste precious time.
• The safari here is not in a zoo kind of environment, but in a forest. Only difference is that the safari area is within a compound, covering around 400 hectares. So we will definitely get a feel of how the King will be, during Sasan Gir Safari.

Disadvantages of visiting Devalia

Sorry, I don’t know as I have not gone to the Sasan Gir Safari. And your guess is my guess. Some of my guesses are:

• If we sight a Lion, then we will be able to spend more time looking at it.
• Taking some beautiful photos are always there.
• It will be an exclusive safari, hence we can spend the time as-we-like.

As said, we saw a Lioness with her babies during the safari. And we were satisfied with the outcome. We returned back to Sasan Gir.

At this point of time MKR got a call from his office assistant – “Sir, your presence is required here. People are waiting for your return anxiously. Feb 1 is a Sunday. So if you can return by Monday, Feb 2^nd morning, it will be really nice”

So our conversation went on like this:

MKR – How many more days might be required to complete the Gujarat tour ?

BPB – I can’t give any exact count. But my wild guess is that we might require another 2 weeks or so.

MKR – Can you elaborate a bit?

BPB – We have to see Diu, Somnath, Junagadh and Dwarka before we move on to Kuchchh (Kutch). This might take around 4 days. Remember, I am skipping Rajkot in this tour, only because to save time. Otherwise, we have to add another 2 days.

MKR – Next? What about Kutch?

BPB – This is the biggest tricky issue of the entire tour for me. There are many places in Kutch circuit to explore. To the best of my knowledge, not many people have seen all the important places in Kutch. Every website, every travelogue, every tour operator says that at least a week is required to explore all the places in Kutch ! That is why people see only few places and return back.

MKR – 1 week! Why so much? Why can’t we finish quickly?

BPB – The geography of Kutch is like that. Bhuj is the center of Kutch. There are many tourist circuits in Kutch. From every circuit, we have to come back to Bhuj to go to another circuit. That is why it takes so may days.

MKR – Why can’t we directly go from one place to another, like we have done all these days?

BPB – Again, the topography is like that. It is a desert. There are no villages and no habitation between these circuits. Hence no roads. So I can’t say how many days we might require for Kutch.

MKR – Ok, after Kutch?

BPB – As far as driving is concerned, Kutch is the last point in our tour. From here onwards it will be a sort of return journey for us. So far we have traveled along the coastal line. From Kutch, we will be doing our return journey along the border of Gujarat & Rajasthan.

MKR – Oh, that is how many days?

BPB – There are some important places to explore, like Rani Ki Vav, Modhera Sun Temple, Ambaji Temple etc.

MKR – Then?

BPB – Then we have to see the capital, Ahmedabad (AMD) and Gandhinagar. This alone will take at least 2 more days.

MKR – That is it, or anything more?

BPB – Of course, there is Godhra. How can we skip Godhra and go back, after all those incidents?

MKR – We require at least 3 days to return back to Bengaluru from Kutch, if we skip all other places. Today is 26^th Jan, which means eventually we have only 3 days to cover all these places.

BPB – Let us see what best we can do. In fact I have done the itinerary in such a way that, I have taken care of all these points. If we have to shorten our tour, then we can skip the places after Kutch.

MKR – How does that work out?

BPB – See, coming to AMD any time is not a big deal. Next time whenever we come to AMD, we can hire a self-driven taxi from AMD and see all the left out places on our own. It will all be within a radius of around 200 kms. So even if we skip everything else, it will not be a big deal to see all those places in our next visit.

MKR – That sounds excellent. Now what about the Kutch circuit?

BPB – Let us keep hope. And let us explore ourselves.

 So we decided to skip those places which we thought are not very important.

I must make one thing very clear here. We have seen almost all the important tourist places in all the districts that we have covered so far. So in future, as we have decided to skip many places, I am just giving the descriptions of those skipped places. This is just to help those who want to keep my travelogue as a reference. And keep in mind that we have skipped the Rajkot circuit altogether.

Also, just because we have skipped a place, it does not mean that the place is not worth a visit. Kindly don’t mistake me in that count. As we don’t have a fixed itinerary, and as we have to keep adjusting to our changed programmes, I am just telling you how we managed most of the places in the least no. of available days.

Our original plan was to visit Tulsi Shyam Temple; drive through Anti-Gravity Road to visit Diu; and thereafter either drive towards Somnath or halt for the day at Diu. But we lost lots of precious time in the morning. Also we have to return back at the earliest. So we decided to skip those places and straight away headed towards Somnath.

For the benefit of those who want to visit these places, I am giving the information available in the internet.

Tulsi Shyam Temple

{This temple is of Lord Vishnu-Lord Shyam. It is said that the statue of Lord Tulsi Shyam is 3000 years old. The environment of temple is very peaceful and people love to sit silently for some time. There are three hot water springs in Tulsi Shyam and each of this spring has unique boiling water. Some people believe that taking bath in these spring water makes rid of skin diseases.

If you want, you can stay in Government guest house. You should be in your room between 6 pm to 9 am as it is a forest and wild animals like lions etc roaming around. There are chances of sighting Lions in this place also. The Road to the Temple is open only between 06:30 am to 07:00 pm and is closed for the rest of the time.

Tel: 02875 290046. Sandya Aarti: 7 pm.

Meals: 11 am – 1.30 pm & 8 pm – 9.30 pm; source Wikipedia/Internet}

 Anti-gravity Road
{Claims of chance discovery of a stretch defying law of gravity near Tulsi Shyam in Amreli have left scientists curious. It is near the KM Stone “Una 32; Tulsihyam 2”.

A strange phenomenon at a stretch of road near Tulsi Shyam, where vehicles, if left in free gear and without hand-brake, would start rolling up the hill against the gravitational pull, has left scientists and the state government bewildered. The unusual occurrence, which was first noticed by Ratilal Parmar, a businessman, and his friends, on way from Tulsi Shyam to Madhad village, has made the government and experts curious, who are trying to find out the possible causes before it becomes another place of tourist attraction. source Wikipedia/Internet}

DIU
{Diu lies in the Gulf of Cambay near Veraval Port and is separated from the southern extremity of the Saurashtra peninsula by a narrow channel running through a swamp. The island is connected to the mainland by a narrow channel on the north. It has a sultry climate.

Few places of tourist importance:

Diu market: It is just 100 meters from Main bus stand and it is lively during the night time. You can enjoy a drink and/or seafood in benches facing sea. It is awesome and relaxing with cool breeze blowing.

Shell Museum: The Shell Museum contains the shells collected by Captain Devjibhai Fulbaria. He was a merchant navy captain, and collected shells for almost 50 years. The amazing shells range from the silver abalone to folding shells.

Nagoa beach: It’s 8 km from Diu bus stand. It is famous for water sports, swimming and relaxing. One could witness many families there and it is mostly a picnic spot. Gomptimata, Chakratirth and the beautiful Sunset Point are the other famous beaches.

Gangeshwar Temple: Time: 8 am – 9 pm; ph: 02875 252653. This is situated 3 km away from Diu in Fudam village. Five shivlings are located in the midst of the rocks on the seashore, washed by the tidal waves of the sea. It is believed that the 5 Pandavas during their exile worshiped Lord Shiva in this temple. The gentle sea waves offering their obeisance to the “Shiva Lingas” in stone have a mystic aura around them in the cave temple of Gangeshwar where the Lord makes his presence felt.

Naida cave: The Naida Caves are situated outside the city wall. These caves have an intriguing, overgrown network of square hewn hollows and steps leading off into nowhere. This is where the Portuguese hacked out their building materials.

Fort of Diu: Among the tourist attractions in Diu, the Diu Fort acquires a prominent position. Skirted by the sea on the three sides, the imposing structure dominates the townscape and offers a magnificent view of the sea; source: wikipedia/Internet}

We left Sasan Gir, and drove towards Somnath temple. We reached Somnath around 4.45 pm. Without wasting any time, we parked our car and went to the temple.

 Somnath Mahadev Temple

{The principal temple of Somnath is believed to have been built in gold by the moon god Soma, in silver by the sun god Ravi, in wood by Krishna and in stone by the Solanki Rajputs in the 11th century. The present temple, built in 1951, is the seventh reconstruction on the original site. Tales of its riches attracted a series of invasions, but each time the temple was invaded, it was restored to its original glory by devout Hindu worshipers. Commanding a breathtaking view from the tip of the Saurashtra peninsula, kissed by the waves of the Arabian coast, the temple has been constructed in the Chalukyan style with a shikhara nearly 50 mt tall. The temple’s imposing architecture includes intricate carvings, silver doors, an impressive Nandi idol and the central shivalinga. In the vast courtyard stand the massive mandapa (hall), as well as the main shrine, whose gently curved pyramidal forms tower over the whole complex.

Temple: 09428214915; 09428214909; 02876-659093.

Rooms: 02876-231212, 233033, 233533, 09428214914 (8 am – 9 pm)

Darshan: 6 am – 9 pm; Sound & Light Show: 8 pm – 9 pm}

A few points from my side. This is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Except the Mahakaleshwar & Omkareshwar jyotirlingas of Madhya Pradesh, I have seen all other 10 Jyotirlinga temples. And most of these temples have long queues. Also in South India, by default, if we go to any famous temple, we have to stand in long queues. This is holiday season. Surprisingly, in none of the temples in our entire Gujarat tour, we faced this queue problem. Everywhere we were able to have the Darshan of the deity without waiting in the queue.

Due to terrorist threat, nothing is allowed inside this temple. There is a locker facility, where in we can keep all our valuables like Mobile, Camera, Bag etc.

The present temple is built in post-independence under the guidance of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. I should not be talking politics here; but probably it is impossible to even think of building a temple by our so called ‘secular governments’; except for this Iron Man. Oh God, where are we headed in your own Land?

 Archaeological Museum
Another place not to be missed here is the museum. It is close by, and at a walkable distance from the temple. Unfortunately it was closed on account of Republic Day. Many people get time to visit these types of places during holidays only. So during holidays all these types of places must be kept open, like an essential service. When will our Governments learn this?

{Down the lane to the north of the temple is a museum with important archaeological remains from the former Somnath Temple. The museum is open from 8.30 am – 12.15 pm and 2. 30 pm – 6 pm. To some, the museum is even more interesting than the modern temple, for it preserves stone sculptures, inscriptions and pottery from several periods. Though lacking in proper documentation or guidebooks, the time spent here is supremely worth the journey, with the remains of the ancient shrine reconstructed by the Chalukyan Maharaja Shri Mularaja Deva Solanki of Anhilvada Patan}

Old Somnath Temple
{Old Somnath Temple is an ancient temple enshrining the sacred Shivlinga, one of the 12 Shiva Jyotirlingas. Mythological evidences put the foundation of this temple by Soma, the Moon. This temple was constructed by the moon and dedicated to Shiva (Somnath) as the moon got reprieve from the curse of Daksha at this place. This temple was destroyed many times by Muslim invaders and the first was by Mahmud Gazni in 1026 AD and the last time by Mughal emperor Aurangaseb in 1706. The temple was later renovated in 1950. The temple has a high tower of about 50 m height over the main sanctum. The ruins of the ancient temples are seen nearby}

This old temple is near to the main gate of the new temple. The old temple is around 10 feet below the ground and is very close to the sea shore. Hence due to height and sewage issue, there is a bad smell in the temple premises.

We went back to the parking area and drove towards Triveni ghat, which is also close by.

Triveni Ghat
{Triveni Ghat in Somanth is the confluence of three holy rivers namely Kapil, Hiran and a mystical River Saraswathy. It is believed that the rivers flow to the ultimate destination of Sea from here. This symbolizes the human birth, life and death. This is a sacred location for taking dip in the Triveni Sangam. It is believed that the holy bath in the waters at this Ghat offers relief from all curses and ills happened in the whole life. Triveni Ghat has a significant place in Hindu Mythology and Puranas. This ghat was mentioned in many places in Puranas and great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is believed that Lord Krishna paid a visit to this holy spot after he was hit by an arrow shot by Jara, a hunter. This is a highly revered place in Somnath. The famous temples Gita Mandir and Lakshminarayan temple are located on the banks of Triveni Ghat}

 Actually we must first take a bath in the Triveni Ghat and then visit the temple. We arrived late to Somnath, and we wanted to visit the Museum. So we came to the Ghat after visiting the temple. There are facilities to take a bath here, and generally the place and water is clean.

There are other interesting temples close by, at a walkable distance. As we did not had enough time at our disposal, we visited the following:

Suraj Mandir :

{Suraj Mandir, also popularly known as Sun Temple, in Somnath is also an ancient temple dating back to the origin of Somnath temple. This temple is situated at the north of the Triveni Ghat. The temple was set up to offer prayers to Sun God. The temple architecture is amazing with many images of elephants, lions and other birds and animals. This temple also was attacked many a times by Muslim foreign invaders. But later it was renovated to present structure. The temple is a rare specimen of worshiping to nature and is praise worthy symbols of Hindu cultural heritage}

Panch Pandava Gufa
{Panch Pandava Gufa is a temple situated near Lalghati in Somnath. This is a marvelous temple founded by the late Baba Narayandas in the year 1949. This temple is dedicated to five Pandava brothers. This temple, located at an elevated place, offers a beautiful view of surrounding holy city. Imposing idols of five Pandava brothers are enshrined. The idols of Lord Shiva, Lord Rama and Goddess Durga are also installed in this grand modern temple. The temple is built in a scenic environment and the ambiance offers a calm and cool spiritual atmosphere}

Kamnath Mahadev Temple

{The Kamnath Mahadev Temple, built about 200 years ago by a Mayurdhwaj King, is a renowned temple located in Somnath. This is a large temple complex with a holy pond known as Dudhiyu Talav, a water well known as Gangvo Kuvo and a bathing pool named as “Mahadev no Kund”. The legendary stories claim that the pond water has majestic healing powers and it is believed that Mayurdhwaj King recovered from leprosy after taking bath in this place. There was a saying in Gujarat, which means, “He who does not bath at the Kund is as good as dead or is a living dead”. This is a very famous religious attraction in Gujarat. Thousands of devotees throng to this temple when grandeur fair is conducted at the end of Shravan Maas every year; source: wikipedia/internet}

These are the other temples we skipped:

• Gita Mandir
• Lakshminarayan Temple 
• Bhalka Tirtha and Dehotsarg 
• Junagadh Gate 

 It was nearing 6 pm and we had planned to halt at Junagadh. So after visiting all those places, we proceeded to Junagadh. The four laning work of this highway is under progress, and we took a considerable time to reach Junagadh. We straightaway went to BAPS Swami Narayan Mandir and had no difficulty in getting a room there.

 Total distance covered: 379 kms.

On Day 10 of my Gujarat tour, I visit Junagadh and explore Bet Dwarka, the land of Lord Krishna…check it here

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