Junagadh is a city, and also a district, in the Indian state of Gujarat.

History

Junagadh is a former princely state of British India. In the independence and partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, the 565 princely states were given a choice of whether to join India or Pakistan. The nawab of Junagadh (a Muslim) decided that Junagadh should become part of Pakistan, despite his 545,000 subjects being mostly Hindu Gujaratis and Junagadh being surrounded by Indian territory (although facing Pakistan across the Arabian Sea).

The Indian army occupied Junagadh as part of a "police action" in 1947. A plebiscite was held on 20 February 1948, in which only 91 voters out of 190,870 who voted (and an electorate of 201,457) voted join Pakistan. Junagadh acceded to India in 1948. Pakistan disputed Junagadh's accession to India, and the ruler and many of his ministers fled to Pakistan. Junagadh became a part of the Indian state of Saurashtra until November 1, 1956, when Saurashtra became part of Bombay state. Bombay state was split into the linguistic states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960.

City

The city of Junagadh is located at the foot of the Girnar hills. Literally translated, its name means "Old Fort".

Places of Interest

In and around Junagadh :

• Uparkot Fort
• Damodar Kund
• Girnar
  • Sasan Gir Forest & Sanctuary
  • Girnar Temple
  • Tulsi Shyam Hot Spring
  • Ashoka's Rock edict
• Somnath Temple (Somnath)
• Chowad Beach
• Ahmedpur - Mandvi beach

District

The district of Junagadh is located on the Kathiawar peninsula in eastern Gujarat, with the city of Junagadh as its administrative headquarters. The district is surrounded by Rajkot (North), Porbandar (North-West), Amreli(East) districts. To the South and West is the Arabian Sea.

Porbandar, Gandhi's birthplace, was earlier a part of this district, before Porbandar district was carved out of Junagadh district.

Major towns

• Keshod - (Airport)
• Chorwad - (Railway Station, Holiday camp-sea sore)
• Somnath - (Famous Temple)
• Veraval - (Thriving fishing industry)
• Kodinar - (Costal area)