Gondal
It is by good and travelling Nationale that one joined Gondal since Ahmedabad. The crossing of the plain where vast cultivated spaces of cotton and cereals alternate with arid extents of shrubs rachitics, carries out, in 260 km, with this village of average importance which had an unquestionable radiation at the beginning of the 20th century, under the reign of Maharaja Shri Bhagvat Singh.
However, curious Naulakha De luxe hotel, built with the 17th century, mark already, by its architectural decorations of a style somewhat rococo, taste of the Rajput lords of then for a modernism inspired of remote Europe.
If outsides of this palate do not miss pace, one on the other hand will be disappointed a little by the various visited rooms. One contains a collection of curious objects out of gold and out of money, the other is the large room of the royal audiences (Durbar Hall), with its throne and its lines of chairs gilded with worn blue velvet. Beautiful sight on the Gondali river and its lavender fields.
Downtown, the small temple of Bhuvaneshvari does not miss a seal. A beautiful marble statue of the goddess resides in the sanctuary, accompanied by a howling lion. At his sides, one will note on the right beautiful marble Ganesh painted, and on the left Shiva sitting, recognizable by the snake which it carries around the neck.
Very close from there, a data preparation department of drugs ayur-vedic makes it possible to be made explain their artisanal manufacture. All the remedies are especially containing plants coming from the forest areas, but also from metals with infinitesimal amounts. The "industrial" organization of this workshop is typical one increasingly completed time of India: decayed and crasseux buildings, many employees, parcellized production, summary tools mechanized but nevertheless sufficiently effective... Of the workman touillent in immense pots of odd mixtures. In an air shaft, two young people, sitted in dust with very the ground, put at the hand of syrup out of bottle. To see absolutely.
To the Huzoor Palate, reconverted in hotel of character under the name of Orchard De luxe hotel, one will admire the superb collection of old cars (of the Twenties to 60) of Maharaja. Superb Mercedes 300 red SL! Mythical!
Junagadh
In Junagadh (65 km of Gondal), one in first will return visit to the very original mausoleums of the nabobs (sovereign Moslems) who reigned on this area of Saurashtra (name of the southern part of Gujarat). This necropolis (will maqbara) completion date of the 19th century. They are in fact two monuments to astonishing architecture, roughcast cupolas and pinnacles, grooved sculptural overloads.
The first, built in 1878 by the 6th Nabob, Mahabat Khanji II is the tomb of VIème with VIIIème Nababs. The second, very curiously framed of two helicoid minarets, is called Bahauddin Maqbara and was built by the Vizier E.Azam in 1891-1896. It conceals the tomb of Sheikh Bahauddin.
A glance with the large close mosque and one takes then the road which goes up to the old fort, the Uparkot citadel, from where the city is dominated. One crosses two narrow monumental doors baffles of it (an enormous statue, of at least three meters in height, painted in vermilion, of the Ganesh god was installed there in a great niche between these two doors) and one climbs in the car the approach ramp paved until in top of the hill. Point of view on the city, but especially with far, one sees the silhouette of the mount Girnar (1117 m), significant crowned mountain of Jains, whose rise is harder than that of Palitana.
French canon a five meters length, going back to 1531, draws the attention. Fifty meters further, draw up the ruins of the large mosque of the 15th century, where there is not great a deal to see. A little further still, are bouddhic caves of the beginning of our era. They are staged on two deeply buried levels. Grooved columns support the ceilings. Chaitya (blind windows of round form) contain small characters carved in the rock. .