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Situated on the western coast of India, the name of the state is derived from Gujjaratta, which means the land of the Gujjars. It is believed that a tribe of Gujjars migrated to India around the 5th century AD. The real cultural history of these people, however, is believed to have begun much earlier. Many Indus Valley and Harappan centers have been discovered in the state like Lothal, Dholavira, Rangpur, Lakhabaval, Amri, and Rozdi and established the earliest known history of Gujarat to around 3000 BC to 2200 BC. At that point of time, Lothal was the main port of this civilization. With the advent of the Yadava tribe led by Lord Krishna, some 3,500 years ago, came the glorious days for Gujarat. It was followed by 100 years of Lord Krishna's rule.
It is believed that Ashoka, the Mauryan king extended his kingdom to Gujarat. The fall of the Maurya Empire led the small kingdoms to establish their power in this state from time to time. The state achieved a high level of prosperity during the time of Solankis from the 9th century. In the 12th century AD, Allauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi defeated the Waghela king of Gujarat and a long era of Muslim rule over Gujarat started. The Marathas ended the Muslim rule in the 18th century only to be handed over to the British in the early 19th century. Surat was the center of the first factory of the East India Company in India. After the First War of Independence in 1857 the region came under the British monarchy along with the rest of the country.
Gujarat was a part of the erstwhile Mumbai state till 1960, when the people of Gujarat decided to have their own state on the basis of their distinct language and culture. This led to formation of the two new states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Rich in crafts, history and natural beauty, the remarkable coastal state of Gujarat - the home state of Mahatma Gandhi - continues to attract artists, scholars, the intellectual elite and businessmen from the world over. Amongst a tantalizing wealth of appealing possibilities, it becomes difficult to choose which area does one begin exploring first. The preponderance of pilgrimage centers in Gujarat encourages the Religious (pilgrimage) and Archaeological Tourism. Gujarat with its long coastline and breathtakingly beautiful beaches is popular with the nature tourists as well. The Traditional Art, Craft, Cultural Activities, fairs and festivals of Gujarat make the Indian as well as foreign tourists get going to Gujarat.
Gujarat is dotted with several places to visit and see. Amongst the popular tourist destinations of Gujarat are Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Patan, Vadodara, Pavagadh, Champaner, Surat, Saputara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Uperkot, Porbandar, Kutch and Bhuj.
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