Excursions
Gir Forest & Sanctuary is famous for being the natural habitat of the Asian lion. It is located about 50 km from Junagarh and spread across an area of 1412 sq kms. Outside Africa it is the only place where one can enjoy watching lions in their natural habitat. Riding on guided jeeps one can see animals like Chital, Nilgai, Sambar, Black Buck, Chinkara, Wild Pig, and Jackal etc from a very close range. Here each soil type supports a different kind of plant life and hence it has a wide variety of the wildlife based on vegetation types. Hill here is of volcanic in origin.
Gir has seven main rivers - Datardi, Shingoda, Macchundri, Saraswati, Raval, Ardak, and Hiran. Hiran which has perennial flow, the rest being seasonal. Many of these seasonal streams have permanent waterholes, which provide precious water to animals and birds. Gir also has four dams and that has made possible to store water in large reservoirs. Hiran River is the main lifeline of Western Gir , originating from Kansa hill of Gir. The Gir National Park was established on 18 thSeptember 1965, as a Forest Reserve, primarily to conserve the Asiatic lion. The best wayto observe the big cats in their natural surroundings is at dawn and dusk, when they are on the prowl. To facilitate a better look at these majestic animals in action the forest department arranges lion shows every Sunday. Besides various animals there are over 200 bird species including the peafowl, grey partridge, Bonelli's eagle, crested serpent eagle, jungle bush quail, painted sand grouse, common green pigeon and several species of doves. It is also home to the marsh crocodile which can be sighted easily in its rivers, particularly in the lake of the Kamaleshwar dam. There is also a crocodile-breeding farm at Sasan.
Other attractions at Gir
Other interesting spots include Tulsishyam, a temple dedicated to Bhim and his mother Kunti, located in the heart of Gir, which is a scenic spot because of its hot water springs. Wildlife viewing in the Girs is best done, by driving around the forest. The best drives from Sasan are to Baval Chowk and Kankai, to Chodavdi and Tulsishyam, and to Kamaleshwar.
Mt abu is a quiet town with no bike or auto-rickshaws allowed. It is a hill station 1200 metres above sea level in the southwest corner of Rajasthan, by the Gujarat border. Mt. Abu is the highest point between the Nilgiris in the south and the Himalayas in the north. The location and weather of Mount Abu has given this charming little hill station a wide variety of vegetation. A meandering stream nearby and tall pine trees make for excellent natural scenery and gives the place a heavenly look.
The city is also famous for its temples. The Dilwara Temples, which are the finest examples of Jain art and architecture, are its specialty. The richly embellished interiors of these temples are very beautiful and the sculptures are so intricately carved out that they give an effect of being real. Mount Abu is indeed the pivot of the Jain world.
Mt. Abu offers some good day-treks to nearby places. Achalgarh (11 km) offers superb views of the surroundings. The famous Achaleshwar temple here is believed to have Shiva’s toeprint. Guru Shikhar (15 km), set at an altitude of 1,720 metres, is the region’s highest peak.
