Gandhinagar
Named after Mahatma Gandhi, who was born and brought up in Gujarat, Gandhinagar is India’s second planned city after Chandigarh. Gandhinagar, 32 km northeast on the west bank of the Sabarmati River, was created as a new capital, replacing Ahmedabad. The main tourist attractions in and around Gandhinagar are the Akshardam temple, deer sanctuary and serpent house in Indroda.
How to get there
Gandhinagar can be conveniently reached by road and rail. The nearest Railway Stations are Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. All trains running on the western zones passes through Gandhinagar. The nearest Airport is Ahmedabad (31 km), which is connected to all major Indian cities and some Gulf countries. Domestic Airlines like the Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Spice Jet operate flights to Ahmedabad.
Places of interest Akshardam Temple: This famous temple of Gujarat enshrines the golden idol of Lord Swaminarayan, the founder of the Swaminarayan faith. It is an architectural marvel of this century and is 10-storeys high and has exquisite carvings. Being a unique cultural complex, Akshardam upholds the universal values of humanity and symbolises the glory of Indian culture.
Deer Park: This park is situated adjacent to Sarita Udyan, along the Sabarmati River on
Craftsmen’s Village: This village is just 7 km from the capital, and is famous for its Bandhani saris. It is also known for its wooden blocks carved with exquisite designs for hand printing on cloth. It is a great sight to watch skilled craftsman producing these saris. The village is also a good place to buy saris and hand printed material at reasonable prices.