Somnath Temple Junagadh District News Samachar Gujarat India

Security has been tightened at the famous Somnath Temple at Veraval Taluka in Junagadh district following intelligence reports of the temple being a soft target for a terror attack, police said on Saturday.

The state home department has decided to increase the security cover at the temple by deploying another company of the Gujarat State Reserve Police following reports from the intelligence bureau that the temple is a soft target for terrorists, a senior police official said.

Thereby, the number of security personnel keeping a watch on the temple has increased to 165 from 90, following the addition of 75 more jawans, the official said.

Bhavnath Temple Fair Mela Junagadh Tourism Gujarat India

Bhavnath fair has potential to give new life to tourism in Gujarat.

The Juna-gadh ( Old- fort ) is one of the ancient surviving city of India.

Junagadh is situated under the Girnar Parvat & Datar hills; one of the most picturesque towns of Gujarat. The town was called Manipur,Karnakubja, Raivata etc and at present, it is called Junagadh .

It is deeply believed Lord Shiva & Lord Narayana took up their residence in the vicinity of Temple of Bhavnath & Lord Narayana as Damodarji near Damodar Kund . The town is known for its famous ancient rock fort, Buddhist caves, magnificent Jain temples, ancient step wells, Ashoka inscription, colorful religious festival etc. The most famous Bhavnath temple is located at the foot of Girnar, is ancient & the origins are unknown.

The Bhavnath Mela is held here for 5 days. The fair coinciding with the grandiose and very famous festival of Shivratri, Bhavnath fair, is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Thousands sacred saints (Naga Sadhus) do visit Bhavnath during the fair. The saints come from various school of thoughts possesing common belief that the whole world is their home and they do not require any cloth on body. was accepted as part of their way of life.

The Bhavnath Fair is one of the most colorful & vibrant event in many ways. The fair offers true color of the life style of sacred sages of different groups, they gather for a ritual involving a blend of dance and martial arts & the same time passionate and intense.

Above all various colorful communities, tribes & devotees visit with gorgeous ornaments & handicraft wearing which captures the mind, eye & soul of any human being!

The fair conveys the message of richness of our true culture. The fair takes back to our ancient root, customs, practices, ritual, belief, and it offers insight of irresistible Gujarat.

It is very rare & even to imagine. Gujarat is gifted with Bhavnath Fair of Junagadh !!!

Kumbh Mela is held once in 12 years. Thousand of foreign tourists book tents and all available accommodation for the festival in year advance, just to the get glimpses of the mystic saints & to see the life style of most sacred sages. The Bhavnath festival has potential to attract thousands of high budget foreign tourists. If Bhavnath fair is marketed correctly at the International tourism fairs and forums such as WTM, ITB-Berlin etc, it can become one of the other major International Fair for Gujarat.

On tourism front, the Government of Gujarat has made a serious effort to promote various destinations of state through events & festivals such as Navaratri, International Kite festival & Tarnetar fair etc. It could be one of the most successful fair of Gujarat & will be a huge attraction of its unique elements of rarity. This could be clubbed to visit other tourist destination of Gujarat.

The tourism professionals & related official bodies need to identify committed tour operators with the help of proper documents, who are working & promoting in these lines presently. There are 100s of travel agents just to sale air ticket, some out bound package tours and LTC tours of various states. This is the avenue that we need to seriously explore to identify the right people, proper foreign contacts with tourism boards & tourism associations and above all a proper marketing company that could handle public relations in many countries.
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The international print & electronic media needs to be galvanized. Special arrangements for foreign tourists to observe the event should be formulated.

Also infrastructure including accommodation and seating arrangements should be developed, some where near the festival starting point.

The state could attract many more thousands of high budget foreign tourists. Gujarat Is felt every where & running far ahead of most states in infrastructure, Industry development, safety , water management , best roads and education etc. Why not tourism?

The Bhavnath fair has potential to become the future of tourism in Gujarat. What Sanjeevani was to Lakshman in Ramayana, Bhavnath fair could be to Gujarat in tourism sector!!!

Bhavnath fair will be held on 9,10,11,12(Shivratri) February in year 2010.

Junagadh News – Girnar Mount Climbing Contest

Girnar - Junagadh (Saurastra) climbing contest turns tougher.

The decision to push the starting point of national Girnar Mount Climbing Contest, to be held on February 1 here, by 200 metres at Girnar Darwaja has not gone down well with participants.

Representations were made recently to the district sports officer to revert to the original starting point.

Climbers are not happy as the stretch has been increased by 400 m (200 m both ways). Earlier, the stretch was 145-m-long. Now, it will be 345 m, almost three times.

About 226 participants from 16 states are gearing up for the event. For men, it is 5,000 steps and for women 2,200. The first national meet was held in last April, but this year it has been scheduled for February. So far, 27 state contests have been held, but this is the second national-level event.

Junagadh District Collectorate sources said, all arrangements are being made for the climbing contest. "A notable entry is that of an NRG from Canada, Gendis Patel, 29, who is representing Maharashtra at this event," said an official.