Gandhinagar

About the location:  Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park is a precious treasure spread over an area of about 400 hectares on either bank of Sabarmati river in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat. Indroda Park is regarded as India's Jurrasic Park, it is run by the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation (GEER), and is one of the only two dinosaur museums in the country. The park consists of a zoo, massive skeletons of sea mammals like the blue whale, as well as a vast botanical garden, amphitheater, interpretation center, and camping facilities. It also has a Wilderness Park which is home to innumerable species of birds, reptiles, hundreds of nilgais, langurs and peafowls in its vast forest.

About the location: Dandi Kutir is India’s largest & only museum built on the life and teachings of one man - Mahatma Gandhi. It represents Gandhi’s powerful idea of people across lines of class, gender, age, and community asserting their common right to salt itself: A symbol to inspire a pluralistic society to march towards independence - Purna Swaraj.

A glimpse of Gandhi’s early life is beautifully portrayed with the help of audiovisuals. From his birth on 2nd October 1869 in Kathiawad to his childhood when he was a shy, remarkable, and unique student. It also traces his marriage to Kasturba and his experiments with youth.

Dandi Kutir Museum, Gandhinagar, has been kept open for the general public from January 2015 by Archaeology and Museum office under the Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities Department, Government of Gujarat.

This museum is specially designed based on the biography of Mahatma Gandhi-the initiator of the Disobedience and Nonviolence movements for the Independence of India. This museum is designed with sophisticated technologies combining audio-video, 3-D visuals, and 360-degree shows, and the display is used to showcase varied knowledge.

This is the only museum depicting the biography of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, using sophisticated technology in the world.

www.dandi-kutir.com

Timing: Closed On Every Monday

About the location: The flamboyant 15th-century stepwell has lost only a little of its grandeur over the last few centuries. Till date, the intricate carvings on the pillars that support the five storeys are mostly intact; the beams work as pit stops for pigeons flying in and out, and the structure still leaves jaws dropped for swarms of people. The step-well represents the Indo-Islamic fusion architecture that percolated through the many stepwells of the period. There are some fascinating features of the Vav that make this an important emblem of superior architecture. The opening in the ceiling above the landing allows light and air to enter the octagonal well, but direct sunlight never touches the steps except at noon. It is said that the temperature inside the well is six degrees cooler than outside. The stepwell has three entrances. The stairs lead to an underground storey, which has an octagonal opening on top. The walls are covered in ornamental carvings with mythological and village scenes. Some of them include Ami khumbor (a pot that contains the water of life) and the Kalp vriksha (a tree of life) carved out of a single slab of stone. There is a belief that the small frieze of Navagraha (nine planets) towards the edge of the well protects the monument from bad omens.

About the location: Behold a pink and white marble and sandstone extravaganza as you enter the temple complex. Two dramatic staircases run on either side of the temple building to take you to the first floor, where a large spartan hall has Jain, Shaivite and Vaishnavite idols. The main temple structure is ringed by manicured gardens to relax in. The temple is an ode to the multi-faith concept and is dedicated to Krishna, Shiva and Mahavir with shrines to all three.

Brief History: The founder of the Trimandir is Gnani Purush Dada Bhagwan (November 8, 1908 – January 2, 1988). He was born as Ambalal Muljibhai Patel, and was affectionately known as Param Pujya Dadashri. Dadashri had a massive following in his lifetime, with devotees from all over the world coming to understand the meaning of moksha, the liberation of the soul from the cycle of birth and death.