On a spiritual spree

Unique wildlife habitats like the Rann of Kutch and Sasan Gir Sanctuary, highly revered Hindu temples like Somnath and Dwarka, and colourful handicrafts and handlooms are among the many attractions of Gujarat

We had sighted the Asiatic lion and lioness too at Sasan Gir Sanctuary in Gujarat, the world's only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion outside Africa, besides, of course, a horde of other wild animals and birds which inhabit this forest.

The wildlife sanctuary sprawls over 1153 sq km while the National Park covers around 258 sq km, we were told. After a successful search for and shooting of the Asiatic lion with a myriad of cameras and cellphones that our group used, it was now time for a more spiritual encounter and we headed to Somnath temple.

It was a long drive through dusty towns and sleepy villages. The famous Somnath temple, is located in Prabhas Patan town, near Veraval in the western coast of Gujarat, The Arabian Sea forms a stunning backdrop to this Aadi Jyotirling Shree Somnath Mahadev temple, celebrated as the first of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva.

The word Jyotirlinga means pillar of light-the form in which Shiva manifested himself. Thanks to the beach, seashore, and countless shops selling local foods, and ethnic handicrafts, and textiles, the Somnath temple area, like Dwarka, is as much of a tourist spot as a place of pilgrimage. The state is famed for its textiles-woven, dyed or embroidered, they are among the most beautiful and colourful you will find in India.

The Somnath temple, once famous for its wealth, was repeatedly attacked and plundered by invaders and rebuilt and restored by several successive kings, and finally by the Indian government. Reaching the temple complex, we walked past dozens of vendors of fruits, flowers and the deity's pictures, all of whom we waved away in our hurry to enter the inner sanctum before the Maha Mangala Aarati-a high point of the daily rituals.

After leaving all the forbidden items-cameras, cellphones, big bags, leather items-in our vehicle and passing through a strict security check, we made our way over a long path with pigeons fluttering about at one corner of the enclosure. The sanctum-sanctorum had an enormous shivalinga, which had just been bathed with milk.

It was then wiped by the priests and adorned with a holy cloth, flowers, bilva leaves, etc. Minutes later, we got to witness the Maha Mangala Aarati ceremony. Priests waved lamps and lit camphor before the deity to the chant of sacred mantras and hymns.

Stepping out, we proceeded to the scenic seashore, where many families could be seen. Food stalls and vendors of trinkets were aplenty. After lingering there for an hour or two, we headed to our next stop, Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi.

Windmills lined the road leading to the city. The areas of Porbandar around Gandhi's residence, which we visited were full of charming old-world buildings-some of them nearly a century old-street-food vendors, shops selling handicrafts, and flower sellers all of which, made for great photo-ops. The friendly residents readily offered directions and information at every point.

However, there was a profusion of garbage everywhere. Porbandar has other claims to fame. Onshore explorations in and around the city have revealed the remains of a late Harappan settlement dating back to the 16th to 14th century BC! The city is also associated with Sudama or Kuchela, one of Lord Krishna's well-known childhood friends.

We checked out Kirti Mandir, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba Gandhi, which is like a museum and the ancestral house of Gandhi, just adjacent to this. Both were simple and serene places and a mine of information on the Mahatma and his work.

Moving on, we stopped at Nageshwar, another of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. It's located between Dwarka and Byet Dwarka. An enormous 25-metre-high statue of a seated Shiva in the temple premises was visible from a distance. Inside, we joined a long line of devotees moving quietly but quickly for a glimpse of the presiding deity.

We finally reached the sanctum-sanctorum to see the Shivalinga encased in a glass dome and located in a sunken area, but clearly visible to devotees. Dwarka was the culmination of a rather long and exhausting but very fulfilling one-week trip to Gujarat.

This place associated with Lord Krishna-where he resided and ruled from-is one of the Chardhams-the four abodes of God or the four great pilgrimage sites in India deeply revered by Hindus. The other three are Badrinath, Puri and Rameswaram.

We arrived at the foot of the Dwarakadheesh temple aka Jagat temple, just before the evening aarati time. Walking through a long, narrow, winding, uphill road lined with shops selling local handicrafts and pooja paraphernelia and past vendors selling garlands of Tulasi leaves (Krishna's favourite), we reached the entrance.

We waded through a big crowd to reach the inner sanctum. We had already had a darshan, standing on our toes, while in the queue! Reaching the sanctum-sanctorum, and standing before it for a second or two, we had a clear darshan of the deity, Lord Krishna, manifested as an idol in shiny black.

Feeling spiritually energised, we stepped out and made a circumambulation of the multi-tiered, centuries-old temple. Around were numerous smaller shrines dedicated to Krishna's wife Rukmini, Satyanarayana Swami, the goddess Gayatri and so on.