JAMNAGAR TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO JAMNAGAR
Heritage | City
About Jamnagar
#12 of 17 Places to visit in Gujarat
Ideal Trip Duration: 1-2 Days
Nearest City to Jamnagar: Jamnagar
Best Time to Visit Jamnagar: October to February
Peak Season: November to February
At a distance of 92 km from Rajkot, 131 km from Porbandar, 132 km from Dwarka, 139 km from Junagadh, 153 km from Okha, 213 km from Gandhidham, 231 km from Somnath, 256 km from Bhuj, 266 km from Bhavnagar, 310 km from Ahmedabad, 331 km from Gandhinagar, 379 km from Vadodara, 531 km from Surat, 565 km from Udaipur, 686 km from Indore and 813 km from Mumbai, Jamnagar is a city on the coast of Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat. Ideally located at the confluence of Nagamati River and Rangmati River, it is one of the best places to visit near Rajkot, and among the must include places in Gujarat tour packages.
Often called the Jewel of Kathiawar, Jamnagar is an industrial city of Gujarat brimming with exquisite Rajput architecture and a pristine coastline. Built around Lakhota Lake, Jamnagar was the capital of the former state of Nawanagar, founded by Jam Rawal in 1540 AD, who is deemed as one of the heirs of Lord Krishna. It was later rechristened as Jamnagar and was one of the most important princely states of the Jadeja rulers in the Saurashtra region. The famous cricketer Ranjit Singhji was its ruler from 1907 to 1933 AD and his successor, Jam Sahib became the President of Saurashtra until it was merged into Bombay state in 1956.
The word 'Jam' means 'king' and this area was ruled by the Jadeja Rajput rulers, who were thought to be the descendants of Krishna's Yadava clan. According to Puranic literature, Lord Krishna had relocated the Yadavas from Mathura to establish his kingdom in Dwarka which falls under the Jamnagar district. Legends even say that Lord Krishna used to stay in this city when he moved out of Mathura.
The city witnessed a major makeover during the rule of Ranjit Singh, who was also a famous cricketer. Ranjit Singh reconstructed the city on European town planning principles, under the guidance of Sir Edward Lutyens - architect of New Delhi. The ancient city of Jamnagar was given a face-lift by adding structures like markets, axial roads, arcades, clock tower, entrance gates, gardens, and residential plots. Jamnagar is also known as the Chhoti Kashi as the whole town is dotted with several Hindu and Jain temples, which are the must-visit attractions as part of Jamnagar tour packages.
Known as one of the stunning destinations of Gujarat, Jamnagar is home to the first marine sanctuary in India and the largest oil refinery in the world. Besides, the city has several tourist attractions that lure a great number of tourists from all over the world throughout the year. Pratap Vilas Palace, Ranmal Lake, Lakhota Palace and Museum, Bala Hanuman Temple, Darbar Gadh, Adinath Jain Temple, and Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary are some of the top places to visit in Jamnagar. Besides, Jamnagar is also famous for its bandhani (tie-dyed) fabrics, embroidery, and silver ware.
Several fairs and festivals are celebrated in Jamnagar that showcases the cultural, religious, and social aspirations of the people for a better life. The most important festival to be celebrated here is Navratri which is a 9-day festival held in the honor of Goddess Ambaji. Both males and females dressing in colorful costumes gather and perform the famous Garba Ras and Dandiya. Makar Sankranti, Diwali, Holi, and Janmashtami are the other festivals celebrated in the town with immense fervor.
About 9 km from Jamnagar Railway Station, Jamnagar Airport is the nearest airport that has direct flights from Mumbai. Jamnagar Railway Station is well connected by train with Guwahati, Dwarka, Gorakhpur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Okha, Mumbai, Surat, Hyderabad, Allahabad, Porbandar, Somnath, Varanasi, Bangalore, Kochuveli, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram, Bhavnagar, Pune, Delhi, Jaipur, Kochi, Vadodara, Howrah, Dehradun, Puri, and Tuticorin. Jamnagar well road connectivity with the nearest towns and cities of Gujarat along with Mumbai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Pune, Indore, Mount Abu, and New Delhi.
With pleasant and cool weather, October to February is the best time to visit Jamnagar for sightseeing while November to February is the peak season.
None