Ancient Fortifications and Royal Palaces
Walk through the gates of Uparkot Fort and step into layers of history spanning nearly 2,000 years. Originally built in 319 BCE during the Mauryan dynasty, this fort sits on a plateau in the middle of town and has survived 16 sieges across a millennium. Though the structure shows its age, the experience of moving through its spaces—past carved Buddhist caves dating from before 500 CE, down the narrow stone steps of Adi-kadi Vav (a stepwell so tightly spiralled it feels like descending into the earth itself), and into the Jama Masjid where you can climb to the roof for views across Junagadh—takes you through the hands of Mauryan emperors, Chudasama rulers, Gujarat Sultans, and Mughal faujdars. The fort requires 2–3 hours to explore; vehicles can reach the interior sites if the terrain becomes too challenging.
Just outside the train station, the tombs of the 6th–8th Nawabs stand as a quieter testament to Junagadh's more recent past. Mahabat Maqbara, erected after the death of the 6th Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan in 1882, is the grandest of these mausoleums, built by the Muslim Babi dynasty that ruled the city into the modern era.
The Darbaar Hall Museum, located near Diwan Chowk, occupies the formal audience chamber where nawabs once held court. You can see original chandeliers, gilded mirrors, and an array of weaponry—swords, shields, and guns—that belonged to the rulers, offering a sense of the court's material world and the power it wielded.
Buddhist and Jain Sacred Spaces
The Buddhist caves carved into Uparkot Hill date from before 500 CE and contain stone carvings and floral work that reveal both skill and devotion. On the route toward Mount Girnar, Ashok Shilalekh displays ancient inscriptions carved into a massive black granite boulder—the fourteen Edicts of Ashoka from around 250 BCE in Brahmi script, followed by a later Sanskrit inscription from 150 CE. These stones connect you directly to an empire that shaped the subcontinent.
Mount Girnar itself is sacred to both Hindu and Jain pilgrims. The Girnar Jain temples, a cluster of finely carved stone structures dating to the 11th century and beyond, crown the peaks that rise above the plateau. The Neminath Temple serves as the chief temple of the group. Reaching them requires ascending approximately 10,000 steps formed naturally by centuries of pilgrims' footsteps—a journey of 5–6 hours that is steep and demanding but offers both spiritual significance and views across the region. For those unable or unwilling to climb, binoculars are available after the first 50–100 steps to survey the path ahead and decide whether to continue.
At the base of Girnar, Jatashankar Mahadev temple can be reached by walking one of two routes: through stairs or along a jungle trekking path. In the monsoon, after trekking beyond the temple, you will encounter small waterfalls and natural pools nestled between rocks—a place of profound quiet interrupted only by bird calls and the movement of monkeys.
Open-Air Museums and Natural History
Sakkarbaug Zoo, established in 1863 by Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan, remains one of India's oldest and is counted among the four largest. Its primary claim to significance is the population of Asiatic lions—animals once found from Turkey through the Middle East to northern India but now nearly extinct across most of Asia, surviving mainly in the Gir Forest National Park. In 2003, the zoo opened a natural history museum on its grounds. Note that the zoo closes on Wednesdays.
The Science Museum on Datar Road near Girnar Gate, which includes a planetarium, offers another form of exploration for those interested in natural and celestial science.
Lakes, Gardens, and Hillside Walks
Damodar Kund, a lake considered sacred in Hindu tradition, provides a calm setting for reflection. Moti Baug is a park that encompasses a Botanical Garden and the campus of the Agricultural University of Junagadh—a place to walk among cultivated plants and see how the city values its horticultural heritage.
Jatashankar Mahadev temple, accessed by the routes mentioned above, sits in a setting where monsoon transforms the surrounding landscape into a place of waterfalls and natural springs. The walk there takes you through jungle terrain where silence is the dominant presence.
Before You Go
Junagadh lies 355 kilometres southwest of Ahmedabad, at the foot of the Girnar hills. The city's name itself—derived from Sanskrit words meaning "old fort"—announces its nature as a place where centuries of rule have left their marks in stone, tile, and earth. Whether you spend a day climbing the steps toward Jain temples, an afternoon moving through fort chambers, or hours viewing lions and natural history, the city reveals how a single location can hold multiple histories and faiths in its geography. Begin planning your visit by checking the current status of Uparkot Fort, as renovation work may affect access to its interior sites.