Family trip to Gujarat

Family trip to Gujarat from 24th december 2015-28th december 2015:

     Gujarat! The very known birth place of our current Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and my own native place too.

     However, long after 17 years, I again visited Gujarat and celebrated my 19th birthday at the same place where I celebrated my first. This was only made possible by the lovely family I belong and blessed too to have them all in my life.

     A four day family trip with lots of hilarious and amazing memories began with our journey.

     On 24th december, which was thursday. We had our train name "Saurashtra Janta Express" from Borivali. This train departs from Borivali, Mumbai at 6:20pm and reaches Rajkot, Gujarat the next day morning at 7:45am. On the way it passes through Palghar, Dahanu road, Vapi, Valsad, Billimora junction, Navsari, Surat, Kosamba junction, Vadodara junction, Anand junction, Nadiad junction, Mahemdavad Kheda road, Maninagar, Ahemdabad junction, Sanand, Viramgam junction, Lakhtar, Surendranagar junction, Muli road, Than junction, Daladi, Wankaner junction and finally we reached our destination i.e Rajkot junction. The journey from Mumbai to Rajkot was of total 708kms.

     First time ever in my life, I celebrated my birthday in train by cutting the cake with a blade and the cake shaking coz of the moving train. This was my best train journey and birthday till date.

     As soon as we arrived at Rajkot junction on 25th december which was friday in the morning at 7:45am, we had a bus booked for our whole family of total 21 members in all. Heading towards Virpur at first. On the way to our hotel, we took one hault at hotel "Shree" for breakfast at 9:30am. It was a chilly and windy morning with our Gujju's food speciality of "Jalebi-Fafda" and a hot cup of coffee which was a perfect combination of winters in Gujarat and a moment of complete bliss too.

     After finally reaching our hotel, at 12:00am we left for Jamnavad. As we already had a bus booked for our travelling, we began with our trip to Gujarat and the purpose of visit. We reached temple at 1:20pm. The temple was in the middle of the farm surrounded by cotton crops. Leaving from Jamnavad at 2:00pm and after lunch we left to visit another temple at Dadwa to worship goddess "Randal Mata" at 5:00pm. Then at 7:45pm, we reached Gondal to worship goddess "Bhuneshwari" and later at 8:15pm we came to Virpur to visit "Jalaram" temple and have our dinner in the temple itself by the food given to us as gods blessings.

     The next day i.e on 26th december, which was saturday. At 9:00am we left to visit "Somnath" temple located in Veraval. We reached Somnath temple at 12:45pm. This temple is known as the first among the 12 jyotrilinga shrines of Shiva. The temple is situated at such a place that there is no land in a straight line between Somnath seashore untill Antarctica. This was found on the "Arrow Pillar" erected on the sea-protection wall which points in the north pole to the south pole at that particular longitude. After having our lunch in Sukh Sagar at 2:00pm, we continued our trip and planned to visit "Madhavrai" temple at 4:00pm. Here in this temple we cannot enter in without crossing the river by the bridge build and washed legs by the river water itself. After such a tiring day, we were finally going back to our hotel. On the way, at 7:30pm we saw the Red full moon which is not possible to see in Mumbai at all. It was an amazing view to see moon which is red in color for the first time ever.

     On 27th december, which was sunday. At 8:00am we went for some shopping as we had 2 hours left to leave. While shopping in the lanes, the very scary thing was there were cows walking in the middle of the lanes more than people whereas such thing is not ever possible to see in Mumbai City. At 10:15am, we leftt for Mumbai from Rajkot junction in the same train we came. At 12:00am, we took our last hault for lunch at hotel "Bhabha". The train was of 3:20pm but got delayed by 6 minutes and arrived at 3:26pm. Due to issues, our whole family of 21 members got separated in different compartments which was not fair but had to deal with it. While travelling back home, we played card games like U.N.O, Napolean, etc where thrice I had almost won but at the end loose. 

     The time passed very fast and then we were again back to the grind "Mumbai" on 28th december which was monday at 5:00am in the morning.

     Sadly, we had to say goodbye by our heartbreaking voices to this hearttouching place. It was a really spiritual journey and the best fun time memories made with family.