The Gujarati Kingdom That Almost Joined Pakistan
The Kingdom of the Dog Nawab
Back in 2022, I went on on of my favourite trips I’ve ever done in India: a visit to Junagadh.
The region is mostly flat but at its centre lies Girnar, an extinct volcano and ancient Jain pilgrimage site.
At its the base, through a faux-Mughal gateway, stood Junagadh city, a Gujarati-speaking town of French Gothic and Mughal baroque, with pointed arches and clustered columns that wouldn’t feel out of place in Chartres.
The entire history of Gujarat seems to have played out here. There are Buddhist Caves over 2000 years old, ancient Hindu and Jain temples, early medieval stepwells, a preconquest mosque, and water gardens built by the Babi Nawabs.
