Tourist places in and around Rajkot
Race Course
This is a large garden located in the heart of the city. It accomodates various places of interest like Balbhavan, Children Traffic Park, Fun World, etc. The Race Couse also has various sports facilities like an Olympic standard indoor stadium, international quality cricket ground, football, hockey and volleyball grounds, as gym, swimming pool, etc. The race Course is also famous for the beautiful gardens named as a Love Gardens.Ramakrishna Ashram
This temple was built in 1934 on the land donated by Late Shri Dharmendrasinhji, the then king of the state of Morbi. It is situated on the Dr. Yagnik road of Rajkot, and is second most important place for the followers of Swami Vivekanandaq after Kolkata.Watson Museum and Library
Located in the Jubilee Gardens, the Watson Museum and Library is a memorial dedicated to Colonel James Watson, who was a political agent of Saurashtra from 1886-89. Two imperial lions flank the entrance of the museum. Among the exhibits are copies of artefacts from Mohenjodaro, 13th-century carvings, temple statues, natural history exhibits, and dioramas of local tribal costumes and housing styles. There is a huge marble statue of Queen Victoria seated on a throne. Some other exhibits here are impressive collections of statues, silverware, textiles, ancient coins and rare books, which provide a glimpse of the cultural traditions of Saurashtra.Located in the Jubilee Gardens, the museum commemorating colonel John Watson is a good introduction to Saurashtra's cultural heritage. The important exhibits include copies of artifacts from Mohenjodaro, the 13th century carvings, silverware, natural history exhibits and textiles. A huge 19th century marble statue of Queen Victoria simply fascinating.
Mukti Dhama
This is an electric crematorium located in the Ramnath para area. It is run and maintained by an NGO unde the grant of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation. It has a number of small temples, prayer halls, library and a beautiful garden displaying historical events which attract a number of peopleJagat Mandir
Jagat Mandir is the beautiful carved temple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Built of red stones, it is a replica of Belurmath.Kaba Gandhi No Delo
Kaba Gandhi No Delo is the house where Mahatma Gandhi grew up. It now holds a permanent exhibition of Gandhian items. It is within the old city on Ghee Kanta Road.Alfred School/Mohandas Gandhi Vidyalaya
When Gandhiji's father shifted to Rajkot as Diwan of the local ruler, the young Gandhi was sent to Alfred School in the town, now known as Mohandas Gandhi Vidyalaya. The famous incident of Gandhi not copying the spelling of "kettle", despite his class teacher repeatedly prompting him to do so during the visit of a school inspector, took place here.Rajkumar College
The British built the Rajkumar College for the education of princes of Indian state in 1870. It is still regarded as one of the best private institutions in the country.Rashtriya Shala
The Rashtriya Shala founded by Gandhi is also worth visiting. It is from here that Gandhi undertook his fast unto death during his Rajkot Satyagraha. It is now a centre of village industry. All these memorials are well preserved.Wankaner
About 50 km from Rajkot, on the way to Kutch, is the Royal Palace of Wankaner. The palace has been converted into a hotel and is one of the more exotic holiday resorts in the state. A museum, a game reserve, and the erstwhile Maharana's vintage car collection are the other attractions here.Lal Pan Lake and Randerda
About 5 km from Rajkot, Lal Pan Lake and Randerda are picturesque picnic spots that attract a lot of tourists around the year.Aji Dam
Aji Dam is situated 8 km from Rajkot and supplies the town with water.Morvi
Morvi, an off-track tourist destination, is situated around 65 km north of Rajkot. There is an interesting swinging bridge here and it actually shakes, creaks, and rocks as one passes through it.Surendranagar
Surendranagar is situated on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad main route and houses the ancient temple of Ranik Devi.Tarnetar
Tarnetar is around 65 km northeast of Rajkot and hosts the Tarnetar Fair every year around September at the Trineteshwar Temple.Gondal
Gondal is 39 km south of Rajkot on the River Gondali and famous for some impressive buildings like the Naulakha Darbargadh Palace.Jamnagar
Eighty-eight kilometres west of Rajkot, situated a little off the Gulf of Kutch, is the 450-year-old city of Jamnagar. At the centre of the city is a lake around which are located two majestic buildings-the Kotha Bastion and the Lakhota Palace. The Kotha Bastion is an arsenal while the Lakhota Palace is a museum with collections of art, craft, and sculpture.Celebrated for its colourful tie and dye fabrics, it is also an important centre for brocade embroidery (zardozi), pearl fishing, hand printing and gold and silver jewellery.