Junagadh is a city in the Junagadh district of the state of Gujarat, India. Situated at the foot of the Girnar hills in the Saurashtra peninsula, it is one of the oldest cities of the region and is known for its long historical record, religious significance, and proximity to the Gir National Park, the last natural habitat of the Asiatic lion. The name "Junagadh" literally means "old fort" in Gujarati, a reference to the ancient Uparkot Fort that stands within the city.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Gujarat |
| District | Junagadh |
| Region | Saurashtra |
| Languages | Gujarati, Hindi |
| Notable landmark | Uparkot Fort, Girnar hills |
| Wikidata ID | Q11864 |
Junagadh lies in the southern part of the Saurashtra region, at the western base of the Girnar massif, a cluster of granitic hills that rise sharply from the surrounding plains. The highest peak of Girnar is among the tallest points in Gujarat. The city is set within a semi-arid landscape that transitions southward into the deciduous forests of the Gir Protected Area. It is connected by road and rail to Rajkot to the north, Veraval to the south, and Ahmedabad further east.
Junagadh has a continuous history of settlement going back over two millennia. On the outskirts of the city stands a set of rock edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, inscribed in Brahmi script in the 3rd century BCE. The same boulder later carried inscriptions of the Western Kshatrapa ruler Rudradaman I (2nd century CE) and of the Gupta emperor Skandagupta (5th century CE), recording the construction and repair of the Sudarshana Lake near Girnar. These three inscriptions together make Junagadh a uniquely important epigraphic site in India.
The Uparkot Fort, traditionally attributed to the Mauryan period and substantially rebuilt under later dynasties, served as the citadel of the city. Junagadh was ruled by the Chudasama Rajputs through much of the medieval era, with their capital alternating between Vamanasthali and Junagadh. The region passed under the Sultanate of Gujarat in the late 15th century after the campaigns of Mahmud Begada, who reportedly took Uparkot after a long siege and renamed the city Mustafabad for a time.
From the early 18th century, Junagadh was the seat of a princely state ruled by the Babi dynasty, whose rulers held the title of Nawab. The state became a salute state under British paramountcy and continued under the Nawabs until Indian independence.
At the time of the partition of British India in August 1947, the Nawab of Junagadh, Mahabat Khan III, announced the accession of the state to Pakistan, despite Junagadh having a Hindu majority population and lacking a land border with Pakistan. The decision was contested by the Government of India and by neighbouring rulers. After widespread popular agitation and the formation of a parallel administration (the Aarzi Hukumat) by local activists, the Nawab left for Karachi, and Indian forces moved in. A plebiscite held in February 1948 returned an overwhelming vote in favour of accession to India, and Junagadh was integrated into the Indian Union, later becoming part of the Saurashtra State and, from 1960, of Gujarat.
Junagadh is a major pilgrimage centre. The Girnar hills are sacred to both Hindus and Jains. The summits carry a complex of Jain temples, including shrines associated with the 22nd Tirthankara Neminatha, while other peaks house temples to Amba Mata, Gorakhnath, Guru Dattatreya and Kalika. The annual Girnar Parikrama (Lili Parikrama), held around the month of Kartik, draws large numbers of pilgrims who circumambulate the hill on foot through forested paths.
The city is also closely associated with the Swaminarayan Sampradaya; the Junagadh temple is one of the original temples established under the tradition. Sufi shrines, including the dargah associated with the saint Jamiyal Shah Datar on Datar hill, reflect the city's composite religious heritage.