The former princely capital of Saurashtra region and now an emerging tourism destination and business hub, Rajkot is the fourth largest city in Gujarat, located on the banks of Aji and Nyari Rivers. Founded in the year 1612 as the headquarters of Western India States Agency, Rajkot was earlier the administrative center for some 400 princely states in Saurashtra, Kutch, and northern Gujarat. The city also attracts tourists because of its proximity to the life of Mahatma Gandhi and best sightseeing tours which are worth a visit for every history buffs.

Rajkot is relatively a young kingdom, carved out of territories seeded and captured by Thakore Sahib Vibhoji Ajoji Jadeja, a scion of the Jamnagar Royal Family in 1620 AD. The city got its name in the memory of its co-founder Raju Sandhi. In the 1720 AD, Rajkot was seized by Masum Khan, an official ruler of the Junagadh region. During the rule of the Masum Khan, the city was fortified with an 8 feet thick wall and eight gates, which were all adorned with iron spikes. In the year 1807, Rajkot became a British province. It was during the British rule; Rajkot saw a development in the field of art, culture and education. The city is the birthplace of the finest intellectuals who ultimately led India in the freedom struggle.

From gardens to parks to museums, here one can find anything and everything for people of diverse age group. The Kerba Gandhi no Delo, the place where the Mahatma Gandhi lived few years of his life, is a prominent tourist attraction of Rajkot. Many in the world know Rajkot as an emerging educational tourism destination, the ancient Rajkumar College, one of the India's best private college, is also located in the city. Rajkot's many 19th century buildings give it distinctly colonial flavour. The Watson Museum in Jubilee Bagh, named after a British police agent, has a collection of portraits, tribal artifacts, archaeological finds from Harappan sites and a large statue of Queen Victoria. Shri Swami Narayan Temple, Rashtriya Shala, Lady Wilson Museum, Shri Sai Baba Temple, Radha Krishna Temple and The Rotary Dolls Museum are the other tourist attractions of Rajkot.

Even so many years after its establishment, Rajkot still holds that old world charm. Apart from its tourist attraction, the city is famous for its cuisines. For a tryst with the Gujarati cuisine, head to Rajkot and savor the various delicacies of the region. Ahmedabad is also famous for its various textile industries, so one should not forget to take back traditional hand embroidered clothes back home.

Sprawling as a pride metropolis of Saurashtra, Rajkot is today a pride of Gujarat's emerging urban cities. Perhaps this is the only place in Gujarat where one can see the different facets of past intermingling with the modern highlights. Take a tour to Rajkot to witness the most thriving and vibrant metropolis of Gujarat, with a baffling mixture of modern and Indian.