Guidebook to Gujarat state, arranged by region.

Mention less-visited Gujarat, India to some people and you'll get a blank stare. "Why would you want to go there? What is there to see?" How about...The world's only Asiatic Lions and unique Wild Asses...Tribal people whose colorful dress differs from tribe-to-tribe...villages that produce exquisite handicrafts...a white salt desert stretching into infinity...beyond gorgeous step wells built by Kings and Queens...Palace Hotels...Important Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Islamic religious sites...ultra-friendly Gujaratis who are thrilled to see you... Isn't that enough? It seems like some people work their entire live so they can take an Exotic Vacation, when in reality, such a trip can be had for less than taking the family to DisneyWorld. Let Travels With Sheila teach you how to Travel the World on a Budget, share exotic locations with you known only to locals, and most importantly, ease your fears about languages, currencies, personal safety and staying healthy. HERE'S SOME OF THE INFORMATION YOU'LL FIND INSIDE... - Important Tips for Traveling in India. - The Dos and Don'ts of Planning A Trip to Gujarat. Now, Travels With Sheila tells it like it is with personalized, up-to-date information and photographs. What you need to make the most of your trip. See the best of Gujarat by following her travel tips while it is still on the road less travelled by foreigners.

Between the hills of Maharashtra and Rajasthan to the north and east, the Pakistan border to the west, and the Arabian sea to the south, Gujarat is a state which is unsurpassed for architectural and natural beauties. The book ends fittingly in the isolated region of Kutch, with walled towns, beaches, desert wildlife, and tribes untarnished by commercialism. Gujarat is a great experience that nobody should deny himself.

Is Gujarat a turning point for India? The events at Godhra and the ensuing communal carnage in Gujarat, like the Babri Masjid demolition and the 1984 massacres, constitute an ugly chapter of our contemporary history. For the sheer brutality, persistence and widespread nature of the violence, especially against women and children, the complicity of the State, the ghettoization of communities, and the indifference of civil society, Gujarat has surpassed anything we have experienced in recent times. That this happened in one of India's most 'well off' and 'progressive' states, the home of the Mahatma, is all the more alarming. This book is intended to be a permanent public archive of the tragedy that is Gujarat. Drawing upon eyewitness reports from the English, Hindi and regional media, citizens' and official fact-finding commissions - and articles by leading public figures and intellectuals - it provides a chilling account of how and why the state was allowed to burn. With an overview by the editor, the reader covers the circumstances leading up to Godhra and the violence in Ahmedabad, Baroda and rural Gujarat. Separate sections deal with the role of the police, bureaucracy, Sangh Parivar, media and the tribals, the economic and international implications of the violence, the problems of relief and rehabilitation of the victims, and, above all, their quest for justice. The picture that emerges is deeply disturbing, for Gujarat has exposed the ease with which the rights of citizens, and especially minorities, can be violated with official sanction. The lessons of the violence ought to be heeded and acted upon by the public. For, in the absence of this, can another Gujarat be prevented from happening elsewhere?

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.

The guide to India is a useful handbook to an extraordinary country. The introductory colour section includes photography of the country's many highlights in the 42 Things Not To Miss section, from boating on the backwaters of Kerala to taking in a cricket match at the Oval Maiden in Mumbai. It provides comprehensive accounts of every attraction from the vibrant cities and elaborate temples to Himalayan peaks and palm-fringed beaches. There is also practical advice on activities as diverse as camel trekking in the Rajasthan desert, rafting on the Indus and hiking through the lunar landscapes of Ladakh. The listings sections provide hundreds of insider reviews of the best hotels, hostels, restaurants, bars, shops and museums in every city and village. The authors also give an informed insight into India's history, politics, religion, music and cinema, providing a valuable context to the reader's trip.

The cuisine of Gujarat, a state in western India, is famed for its delicately flavoured vegetarian dishes. This collection of over 80 family recipes introduces readers to some of India's often overlooked culinary offerings. Also included are an introduction to Gujarati culture and cuisine, a section on spices, ingredients and utensils, and a chapter on non-vegetarian specialities. Each recipes is presented in an easy-to-follow format and adapted for the western kitchen. Enchanted drawings throughout the book the flavours of India alive.