Sep 22, 2010 09:46 PM
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Our tour plan is Pune – Somnath –Dwarka – Mumbai –Pune /Our train Pune-Veraval express reached Veraval at 5:00 pm. After getting down the Railway station, as usual Auto Riksha peoples will come to you to take you to Hotel & Temple. This is our first mistake where we listen to Auto Riksha guy. We got into the Auto Riksha and asked him to drop at Somnath trust office to get an accommodation in trust guest house. Auto Riksha guy is insisted us to take a private guest house room which he claimed as cheaper and adjacent to temple.
But we insisted him to go to Somnath trust office. Response in Somnath trust office is very poor like government office and he gave us wrong information. Guest house rooms are not in good condition due to heavy rains and it is 10 minutes walking distance from Temple. He recommended taking a room in Lilavati guest house which is costlier than trust guest house or private guest house. Then my Auto Riksha guy jumped in and told us that Temple is little far from Lilavati guest house and Auto Riksha is not allowed to Temple entrance and suggested cheaper private guest house. He took to one small private guest house which is adjacent to Temple located in like slum area. Inside rook is good but it slum area, open drainage and lot of pigs on street. We took a room at that hotel since we are already tired due to 20 hours travel.
Immediately we took a bath and been to Temple for Aarti & Darshan. Daily evening Aarti will be at 7:00 pm. After Aarti, we took tickets for Ganga Jal Abhishek and Bhel patr pooja. In Somnath temple, you are not allowed to visit inside. There is a high tech arrangement for Abhiskek. We need to pour water in small vessel in from of main door and this water will go and fall on Shiva Ling.
Had a dinner at Somnath Trust dining hall for 25/- Gujarati thali. Regular food with clean & hygiene.
Next day morning again we went to morning Aarti which is at 7:00 am and Started to Dwarka by bus.
We have not visited other places like Bhalka Theerth and Triveni Sangam because we don’t have time to visit.
Recommendations**:
Don’t pay more than Rs 40/- ~50/- for Veraval railway station to Somnath temple trust guest for Auto Riksha.
Take a room at temple trust guest house which cost you 250/- for Non AC and 400/- for AC. If you can stretch your valet, try for Lilavati Bhavan guest house. Which is new and managing separately by trust? It cost you 400/- for Noon AC and 650/- for AC. Guest house is opposite to temple and Lilavati bhavan is just 5 minutes walking distance from temple.
Somnath temple trust dining hall is recommended for Lunch and Dinner. It cost only 25/- for unlimited food. Dining hall is clean & hygiene.
For Dwarka bus, contact only Krishna Travels, opposite to Temple trust office. They run two buses every day. One is at 8:00 am & another is at 2:00 pm.They charge you 150/- per head.
Dwarka:*
Somnath to Dwarka is 6 hours travel due to bad road conditions. We have started at 8:30 am in Somnath and reached Dwarka at 3:15 pm. There is good number of hotels near Teen Murti chowk near to temple like Hotel Damji, Hotel Dwarakadeesh, and Hotel Krishna. In off season they offer discount on their regular tariff. We took a room in Hotel City Palace. Don’t fall in agents & brokers. Dinner & Lunch at Hotel City Palace is good. Since we have to travel next day, we want to visit a Nageshwar temple and Biet Dwarka on same day. We took a taxi and it is little expensive due to bad road conditions. Roads are washed away by floods.
Next day morning had a bath at Gomati river ghat and had a Darshan and Aarti. Then visited Rukmini temple. Had a lunch in Hotel city palace and board the Saurastra mail at 1:00 pm.
Recommendations**:
Go directly to Hotels and check the rooms and bargain for discount if you visited in off season. Don fall on agents & brokers trap.
If you want a morning Aarti, at least be in a line 1 hour before.
Take a bath in Gomati River and change your wet cloths and then go for Darshan.
There is a government buses for Dwarka site seeing. One at 8:00 am and another at 2:00 pm. They will take you all places including Biet Dwarka and Nageshwar temple.
Jai Somnath – Jai Dwarakadheesh.
