The beach never seems to lose its special touch. The soft sand and rolling waves instantly make us forget all our worries and instead focus on the amazing vista before us. In Gujarat, the summer is very hot, but a walk on the beach in the morning and evening in the bracing sea breeze is exhilarating. And in the benign sunshine of the Indian winter a visit to the Gujarat coastline means a holiday replete with good food, sun and sand.
Beaches are the favourite destination for tourists from 1st September to 31st May in India. Goa, Andaman-Nicobar and some beaches in southern part of India are very popular. Today I introduce a new beach to the reader. “Shivarajpur” is a beach recently revealed and opened for tourists near Dwarka. The Government of Gujarat has decided to add this one more destination for domestic and international tourists.
Shivrajpur Beach is located near Shivrajpur village on the Arabian sea in the Devbhumi Dwarka district. Recently Shivrajpur Beach has received the blue flag certification. The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognized voluntary awards for beaches, marine and sustainable boating tourism operators. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria must be made and maintained. Shivrajpur Beach has given boost to the tourism of Gujarat.In total, eight beaches of India, including ‘Shivrajpur Beach’, have been awarded ‘Blue Flag Beach’ status. The ‘Blue Flag Beach’ certifications were awarded by Denmark based non-profiting organization, ‘The Foundation for Environment Education’
From Shivrajpur Beach, Dwarka is only 13 km away while Okha of the lighthouse fame is situated around 23 kms away. This famous beach is situated on Dwarka – Okha Highway and one of the famous beaches in Gujarat on account of its scenic beauty.
The serene lapping sound of waves rolling in from the Arabian Sea, sand that caresses the feet when walked upon, leaving footprints that are maps to a destination in mantled in solitude, suggest that it is more in the realm of reality than myth that Lord Krishna chose these shores to build his glittering city.
The Government of Gujarat is planning to develop tourist amenities in the first phase at a cost of Rs.20 crore. New infrastructure worth Rs.150-200 crore is in the pipeline. Smt. Mamta Verma, Principal Secretary (Tourism), Government of Gujarat apprised that state government is making world class facilities for the tourists. Eco-friendly services, cottages will be available at the beach site. The tourism department of the state government is also planning to create unique marine sports facilities, she added.
Dwarka is the right place to stay for tourists in both luxury and budget hotels are available here. There is also air connectivity from Delhi and Mumbai to Rajkot, the road journey from Rajkot to Dwarka is only 5 hours, part of the journey is along the scenic coastal highway. Dwarka is also connected by train from various parts of the country. For tourists searching for a new destination, Shivrajpur Beach is an ideal find. Dwarka, Porbandar, Somnath, Sasan Gir and Diu are nearby places which would make the experience of a visitor complete with access to historical, cultural and wildlife experiences. The cuisine and hospitality of this area called “Kathiawad” is also amazing.
All in all, Shivrajpur is an incredibly beautiful beach soon to have amenities to rival any beach tourist destination in the world.
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Nilesh Shukla is a Joint Director of Information in Gujarat Bhawan. He is working in Delhi for the last 25 years. A number of stories on different subjects have been published in different publications. He also looks after the work related to PR and Media on behalf of the Government of Gujarat in Delhi