The Gujaratis: The People, Their History, and Culture (In 5 Volumes)

The Gujaratis have a long historical and cultural tradition dating back to the days of the Harappan civilization established by relics found at Lothal. Situated on the western part of the Indian sub-continent, Gujarat derives its name ‘Gujaratta’ meaning the land of Gurjars. The Gurjars passed through the Punjab and settled in some parts of Western India, which came to be known as Gujarat. According to the Hindu epics, Lord Krishna and his elder brother Balarama, evacuated Mathura and established themselves at Kushasthali, now known as Dwarka and started what is known as the Yadava dynasty. Dwarka subsequently became one of the four seats (mathas) set up by Adi Shankaracharya. The Parsees when they fled from Iran in the eighth century first landed at Sanjan on the shores of Gujarat with the holy flame, which still burns in Udwada in Valsad. The Muslim influence left its lasting imprints on the local art and architecture and it came to be known as the Indo-Saracenic style. Among the ear