Kuch Waqt to Guzaariye Gujarat Mein

Kuch Waqt to Guzaariye Gujarat Mein

The recent advertisements on television and radio by O&M (Ogilvy and Mather) with the impeccable Amitabh Bachchan have been a great hit. I visited Gujarat this January and was enthralled by some of these places that M/S Bachchan and Pandey (Piyush Pandey of O&M) have promoted.

1.Gir Forest

Gir-home to the Asiatic lion is in close proximity to the erstwhile princely state of Junagarh. This was the primary entertainment zone of the Nawab of Junagarh who used to invite the royals of other states for a game of BIG CAT hunting, but all that changed when the nawab sahib found out that the population of the lions has fallen to around 20. What started then has translated into 450 lions in the present Gir forest (one of the greatest preservation stories around the world). The time I sat on the jeep to the time we entered the jungle was a great adrenalin rush, there was a moment when the guide stopped the vehicle near a water pond in anticipation that the lions will come to have a sip, but it was not to be. Finally our moment arrived when a wireless message came that there are 4 lionesses on route no.9. They were soaking the sun after devouring a Deer and were totally oblivious to the fact that our vehicle stopped just 100 meters away from them. It was one of the greatest sights of my entire existence on this earth, what added to the glory was the fact that as per the tour guide it took Mr.Bachchan three safaris to spot a lion while we hit the Jackpot on the first.

2.Somnath Temple

There are 12 Jyotirlings (shrine of Lord Shiva) in India and Somnath is considered to be the first. Somanth is not only a place of worship but a statement of the undying faith in the power of the almighty as the temple which has been destroyed 16 times by Invaders from West Asia has been rebuilt each time with even greater faith. The sight of the temple at edge of Arabian Sea is to seen to be believed. The Aarti is a reminder of the connection between man and the master; you forget yourself to find your own self.

3.Diu-Nothing out of this world but indeed a cool alternative to Goa, Diu is a union territory hence alcohol is available, you can relax and spend time on the lovely beaches, Diu has its own airport and that ads to the charm.

4.Rann Of Kutch-This is another spectacle which is worth a visit, the pristine white sands in the moonlit night of Kutch. I am not a big fan of desserts because of the symbolic reason and more a fan of water reservoirs, but this is something which is worth a visit if you land in Gujarat.

Gujarat has improved tremendously over the last few years with a massive budget, a great advertising campaign, strict law and order situation and great roads. The inflow of the tourists will increase  in the coming years and rightly so. Gujarat Tourism is going to give some very stiff competition to old heavyweights like Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa and Agra.

The question is who is behind this great success story

1.Is it the great governance of Modi
2.Is it the creativity of Ogilvy and Piyush Pandey
3.Is it the Bachchan effect

Whatever it is, it is working well and hence a salute to M/S Bachchan, Pandey and Modi.