Aji Dam, Rajkot Overview

Dividing the city of Rajkot along its east-west line, the Aji river is one of the most important rivers of the region. It supplies considerable water for drinking as well as for agricultural purposes, and is also often referred to as the ‘lifeline of Rajkot’. There are four dams across the Aji river, which was completed in the year of 1954; the garden and the zoo were inaugurated later in June 2017, by the Prime Minister. The Aji dam, on the downstream area of the river, is the most important one among them and is located in the outskirts of Rajkot, distanced from around 8 km from the central city. This dam, along with the Nyari Dam, makes for an essential source of water for Rajkot. The Aji dam also has a garden and a zoo next to it, which makes it an even more attractive tourist destination.

About Aji Dam

The Aji dam complex is open every day all across the year, and it usually opens in the morning and remains open till after sunset. It is recommended to visit this garden earlier in the morning for a better view and overall experience. The entry to the complex is entirely free of cost, but the different rides are paid activities. The dam complex is maintained, beautified, and developed by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation. In its garden complex, the Aji Dam and Gardens feature a food court, an amusement park, a children’s park, and a zoo comprising a crocodile park, a fish house and an aviary. However, this place is tightly packed during the weekends, and it is suggested to be avoided if one wishes to avoid the crowd.

The gorgeous view of the water body with a backdrop of mountains, coupled with the diverse and fascinating range of flora around the garden makes the place suitable for both a family outing as well as for spending some good alone-time in the serene ambience.

Places to Visit Nearby

The state of Gujarat is well known for housing several places of tourist attractions, both natural such as lakes and caves, and man-made such as museums and statues, etcetera. The tourist destinations close to the Watson Museum in Rajkot include both kinds of places. The most popular among these are the Randarda Lake, the Khambhalida Caves, the Tankara Museum, the Watson Museum, the Kaba Gandhi no Delo (in this place, Mahatma Gandhi had spent much of his early years), the Rotary Dolls Museum, the Shri Ramkrishna Ashram, the Nyari Dam, the Ghela Somnath Mahadev Temple, and the famous Pradyuman Park. There are many other places spread across Gujarat which are perfect for a beautiful getaway.

Best Time to Visit

Gujarat has a considerably warm and humid climate all round the year, and therefore, the best time to visit Rajkot would be during the autumn and winter months (from October to February, and early March). These months experiences a comparatively drier weather and a lower temperature (around 16 to 20 degrees of celsius) along with mild breezes. This makes outdoor vacationing experiences more pleasant than those during the scorching months of summer. Winter is also the best time to visit the garden because most of the trees there bloom during those months and make for a beautifuls sight.

How To Reach Aji Dam

The Aji Lake is located in the outskirts of Rajkot, and since the distance is not a lot, it generally takes around 10 to 15 minutes for one to reach the place from any place in the heart of the city via roadways. There are also connecting buses plying daily between the Aji Dam and the city of Rajkot.