Junagadh is the headquarters of
Junagadh district in the
Indian state of
Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat, located at the foot of the
Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital
Gandhinagar and
Ahmedabad. Literally translated, Junagadh means "Old Fort". An alternate etymology gives the name as coming from "Yonagadh", literally "City of the
Yona (Greeks)," referring to the ancient inhabitants of the city under the
Indo-Greek Kingdom. It is also known as "Sorath", the name of the earlier
Princely State of Junagadh. After a brief struggle between India and Pakistan Junagadh joined India on 9 November 1947. It was a part of Saurashtra state and later Bombay state. In 1960, after the Maha Gujarat movement, it became part of newly formed Gujarat state.