Junagadh district is abuzz with tourists post-Diwali. Places of attraction like Sasan Gir, Somnath Temple, Girnar Mountain and others have been witnessing visitors in lakhs in the last five days.

According to Dr Kamlesh Raval of the Somnath Temple Trust, over three lakh people have visited the premises since Diwali. “The number of tourists will gradually increase in the next one week, as Kartiki Purnima Mela will be organised. Ten lakh people are expected to visit the fair as well as the temple.” Raval said.

Another famous tourist attraction in the district is Sasan Gir, particularly among wildlife enthusiasts. According to forest officials, nearly 20,000 tourists have visited Sasan in the last couple of days. “Over the last two days, we have received Rs 10 lakh in the form of entry fees. Sasan is overcrowded and heavy vehicular traffic has been reported on the route to Devaliya park,” said an official.

The Sakkar Bug Zoo has also been witnessing heavy inflow of tourists, with over 10,000 people visiting the zoo everyday. As a result, it is registering an income of Rs 1 lakh per day, according to officials.

Apart from the tourist hotspots, local railway and bus stations have also registered extra profits in the last few days. Deputy station superintend A B Trivedi said, “The railway station has been registering Rs 2 lakh income daily for the last five days. Some 80,000 people have used the rail service during this period.”

The depot manager at the Junagadh state transport bus station, M B Vyas, said that in the last couple of days, they have earned an income of Rs 7 lakh.