Aravali Hot Springs (Tulsi Shyam)

Aravali Hot Springs at Tulsi Shyam in the Gir region of Gujarat is a temple-thermal complex hidden in the forested hills between Junagadh and Amreli, where chloride springs emerge at comfortable temperatures beside a Shiva temple in a landscape of Gir forest — the last refuge of the Asiatic lion. The springs take their name from a tulsi (holy basil) plant said to have miraculous properties that grows beside the main spring, and the site draws both pilgrims seeking religious merit from bathing in the sacred hot waters and nature tourists visiting the nearby Gir National Park. The combination of thermal waters, forest wildlife including lions, leopards and over 300 bird species, and the devotional atmosphere of the temple complex creates a multidimensional destination unique to western India. The Kathiawar peninsula landscape of semi-arid forest and rural villages adds a distinctively Gujarati cultural context.