Information on Diu |
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Daman and Diu are the two
tiny union territories which
were the Portuguese
enclaves. Geographically,
Daman and Diu are the part
of the state of Gujarat and
connected to the mainland of Gujarat by a causeway. Diu is
a tiny island in the Arabian
Sea, about 11 kms. long and
3 kms. wide, separated from
the coast by a narrow
channel running through the
swamp. It is very
difficult to reach here so one has to travel
through the town of UNA. This beautiful
island has excellent golden
beaches, bazaar and huge Portuguese fort. Gujarati,
Hindi, English and Portuguese are the main languages
which are spoken in Diu. The best time
to visit Diu is from
September to May.
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History of Diu |
Diu has a very long and
glorious history that
stretches back into
legends and mythology.
It was believed that
Pandava brothers of the
Mahabharata spent a part
of their fourteen years
exile in Diu. According
to the legends, Diu was
once ruled by the great
king Jallandhar who was
a demon and was killed
by the Lord Vishnu with
his Sudarshan Chakra.
Diu was the first
settlement in India of
the Parsis who came from
Persia in the 7th
century. Diu was also
ruled by the Mauryans
during 320-322 BC and
was the main trade
center on the Saurashtra
Coast. When the Mughal
emperor Humayun attacked
the Sultan of Gujarat,
the Gujarat Sultan
entered into a treaty
with the Portuguese in
1535 for their help
against him. Diu was also
rewarded to the
Portuguese governor Nuno
De Cunha, who
constructed a fort in
Diu and raised his
arsenal. Governor Joao
de Castro finally seized
Diu in 1546 and it
remained a Portuguese
enclave till its
liberation in 1961 along
with Daman and Goa. |
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Tourist Attractions in Diu |
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The major tourist attractions
in Diu are the Diu Fort, St.
Paul's Church, Jallandhar
Shrine, Gangeshwar Temple, Diu
Museum and Nagoa Beach. Diu
Fort is an expansive and
imposing structure, situated
on the coast of the island. It
was constructed between 1535
and 1541 AD and offers a
magnificent view of the sea.
St. Paul's Church is dedicated
to the Lady of Immaculate
Conception and built during the 17th century. Diu museum houses
wooden carvings, statues,
idols, shadow clocks and other
important artifacts collected
from various sites. Nagoa
beach is very beautiful beach, in the shape of a horse
shoe. |
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Festivals in Diu |
A grand festival of culture
and sporting activities is
held for 5 days
from 19 to 23 December every
year to commemorate Diu's
Liberation Day. In this
festival various folk
performers and traditional
craftsmen expose their talents
in order to keep the heritage
of Diu alive. |
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How to get here |
Diu has excellent all weather road
links with the major cities of
Gujarat like Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar,
Rajkot and Baroda. The nearest
railway station is located at
Veraval, which is about 50 kms away. |
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