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Information on Porbandar |
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Porbandar, the coastal heritage town of Gujarat
is located on the Saurashtra peninsula, on the
Arabian Sea. This city is described in Skanda Purana as
Sudamapuri and Ashmavati. According to the legends, this
city was the main link of the great friendship between
Lord Krishna and Sudama. Porbandar was established as a
capital by Rana Sartanji in 1785 AD. Porbandar,
originally a fortified town, with high rampart walls,
bastions and five gates, lost its fortification by the
order of Colonel Lally in 1888 AD. Even today, a ritual
to circumambulate the fortification is performed by
Hindus. |
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The most
impressive feature of Porbandar is the city planning and
the stone buildings with ashlar masonry and rich
carving, the facades of the houses on either side of the
streets, with windows and carved gateways. |
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History of Porbandar |
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Porbandar was the last
capital of the Jethwa
Rajputs, who ruled this area
for about 1200 years.
Porbandar was a prosperous
town due to the maritime
trade and was a thriving
port in the Mughal period.
It was attacked by the
Portuguese in the wake of
achieving supremacy over sea
trade in 1531 AD. The Walker
Treaty of 1807 AD between
the ruling clans of Saurashtra and the British
put an end to the feuds and
it resulted in a favorable
environment for the civic
development of the Porbandar
State. Porbandar
is also associated with the Mahatma Gandhi as at this
place Mahatama Gandhi was born in 1869 AD. |
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Tourist attractions in Porbandar |
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Kirti
Mandir, Darbargadh, Sudama
temple and the Huzoor
Palace are the various tourist attractions
in Porbandar. Kirti Mandir was the
house of the Mahatma Gandhi
and his wife. This
place has a Gandhian library
and a prayer hall. Sudama
temple is a beautiful temple
which is built in the middle
of the Porbandar town. This
temple is the only temple in
India which is dedicated to
Sudama. Darbargadh is the fortified
palace built by Rana
Sartanji and has a huge carved stone entrance gate flanked
by high turrets and massive wooden doors. Huzoor Palace is the
sprawling palace, built in
the European style with
sloping roofs, several wings
and big windows.
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How to get here |
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By Air:
Porbandar is connected by air to
Mumbai.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is
located on the Porbandar – Ahmedabad
railway line.
By Road:
Porbandar is connected with various
cities of Gujarat like Ahmedabad,
Rajkot and Jamnagar. |
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