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Mandvi |
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Information on
Mandvi
Mandvi is located on the banks of the Rukmavati river,
only one km away from the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of
Kutch. Mandvi lies to the southwest from the city of
Bhuj and was established in 1581 AD by the Rao
Khengarji, the first Jadeja ruler of Kutch. Mandvi was
a originally a fortified town having a fort wall of
about 8 m high and 1.2 wide stone masonry. It was also
a 400 years old shipbuilding center. Mandvi is a busy
little place with a shipbuilding yard where hundreds
of men construct, by hand, wooden beauties for faraway
Arab merchants. Today, Mandvi is a well known centre
for the production of the |
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country crafts. It has a
very pleasant climate throughout the year and was a summer
retreat of the Kutch Maharaos.
History of Mandvi
During the maritime trade, before the arrival of steamboats,
Mandvi was a rich and prosperous town which earn four times
more revenue from export than import. It was a profit making
centre of the Kutch, in terms of wealth. Mandvi was a town
of merchants and seamen, both mutually benefiting from each
other. In the 18th century, the Rao Godji (1760-78) built
and maintained a fleet of four hundred ocean-going vessels,
including one that sailed to England and back in 1760. The
Mandvi merchants established the trade with East Africa,
Malabar and the Persian Gulf. In the early 19th century, it
was a major port of entry for the inland trade with Malwa,
Marwar and Sindh. Mandvi lies at the junction of two famous
trade routes, the maritime spice trade route and the desert
camel caravan route, thus acting as an important trade
centre. Today, one can also see the smaller boats being
constructed in the traditional techniques by the master
carpenters.
Tourist attractions in Mandvi
The main tourist
attraction in Mandvi is the Vijay Vilas Palace. |
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Vijay Vilas
Palace
Vijay Vilas Palace is a royal palace set in the middle
of well laid gardens with water channels and marble
fountains. The architect and craftsmen from Jaipur
designed and constructed the palace in 1920 AD. The
palace has all the elements of Rajput architecture and
is made largely on the plan of palaces of Orchha and
Datia. The central high dome on the pillars, the
Bengal domes on sides, the windows with coloured
glass, carved stone jails, domed bastions at the
corners, extended porch and the other exquisitely
stone carved elements, are the worth visiting elements
in the palace. This is an example of the traditional
skill of craftsmen of early |
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20th century. The Vijay Vilas Palace has its
own private beach, which is maintained in an eco-friendly
manner to preserve its natural beauty. Now this palace has
been used as the setting in various Hindi films and has
become a popular tourist destination.
Besides the Vijay Vilas palace there are some very beautiful
houses in Mandvi that belonged to the rich merchants with
stone carving and plaster decorations. Their architectural
style reflects the fusion of Indian and European styles of
architecture. Other interesting buildings in Mandvi are a
girls high school, a former palace built by Rao Lakhpat and
light house.
How to reach Mandvi
By Air:
The nearest airport is located at Bhuj which is about 50 km.
By Rail:
The nearest railway station is located at Gandhidham which
is about 95 km.
By Road:
Mandvi is connected to various cities in Gujarat like Bhuj,
(about 50 km) and Rajkot, about 268 km. |
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