Porbandar
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Porbandar is the coastal
heritage town of Gujarat.
This ancient port 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. Porbandar is also
associated with the Mahatma
Gandhi as at this place
Mahatama Gandhi was born in
1869 AD. The most impressive
feature of Porbandar is the
city planning and the stone
buildings with ashlar
masonary 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
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.
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Tourist attractions in
Porbandar
Various tourist attractions
in Porbandar are Kirti
Mandir, Darbargadh, Sudama
temple and the Huzoor
Palace. Kirti Mandir was the
house of the Mahatma Gandhi
and Kasturba, 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. The maze on the
platform in the campus is an
interesting feature.
Darbargadh is the fortified
palace built by Rana
Sartanji. This palace has a
huge carved stone entrance
gate flanked by high turrets
and massive wooden doors. It
is a typical example of such
royal enclosures situated
within the town of Gujarat.
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 reach there:
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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