|
About Kutch :
Mandvi is a town in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India. Once known as the Paris of Kutch, where the Maharaos of Kutch used to spend their summer due to its pleasant climate, Mandvi has a rich traditional history.
Mandvi is 56 km away from Bhuj, on the banks of river Rukmavati, just at the mouth where it meets the Arabian Sea near the Gulf of Kutch.
- The establishment of the town dates back to the late 16th century (1581 AD) and is attributed to the first Jadeja ruler of Kutch, Rao Khengarji.
- In 18th century, the Mandvi merchants collectively owned a fleet of 400 vessels trading 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 was at the junction of two famous trade routes the maritime spice trade-route and the desert camel caravan route, acting as an important trade centre.
- Mandvi was originally a fortified town having a fort wall of about 8 m high and 1.2 m wide stone masonary. The fort had several gateways and 25 bastions; but at present, most of the wall has disappeared. The bastion on the southwest is largest and acts as a lighthouse.
- In the heydays of maritime trade, before the arrival of steamboats, Mandvi was a rich and prosperous town, earning four times more revenue from export than import. It was a profit-making centre of the Kutch state, surpassing the capital city of Bhuj in terms of wealth.
As most of the top ports of India were controlled by Europeans, especially the Portuguese, even the Mughals held the Maharaos of Kutch in high esteem, as they needed the port of Mandvi for exports, imports and also for pilgrimages to Mecca.
Mandvi houses a population of about 45,000 people, mainly Bhatias, Lohanas, Kharvas, Dawoodi Bohra Muslims and Jains
Mandvi is a unique town which captures the true Gujarat, Kutchi culture. Mandvi also incorporates the neighbouring villages of Nagalpur and Bharapur. Mandvi is a town of merchants and seamen, both mutually benefiting from each other.
Mandvi was one of the towns deeply impacted by the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake.
Most of the industries in Mandvi are small-scale in nature, mainly in the areas of Bentonite mining, edible oil production, fishing, traditional ship building, cotton products and household Bandhani production.
Mandvi has a very pleasant climate throughout the year and was a summer retreat of the Kutch maharaos (kings).
- Vijay Vilas Palace: The center of attractions at Mandvi is the Vijay Vilas Palace, a Royal abode 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 draws largely on the plan of palaces of Orchha and Datia. The central high dome on the pillars, the Bengal domes on the sides, the windows with coloured glass, carved stone 'jalis', domed bastions at the corners, extended porch and other exquisitely stone-carved elements, make the palace worth visiting. The Vijay Vilas Palace has its own private beach, maintained in an eco-friendly manner to preserve its priestine beauty. For these reasons, this palace has been used as the setting in many Hindi films and has now become a popular tourist destination.
- Mandvi Beach: Mandvi has one of the most beautiful beaches in Gujarat. The beach, known as 'Kashi Vishwanath Beach' is the most visited local attraction in Mandvi.
- Windmills: There are a number of windmills on the Mandvi beach, engaged in the generation of power from wind energy.
- Rukmavati bridge: The bridge on river Rukmavati was built in 1883; it is the longest existing structure of its kind in India today.
- Topansar Lake: Sitting in the heart of the city, this lake forms and important landmark as well as a source of water to the city.
- Bandhni Bazaar: Mandvi is known for the production of its famous Bandhani (tie-dye) and other country crafts.
Traditional ship building: Mandvi is also a 400 year old ship building centre. The ships built here used to sail up to England and return back. Even today, master carpenters build fishing boats by traditional techniques.
|
