PORBANDAR CITY

Ahmedabad Anand Bharuch Bhuj Baroda Bhavnagar Dwarka Gandhidham Junagadh Kutch Palitana Porbandar Saputara Surat Siddhpur Rajkot

      Porbandar is the birthplace of Gandhiji. Porbandar is a picturesque old sea port associated with the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.It is situated on the south coast about midway between Veraval and Dwarka. Porbandar is best at the time of sunrise and sunset when the rays beat upon it turning its turrets and pinnacles into gold"

      Gandhiji was born in 1869 at Gandhi home.The three storeyed, 17 room house remains unaltered. Gandhiji's grandfather, Uttamchand Gandhi, was the prime minister to the King Of Porbandar and inherited this position and later on passed it to his brother Tulsidas upon occupying a similar position at Rajkot and later at Wankaner. The Gandhi home is located close to the Gokuldas Makanji whose daughter was married to Gandhiji when they were both thirteen.

      In ancient times, the city was called Sudamapuri after Sudama, a compatriot of Krishna, and there was once a flourishing trade from here to Africa and the Persian Gulf. The Africa connection is apparent in the number of Indianised blacks, called Siddis, who form a virtually separate caste of Harijans.

      Porbandar has several large cement and chemical factories and a textile mill. A massive breakwater was recently constructed to shelter a deep-water wharf and fishing harbour.
      Dhows are still being built here and fish drying is an important activity, lending a certain aroma to the town!
      Swimming near the Tourist Bungalow is not recommended. The beach, called Chowpatty, is used as a local toilet and there is a factory drain outlet by the Hazur Palace. Swimming is said to be OK a few km down the coast towards Veraval.

Places of Interest

Kirti Mandir
      The Kirti Mandir, Gandhi’s birthplace, houses one of India’s many collections of Gandhian memorabilia. A swastika on the floor in a small room marks the actual spot! There is also an exhibit of photographs, some with English captions, and a small bookshop.

Planetarium
      Across the muddy creek, which is spanned by the Jynbeeli (once Jubilee) Bridge, are the Nehru Planetarium and the Bharat Mandir. Flocks of flamingoes are an unexpected sight along the creek. Men and women enter the planetarium from the verandah by separate doors whose panels celebrate Indian nonalignment, showing Shastri with Kosygin on one side and Nehru with JFK on the other! The planetarium has afternoon sessions in Gujarati. The projection equipment is a little antiquated and stars chase one another across the domed roof to the sound of whirring machinery.

Bharat Mandir
      The large Bharat Mandir hall is in a charming irrigated garden opposite the planetarium. On the floor inside is a huge relief map of India and the building’s pillars are brilliantly painted with bas-reliefs of over 100 religious figures and legendary persons from Hindu epics. The verandah’s six distorting mirrors are popular with children. Hazur Palace This massive, forlorn-looking building near the shore has been deserted by the present maharana who now practises law in London.

Getting There & Away
Air :- Vayudoot services the airport at Porbandar.
Bus :- There are a couple of early-morning buses to Veraval. They take about three hours and cost Rs.16.
Train :- Porbandar is the terminus of a rail line; the main service is the No 15-16 Saurashtra Express to and from Bombay via Rajkot (6 ½ hours) and Ahmedabad (10 hours). Fares from Ahmedabad are Rs.53 in 2nd class, Rs.189 in 1st.

Ahmedabad Anand Bharuch Bhuj Baroda Bhavnagar Dwarka Gandhidham Junagadh Kutch Palitana Porbandar Saputara Surat Siddhpur Rajkot