Porbandar

Porbandar at a glance

Let Us Begin Our Journey Where Gandhi Began His. On October 2, 1869, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Was Born In A 3-storey Blue Haveli In The City Of Porbandar, Where His Father, Uncle And Grandfather Had All Been Prime Ministers To The Jethwa Rajput Rulers Of The Princely State. The City Had Been A Prosperous Trading Center For Centuries, Conducting Much Commerce With Arabian And Persian Gulf Countries, As Well As East Africa, Under The Mughals, The Marathas And The British. Now It Is A City Of Industry, With Cement And Chemical Factories Ringing The City, Contributing To A General Griminess Around Town. The Site Of Gandhi's Birth, Now Called Kirti Mandir, Has Been Converted Into A Small Museum About Him, With An Exhibit Of Old Photographs, Some Of His Very Few Possessions And A Nice Library Of Books Either By Him Or Relating To Gandhian Philosophy And Practice. The Room Where His Mother Gave Birth To Him Has, As Expectable, Nothing Special About It. It Was The Family Home. 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.

Area
Population 151770
Winter Temperature 14.7°C to 28.6°C
Summer Temperature 26°C to 38.8°C
Best Time To Visit

October to March

  • Air

     

    nearest Domestic As Well As International Airport Is At Ahmedabad (389 Km) And Is Well Connected To Many Cities Across The Country

     

  • Rail

     

    porbandar Also Has Regular Trains From The City Of Ahmedabad, And Some Of The Cities Which Has Direct Trains To Porbandar Are Delhi (delhi Sr Expres)m, Mumbai (saurashtra Express), Ahmedabad (pbr Howrah Exp) And Kolkata (pbr Howrah Exp). Train Fares Will Range Around Rs 150 To 300 For Travel Within The State.

     

  • Road

     

    buses Are Widely Available In The State, And Ply Frequently From All Major Cities To The City Of Porbandar. Bus Fares From The Town Of Rajkot Will Ply To Porbandar For Fares Ranging Around Rs 130. These Buses Are Mainly Deluxe Buses With Push Back Seats And No Sleeping Amenities. You Will Also Get Buses To Porbandar From The Town Of Virpur. These Buses Will Charge Fares Of Around Rs 90 For The Trip. Buses From Ahmedabad Will Also Be Available To Porbandar, And These Buses Will Charge Fares Of Around Rs 400 For A Non Air Conditioned Seater Coach And Rs 750 For A Sleeper Coach.

     

  • Darbargadh

    Darbargadh, The Fortified Palace Was Built By The 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. The Nearby Edifices On The Left Of The Entrance Are Also Good Examples Of Large Mansions With Courtyards And Intricately Carved Wooden Elements.

  • Kirti Mandir

    Kirti Mandir Was The House Of The Mahatma Gandhi And Kasturba, His Wife. This Place Is Situated Near The Place Where The Mahatma Gandhi Was Born. This Place Is Now A Small Museum And Also Has A Gandhian Library And A Prayer Hall.

  • Sartanji Choro

    Rana Sartanji Built Sartanji Choro, The Three Storey Summer Pavilion. This Palace Was Built In The Rajput Style As A Retreat In The Middle Of The Garden.

  • Huzoor Palace

    Huzoor Palace Is Located At The End Of Marine Drive, In A Huge Campus. This Sprawling Palace Is Built In The European Style With Sloping Roofs, Several Wings And Big Windows, Overlooking The Sea. The Wings Are Interspersed With The Back And Front Yards Which Bring Nature And The Building Together By Gardens And Fountains. The Semi-circular Porticos With Neo-classical Pillars, Decorated Entrance Gate And The Commanding View Makes This Palace, A Worth Visiting Place.

  • Bharat Mandir Hall

    Bharat Mandir Hall Is Situated In A Pleasant Irrigated Garden. This Hall Has A Large Relief Map Of India On The Floor And Bas Reliefs Of Heroes From Hindu Legends On The Pillars.

  • Shopping in Porbandar

    Shopping In Porbandar Is Yet Another Leisure Activity Besides Sightseeing. Porbandar Is Famous For Its �bandhani' Works. In This City, One Will Come Across A Rich Variety Of Accessories, Shoes, Watches And Clothing. Visitors Can Procure Local Handicrafts As Well As Textiles From Mg Road, Which Offers A Whole Range Of Shopping Outlets. Porbandar Is Also Famous For 'gharchola', A Special Kind Of 'bandhani', Which Is Done In Cotton And 'odhani', Which Is Commonly Used In Gujarati Wedding. One Can Also Pick Up Clothes With 'laharia' And 'chunari' Prints, From The Shopping Outlets Of Porbandar. They Are Among The Traditional Designs That Are Mostly Preferred By The Shoppers. Besides Clothes And Fabrics, One Can Also Buy Brass, Iron And Clay Items, Silver Jewellery, Handmade Carpets, Glossy Furniture, Iron Utensils, Terracotta Figurines, Mirror Works, Mud Wall Paintings And Other Decorative Items In Porbandar. The Jewellery Shops In Porbandarpresent An Exotic Range Of Silver Jewelleries Including 'kundan' And 'jadau' Jewelleries Which Are Very Popular.

  • Swati Restaurant

    This Cozy Little Restaurant With Several Private Booths Serves Lip-smacking Chinese, Punjabi And South Indian Cuisines.

  • Swagat Restaurant

    This Quiet And Comfortable Restaurant Serves Authentic Continental, Chinese, South Indian And Punjabi Cuisines In A Relaxed Setting.

  • Hotel Flamingo

    It Is A Multi Cuisine A/c Restaurant Dishing Out Chinese, Punjabi And Other Indian Dishes. Swagat: Situated On Mg Road, Swagat Is Yet Another Popular Restaurant In Porbandar. It Serves Good Punjabi And South Indian Dishes. It Is One Of The Best Restaurants In Town.

  • Kadambari Restaurant

    This Restaurant Serves The Most Authentic South Indian Food In The City. It Is A Multi Cuisine Restaurant, Which Also Serves Continental Dishes.