Porbandar is a coastal city
in the Indian state of Gujarat, perhaps best known
for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and
Sudama (Friend of Lord Krishna). It is the administrative
center of Porbandar District. The name "Porbandar"
came from the combination of two words: "Porai",
the name of a local goddess, and "Bandar"
means port or harbour. Thus, 'Porbandar' translates
to 'Porai's harbour'. Several sources refer to
the area as 'Pauravelakul', a name known to have
been in use during the 10th century; this ancient
name may possibly translate to 'land of Porai's
clan' or to that effect. The town finds mention
in the Hindu epics as the hometown of Sudama,
a beloved friend and class-fellow of lord Krishna;
the town has also often been referred to as 'Sudamapuri'
on that account.
Located in the extreme west of India, Porbandar
is an important all-weather port on the Arabian
sea. It supports a population (c.2001 AD) of
over 150,000. Given its association with Mahatma
Gandhi, Porbandar is today something of a tourist
centre and is served by an airport and train
line. Its deep sea port was built during the
last quarter of the 20th century.
|
| Harappan settlement
(1600-1400 BC) Onshore
explorations in and around Porbandar brought to
light for the first time the remains of a late
Harappan settlement dating back to the 16th -
14th century BC, which is similar to that from
Bet Dwarka. This is another evidence to suggest
that the Harappan legacy of maritime activity
continued till the late Harappan period on the
Saurashtra coast. The discovery of ancient jetties
along the Porbandar creek signifies the importance
of Porbandar as an active centre of maritime activities
in the past. This is an Darji community
Princely
Porbandar (1600 AD onwards)
Porbandar
was formerly the seat of the eponymous princely
state in British India. The ruling family of the
state belonged to the Jethwa clan of rajputs and
had been established in the area since at least
the mid 16th century. The state was subordinate
to the mughal governor of Gujarat until being
overrun by the marathas in the latter half of
the 18th century, whereafter they came under the
authority of the Gaekwad court at Baroda, and
eventually of the Peshwa. In common with the other
states of Kathiawar, the state first came into
the ambit of British influence in 1807, when the
HEIC guaranteed security in the area in lieu of
a fixed annual tribute to be paid to the Peshwa
and the Gaekwad. In 1817, the Peshwa ceded his
share to the HEIC; in 1820, the Gaekwad agreed
to have the HIEC collect his due tributes in Kathiawar
and remit the same to his treasury.
During the
Raj, the state covered an area of 1,663 sq.km,
encompassing 106 villages and a population, in
1921, of over 100,000 people. It enjoyed a revenue
of Rs.21,00,000/-. By 1947, the rulers held the
style of "Highness" and the title of
"Maharaj Rana Sahib"; they were entitled
to a salute of 13 guns as a hereditary distinction.
Upon the Independence
of India in 1947, the state acceded unto the dominion
of India. It was merged with the 'United state
of Kathiawar' with effect from February 15, 1948
and eventually came to form part of the present-day
state of Gujarat. |
Despite
being the birthplace of one of the most famous
leaders of the world, Porbandar lacks any significant
tourism infrastructure, although the area around
Mahatma Gandhi's home has been renovated to become
a temple of peace.
The
major complaint of tourists is that the town is
not known well enough, and that the bad traffic
scenario means that bus journeys take many hours.
Porbandar
has an excellent beach and a brilliant azure sea
which could become a tourism hot spot, however
the government has failed to assure cleanliness
and although the ocean itself is pristine, reconstruction
activities were carried on to give the chowpati
(Beach) a new look by some collector in around
2003 and now it hold well arranged sitting arrangement
for tourist and commuters and there is also a
skating platform for children. Although the local
civic body is not paying enough attention for
cleanliness, their condition can be said to be
better than many beaches across the country. |
