Porbandar is very well known as birth place of Mahatma Gandhiji, who taught the lessions of truth and non-violence to the world and has in his memory, the monument Kirti Mandir that attracts tourist from all over the World. The gorgeous building where Mahatma Gandhi was born is adjacent to the kirti Mandir The foundation stone of modern structure and attractive Kirti Mandir was laid in 1947 by late Shree Darbar Gopaldas Desai and later Shree Nanjibhai Kalidas Mehta a well known businessman of Porbandar renovated it. Late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel inaugurated on May 27, 1950. The height of the temple is of 79 feet symbolizes the 79 years of lifespan of respected Gandhiji. The monument Kirti Mandir is symbole of religious integration of six great world religions. Like Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, church, Parsi temple and mosque are symbolized at Kirti Mandir integrate, which shows Gandhijis respect towards all religion.
The whole credit of the architecture of the Kirti Mandir goes to Shri Prushottambhai Mystry, a resident of Porbandar. He had got this piece of art completed within two years of time limit by working for days and night himself.
The house wherein gandhiji was born, was purchased by the great grand father of Mahatmaji, Shri Harjivan Raidas Gandhi, some two hundred years before, in the seventeenth century, from a local woman.
Kirti Mandir is an attractive structure of the art of the architecture and structure. In accordance with the age of Gandhiji, the top of the Kriti mandir was made seventy nine feet high, and seventy nine lamps are carved in it.
Two rooms are allotted on the either sides of the place where Bapus Photographs are placed. On the right side there are two rooms as the memorials of Shri Maganlalhi Gandhi and Shri Mahadev Desai, and the room on the left hand side is meant for the exhibition of the museum. These three rooms contain articles of khadibhandar, things of handi-craft, the centre is for the sale of books, the office-room and the reception hall. The museum here is also a centre of attraction for the visitors.
Huzoor Palace:
The Huzoor Palace is a massive structure like a European mansion,
sprawling, with a large garden at the edge of the sea. The palace has
neo-Classical pillars and porticoes with a semi-circular design with a
sloping timber roof. The European style porticoes and pillars mark the
entrance of the palace from different sides. The palace has various wings in
a zigzag fashion and railed terraces. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and
water fountains, it offers a remarkable view of the Arabian Sea. The Palace
was built by Natwar Sinhji.
Daria Rajmahal:
A short walk from the Huzoor Palace leads to Daria Rajmahal.
The Daria Rajmahal was built in the late 19th century by Maharaja Bhavsinhji to designs prepared by the state engineer, Phulchand Parekh. Built in creamy local stone, it stands on the edge of the Arabian Sea and, in its plan and layout, shows distinct Arab influences. However, the facades are Italianate in style, with an interesting blend of Renaissance and Gothic detail conceived by a man of knowledge and taste. Internally, the palace has all the usual princely trappings - chandeliers, painted murals and European furniture. The Town Hall, Library and most other public buildings were all built under the watchful eye of the Maharaja.
Nothing remains of the Darbar Hall now, and the palace has now been turned into a college.
Darbargadh
Walking down from
Kirti Mandir, one comes to the Darbargadh. Darbargadh is a fortified palace found
built by Rana Sartanji at Porbandar. It has a huge carved stone entrance
flanked by massive wooden doors and high turrets. The edifices lying to
the left of the entrance are typical examples the royal enclosures
situated within the town of Gujarat- large mansions with courtyards and
intricately carved wooden elements.
The fort has several bastions, 3 small
gates (baris) and 4 main gates. The main gates are Porbandar gate in the
west, Kathiawar Darwaja in the east, Halar Gate in the North and
Junagadh gate in the south. The smaller gates are Sita Bari, Bhinji Bari
and Darbari Bari. The point of approach of Darbargadh is the Darbari
Bari. It is a beautiful gate, resting on brackets of four elephant
statues and adorned with a jharokha. Darbargadh is a three-storied
structure standing on a high plinth. The facade is designed with complex
geometric designs, sculptures of musicians, intricately carved pillars
decorative kanguras and horizontal friezes.
Nehru
Planetarium
Situated across the Jubilee Bridge, the Nehru Planetarium of Porbandar
is worth a visit. The regular shows held at the planetarium pay tribute
to Indias Non-Alignment policy.
Local people known it as Tara Mandir .The planetarium has afternoon sessions this planetarium is a part of a series of planetariums set up in the
major cities of the country.
"Sandipani"
Established in
February 1992 on 85 acres of land near Porbandar. Sandipani Vidyaniketan
aims to rekindle humanity through education based on tradition and
values for the benefit of society. Since its inception, it has been
continuously expanding its activities and services. The Vidyaniketan has
today become one of the leading educational institutions in India in the
field of Vedic education.
Grishmabhuvan
= Sartanji Choro
The Grishmabhuvan is a pleasure pavilion situated at Porbandar. It was
built by Maharana Sartanji in an excellent example of Rajput
architectural style. The Grishmabhuvan is a three-storied summer
pavilion has exquisite pillars, impressive domes and delicate arches.
The four parts of the pavilion represent the four seasons.Also known as
the Sartanji Choro, the pavilion was a kind of asylum for Sartanji away
from the crowds of Porbandar.
Arya Kanya Gurukul
The foundation stone of the Gurukul was laid, significantly, at the hands of a Harijan girl on the auspicious Dev Diwali Day in 1936. Within the short span of one year, construction of the Ashram, the school building, hostel with a fully equipped kitchen and dining hall, a medical examination room and staff quarters, etc., was completed. The Gurukul was declared open on 5th December 1937 by H.H. Maharana Natvarsinhji of Porbandar.
The educational system at Gurukul is a blend of the rich ancient Vedic heritage and the modern educational system with its orientation towards science and technology. The Gurukul system attempts to eradicate the lacuna of the present day system of education, which only stresses materialism but lacks in moral, religious or spiritual orientation.
The girls begin learning four different languages from the very start of their curricular activities, namely, Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit and English. The medium of instruction is Gujarati, but intensive coaching in Hindi prepares the girls for the Hindi examination conducted by the Institute at Wardha and a number of them graduate in Hindi well before they finish schooling.
Classes V to XII of the Secondary School curriculum are conducted in the Gurukul whereas the classes for the degree course are held in the Gurukul Women's College. The College Hostel accommodates 250 girls. The Gurukul and its curricula preparing the students for the Xth and XIIth standard examinations have been granted recognition by the State level Secondary School Boards.
Bharat Mandir
The Bharat Mandir
is situated in a beautiful garden opposite the Nehru Planetarium. The
mandir has a number of murals depicting the great men and religious
preceptors of India. There is a huge relief map of India on the floor.
There are beautifully matched mirrors in the temple which depict the
Gods and legendary personalities from the Hindu Epics and the Indian
Puranas. There are six distorting mirrors in the veranda which are very
popular among the children.
Sudama
Mandir
Earlier
Porbandar is called as Sudamapuri after " Sudama ". The
Sudama mandir is a beautiful shrine located in the centre of Porbandar
city. Sudama was a close friend and devotee of Lord Krishna who was born
here. It is said to be the only temple in India dedicated to Sudama. The
temple was constructed between 1902 and 1907, and has an interesting story
behind it. It is said that during the construction of the temple there was
a depletion of funds. In order to collect money, the devotees organized
drama shows, and following thus the construction of the temple was
completed. There is a plaque in the temple depicting this entire course of
events. A monument is found inside the temple dedicated to Shri Ram Devji
Jethwa. Who is believed to have been severely attacked and wounded at the
time. There is amaze found within the temple. It is said that if a person
crosses this maze all his sins are forgiven.
Beach
As a seaport on the Arabian Sea Porbandar is a picture prefect
and
lengthy sea-shore and well developed beach whose beauty takes your
breath away; near S T Bus Station
provides a quit good tourists spot known as chowpati . A huge
gathering specially on Sunday evening enjoy the fresh breathings. Now
renovated chowpati looks better. You may
get a bewitching view of the beach from the chowpaty where several
modern villas have mushroomed. At the chowpaty you may spot the
flamingoes and other shore birds and just unwind yourself by strolling
in the lap of nature.
Bird Sanctuary
Bird Sanctuary is Located in the heart of
the Porbandar
city, this small bird sanctuary approximately 1sq km in area has a
variety of wildfowl, teals, ibis, curlews, and a sizeable number of migratory
birds. Best time for the Bird Lover to visit is from October to March.
The Maharaja of Porbandar (Now a city of Gujarat State - India), who was the captain of the Indian team that toured England in 1932, had observed that the Indian players needed proper practice facilities for fast bowling. At a time when there were hardly any cricket coaching institutions in the country, the Maharaja with his great vision, established The Duleep School of Cricket at Porbandar on June 7, 1947.
At the School, there are various types of cement pitches and effective cricket training devices. Out of five cement pitches, the first three pitches are good for batting practice but vary in pace first being the fastest, second is little slower owing to a layer of thick sail-cloth placed under the matting, and the third is the slowest, because of a thicker layer. The fourth is a good batting pitch and the last one is for slip catches three slip fielders can be comfortably placed in the net for a fast bowler.
The most innovative part of the school is the six compartments, each 65 feet long and 11 feet wide. The ball has to hit the opposite side of the compartment without touching the either side. There are also channels alongside the pitch which carry the ball to the bowlers end and a mechanical wheel lifts it for a bowler to be ready to bowl the next ball. Certainly, a time-saver. There is also a section for players to work on techniques by having mirror practice
Other Temples, Mosques and Cemeteries
Satyanarayan temple, Gayatri Mandir, Bhutnath Mahadev temple, Jadeshwar temple, Ramdhun and many
more temples attracts tourists .
mosques like Nagina Masjid, Rehmani Masjid ,Jumma Masjid, Mitthi Masjid, Khari Masjid,
Sunni Vora Masjid, Takia Masjid are also famous . Roman Catholic
Church, C. N. I Protestant Church, are also well known here. Hindu crematorium,
Muslim, Parasi cemetery are also here.
Other Near by places to see...
North :
Nav Grah Mandir - Surya Rannade (Bagvadar) 15 km
Triveni Sangam (Bhanvad) 52 km
Bapu ni Vav (Well) 48 km
Jamnagar 100 km
East :
Beautiful Barda Hills 15 km
Khambhala Dam 20 km
Ashapura Mataji Temple (Ghumli) 50 km
Shri Kileshwar Temple 60 km
Fodara Dam 15 km
Jambuvat's Cave 25 km
Bileshwar Mahadev Temple 32 km
Modpar Fort 35 km
Gop 60 km
Rajkot 185 km
West :
Shri Khimeshwar Temple (Kuchhdi) 12 km
Shri Trikamachraya Temple (Kunvadar) 20 km
Sani Dev Temple (Hathla) 30 km
Mul Dwarka (Visawada) 27 km
Shri Harshad Mataji Temple 42 km
Dwaraka 110 km
South :
Rangbai Sea Shore 13 km
Lord Krishna Marriage Festival (Madhavpur) 40 km
World Famous Sea Shore (Madhavpur) 40 km
Maha Prabhuji Bethak (Madhavpur) 40 km
Madhav Raiji Temple (Madhavpur) 40 km
Osho Ashram (Madhavpur) 40 km
Surya Mandir (Madhavpur) 40 km
Turtle Growth Center (Madhavpur) 40 km
Loej (Swaminarayan Vav - Original Religious place) 60 km
Somnath (Veraval) 132 km
Diu (A Well Famous Sea Shore) 250 km
Gir - Sasan Lion Park 150 km
Lion Park - Devalia 120 km
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