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Mandvi
is located on the banks of teh Rukmavati river, barely one km away
from the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of Kutch. The town has a very pleseant
climate throughout the year and was a summer retreat of the Kutch
Maharaos. The establishment of the town dates back to the late sixteenth
century (1581 AD) and is attributed to the first Jadeja ruler of
Kutch Rao Khengarji.
Mandvi was originally
a fortified town having a fort wall of about 8m high and 1.2m wide
stone amsonary. The fort had several gateways and 25 bastion ; 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, it was a rich
and prosperous, town earning four times more revenue from export
than import. It was a profit making centre of teh Kutch State surpassing
the capital city of Bhuj, in terms of wealth. 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 a
town of merchants and seamen, both mutually benefiting from each
other.
Mandvi is also
a 400 year old shipbuilding centre. Teh ships built here used to
sail up to England and return back. One can see the small boats
being constructed in the traditional techniques by master carpenters
even today. The Vijay Vilas Palace has its own private veacg, 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
is located on the banks of teh Rukmavati river, barely one km away
from the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of Kutch. The town has a very pleseant
climate throughout the year and was a summer retreat of the Kutch
Maharaos. The establishment of the town dates back to the late sixteenth
century (1581 AD) and is attributed to the first Jadeja ruler of
Kutch Rao Khengarji. 
