Jamnagar a coastal town is also known as
the "Jewel of Kathiawad". It was built in 1540
A.D. by Jam Raval, a Jadeja Rajput leader. Jamnagar was
the capital for four centuries of the prosperous princely
state of Nawanagar. It is the home town of the world famous
cricketers Ranjit Sinh and Duleep Sinh. Jamnagar is an
important air and naval base because of its location,
which is very near to the neighbouring country of Pakistan.
Jamnagar is a charming blend of the old and the new with
its ancient monuments and
broad streets imposing facades, and squares which make it
one of the most beautiful cities in the Saurashtra peninsula.
There are a number of ancient Temples in and around the town
which is why it also known as Chothi Kashi. The town is also
famous for its exquisite handicraft items such as silk and gold
embroidery, silver ware and bandhani or tie-and-dye fabrics.
Nutcrackers (especially the ones made for betel nuts) are made
in Jamnagar.
General Information..
Population : 396,000 Area : 14,125 Sq. Km Position : 22.27° North (latitude) and 70.07°
East (longitude) Languages Spoken : Gujarati, Hindi, English
Places of Interest :
Willingdon Crescent :
The most remarkable of Ranjit Singh's construction is
Willingdon crescent, the swooping arches of its curved
facade overlooks the wide streets of Chelmsford Market.
Lakhota Fort and Kotha Bastion :
In the centre of old Jamnagar, on an island in the middle
of the lake, are two magnificent old structures - the
Lakhota Fort and the Kotha Bastion. This diminutive palace
(Lakhota fort) once belonged to the Maharaja of Nawanagar.
Lakhota Fort is Jamnagar's Museum and its terraces display
a fine collection of sculpture that spans a period from
the 9th to 18th Century. The museum is reached by a short
causeway from the northern side of Ranmal Lake. The Kotha
Bastion is Jamnagar's arsenal. One of its most interesting
sights is an old well, the water of which can be drawn
by blowing into a small hole in the floor.
Marine National Park :
The North-West coast of Saurashtra, bordering the heavily
tidal Gulf of Kutch, is fringed with more than forty small
islands, whose ever depleting mangrove population gives
rise to some of the richest marine life off mainland India.
The park is spread over an area of 458 sq kms. Here you
will find plants that look like animals and animals that
look like plants. Turtles, shrimp, sponge, eels, sea urchin
lurk among corals. The Marine National Park is 30 kms
from Jamnagar.
Bala Hanuman Temple :
The Bala Hanuman Temple is on the South-Eastern side
of Ranmal Lake, and here, 24 hours a day since 1 August
1964, there's been continuous chanting of the invocation
Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram'. This devotion has earned
the Temple a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Early evening is a particularly good time to visit as
it's fairly animated then. In fact this whole area on
the South-Eastern edge of the lake becomes very lively
around sunset
Jain Temples :
Out of a pair of Jain temples, one is dedicated to
Adinath (the first Tirthankara) and other built to
honour Shantinath (the sixteenth ). The quality and
quantity of the murals on the walls, ceilings and
pillars of the temple are extraordinary. Hazy yellows,
greens, pinks, oranges and blues depict a riot of
flowers, people, Gods and domestic objects, while
tableaux tell the life stories of Jain saints. The
most spectacular of the two, Shantinath Mandir, is
a maze of brightly coloured columns, each section
of roof between them highlighted with individual designs.
The marble floor beneath is emblazoned with distinctive
Jain patterns in yellow, black, white and red. Above
the main sanctuary, an enormous dome rises in a series
of concentric circles glinting with gold. The outer
side of the large dome over Adinath Mandir is inlaid
with gold and coloured mosaic, and both Temples have
cupolas enriched with design of mirrors above the
entrance porch.
