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JAMNAGAR
Gujarat
General Information
State Map
Major Cities
Beaches
Wildlife
Places of Worship
Fairs & Festivals
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.
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