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[edit] CityThe 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 is mentioned 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 CE) of over 150,000. Because it's the birthplace of 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. [edit] Places of interest
[edit] People of interest
[edit] Educational institutions — colleges
[edit] Educational institutions — schools
[edit] History[edit] 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. [edit] 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. [edit] Current situation the Gita Mandir, Porbandar 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 heavy traffic 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 Chowpati Beach a new look by some collector in around 2003 and now it has been furnished with well arranged sitting arrangements for tourist and commuters and there is also a skating rink for children. Although the local civic body does not pay enough attention to cleanliness, their condition can be said to be better than many beaches across the country. Fishing industries give a lot of employment to city and to neighbouring districts. The current Member of Parliament is Harilal Madhavji Patel. The current Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly is Arjunbhai Modhvadia. Regarding any collectorate inquiry you can visit http://collectorporbandar.gujarat.gov.in/ [edit] GeographyPorbandar is located at 21°37′48″N 69°36′0″E / 21.63°N 69.6°E.[3] It has an average elevation of 0 metres (0 ft). [edit] DemographicsAs of 2001[update] India census,[4] Porbandar had a population of 133,083. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Porbandar has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 79%, and female literacy is 67%. In Porbandar, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. [edit] Transport The local transportation of the city includes City Bus (operated by kargil parivahn company) connecting to major area of the city and Auto Rikshaw. Sudama chowk is the main hub of City Bus and private Taxis. City is well connected by Road, Rail and Air to the various city across the country. Road City is connected through National Highway 8B connecting to Rajkot and Ahmedabad. National Highway 8E Ext. (Also known as State Highway 6) connecting to Jamnagar, Dwarka in the north and Veraval, Bhavnagar in the south. Major public transport is covered by the Private and Government Buses. Many private coaches are available daily to Rajkot, Dwarka, Veraval, Junagadh, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Vadodra, Surat, and Mumbai. Large number of S.T. Buses(State Transport Corporation operated by Government) are available to multiple destinations including major cities of the state, small villages and towns. Railway City is well connected with major cities of state and some of major cities in the country. There are daily trains to Rajkot (via Jamnagar), Bhanwad, Okha and Mumbai (Via Ahmedabad, Vadodra and Surat). There are also trains to Delhi, Motihari and Howrah connecting to major cities of Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Airport Airport Authority of India(AAI) has buildup a new terminal building at Porbandar. The Porbandar Airport daily flights connecting to Mumbai and Diu operated by Jet Airways [edit] Sister CityIn 1967, Porbandar became a sister city of Skokie, Illinois. Later, the Village of Skokie erected a statue of India's "Father of the Nation", on the McCormick bicycling trail, between Dempster and Church steets. [edit] References
[edit] External links
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