Mandvi

Mandvi is a small port city which comes under the administrative jurisdiction of Kutch District, in the state of Gujarat. This city was once a summer retreat for King Maharao of Kachchh. Tourists can see the remains of the ancient fort built during his reign, in the old city of Mandvi. It also features a more than hundred years old ship building industry, which is known for small ship manufacturing. The chronicles of Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas state that during the 15th and 16th centuries, several clans like Bhati, Solanki, Gohil, Jethwa, Visavaria Brahmins and Rathods shifted to the city of Mandvi. This city was formed during the late 16th century by the first Jadeja ruler, Rao Khengarji I. The ancient city also acted as a key junction of the trade routes of spices and desert camel caravan.

Mandvi is famous for being the main port of Kutch and also of Gujarat before the rise of Mumbai or Surat as ports. Ships from East Africa, the Persian Gulf, the Malabar Coast and South-East Asia used to dock here, in this port on the Arabian sea. The shipbuilding yards along the Rukmavati River are places where hand made wooden ships can be found. There is one more place called the Tower of Wagers where shipowners would scrutinize the horizons to gauge when their trading fleet is about to ret