Jamnagar : Part II - A Rich Heritage

For previous episode, click here Jamnagar : Part I - A Travelogue

Day 2 at Jamnagar, Tuesday, 28^th February 2017.

The first thing that greets you in Jamnagar is the fighter jets of Indian Air Force flying low in the sky of Jamnagar. It was a thrilling experience to catch the glimpse of the fighter jets flying at such a low altitude. The engine’s noise from these fighter jets are so loud that the TV inside houses are not audible as long as the jets are hovering in the sky above you. This is because Jamnagar has base stations of all three wings of Defence forces of India, i.e. Indian Air Force, Indian Army and Indian Navy. Geographically Jamnagar supports all branches of defence forces as it has access to the sea for the Indian Navy and a large air base due to the city’s strategic location.

Some quick facts about Jamnagar.

• Jamnagar has a rich history where the city was built and ruled by Rajas and Maharajas (read kings). Some prominent place of interests are the forts and palaces which are standing since ages such as Darbargadh Palace, Lakhota Fort etc. We chose to visit the Lakhota Fort on the next day.

• Every cricket fan in India is well aware about the Ranji Trophy which is a first class domestic cricket championship played among the regional cricket associations in India. This Ranji Trophy was named after  Ranjitsinhji who was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar (a part of the city of the Nawanagar State was later known as Jamnagar). Ranjitsinhji was the first Indian Test cricketer who played for English cricket team, Cambridge university and county cricket for Sussex.

• Jamnagar is home to the popular Indian Cricketer Sir Ravindra Jadeja.

• Jamnagar has the world’s largest oil refinery belonging to Reliance Industries.

• Jamnagar has an all weather sea port known as Bedi Port.

• It is also know for its mines which is having huge reserves of bauxite.

The working hours tending to be longer than what we thought left us with little time by the end of the day, then too we managed for a visit to the AksharDham Temple. Luckily we reached just before the Aarti and had an pleasant experience seeking the blessings of Shri Swaminarayan. Akshardham temples are well known for its architecture and craftsmanship. As we managed to visit the temple by the end of the day the photo opportunities seemed limited but we managed some clicks. 

Entrance of the Temple

Rear view of the Temple

Gauri, Shankar & Ganesha

Lord Ganesha

Sita, Ram & Hanuman

The 3rd and final part in this series will be posted soon.

Thanks for reading.