Jamnagar: Royal Rendezvous

Eisha Sarkar
Published in Mumbai Mirror newspaper dated April 29, 2009
Posted on www.mumbaimirror.com on April 15, 2009

Blessed by Lord Krishna, developed by cricketer Maharaja Ranjitsinhji and ‘oiled’ by the late Dhirubhai Ambani -- there’s much on the platter that Jamnagar in Gujarat has to offer to weary travellers

It’s not just the Reliance oil refinery and Ranji cricket Jamnagar’s known for. Yes, Ekta Kapoor's K-serials have done much to make the place popular, but nothing can prepare a traveller for what this port city on the coast of the Gulf of Kutch has on the offer. There are palaces, temples, maidans, walled bazaars, brassware units, museums, lakes and forts. Then you discover the solarium (the only one in the world), marine national park at Pirotan (the only one in India) and cremation park – places you wouldn’t find elsewhere...

How to get there
By rail: The Saurashtra Mail and the Saurashtra Express run between Jamnagar and Mumbai. There's the Inter City between Jamnagar and Ahmedabad too, besides several trains to Dwarka.
By air: You get daily flights to Mumbai.

Imperial town
Historically known as Nawanagar (the new city), Jamnagar was one of the most important princely states of Saurashtra. According to the ancient Puranas, Lord Krishna had established his kingdom at Dwarka, now in Jamnagar district, after his migration from Mathura and it is to this great Yadava race that the Jams of Nawanagar trace their descent.
The founder of the princely state of Jamnagar was the Jam Rawal, who came to the northern coast of Kathiawar from Kutch in 1535 AD. The city was built up substantially by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji in the 1920s.

Palaces... everywhere!
Dabargadh, the old royal residence of Jam Sahebs reflects the fusion of Rajput and European style of architecture. The semi- circular palace complex consists of a number of buildings with very fine architectural features such as stone carvings, paintings, jali-screens, ornamental mirrors, jharokha balconies, carved pillars and sculpture. The earthquake in 2001, had caused significant damage to the structure.

The Pratap Vilas Palace in the heart of the city is steeped in history and rooted in cricket. The Victoria Memorial-like structure was the Jam Saheb's (that's what Maharaja Ranjitsinhji was to his people) official guest house. It was at these palace grounds he hosted one-wicket cricket tournaments followed by elaborate 20-course lunches with cricketers such as Vinoo Mankad, Salim Durrani .

The Lakhota Fort is an 'island palace' right in the middle of the Lakhota lake at the centre of the city. The palace once belonged to the Maharaja of Nawanagar. This palace has semi-circular bastions, turrets, a pavilion with guard-rooms housing swords, gunpowder flasks and musket loops. An arched stone- bridge with balustrade connects the Lakhota Palace with the town.


It is believed that there was an underwater tunnel that enabled the kings to escape from Jamnagar into the Kutch. Today, the palace houses a small museum that has a collection of sculptures from the 9th to 18th century. The museum is reached by a short causeway from the northern side of Ranmal Lake and is open daily except on Wednesdays.

The lake's also a haunt for avid birdwatchers as it plays home to hundreds of migratory ducks and geese that come here from Central Asia.

Willingdon Crescent
The impressive Willingdon crescent was constructed by Jam Ranjits, inspired by his European journey. It comprises arcades of cusped arches. The statue of Jam Saheb is situated in the centre of the crescent.

Sun-bathing for therapy
The solarium on the M P Shah Medical College campus was built on the initiative Ranjitsinhji who happened to have got the idea after a visit to the solarium in Paris. It was designed by a French radiologist, Dr Jean Saidman, and was operational from 1934.


Known as the Ranjit Institute of Poly-Radio Therapy, the solarium is 40 feet tall and the 10 treatment rooms are located in the rotating top section, which is 114 feet long and takes an hour to rotate fully. Maximal light exposure can be ensured by rotation.

"Some of the treatment rooms were equipped with filters which allowed through only rays of wavelengths considered suitable for the various diseases treated here. The lenses concentrated the light to two and a half times its natural intensity. The patients had to stay in the room for a stipulated period of time to get the full benefit of the treatment," says radiologist Dr Neela Baxi, whose father Dr K Baxi was the first Indian radiologist employed at the solarium.

A detailed photographic library provides before and after views of people treated for various conditions including, tonsils, sty, lymphoid hyperplasias, tuberculosis, leprosy and several skin conditions.

The solarium no longer works because most of the lenses and concentrators were broken during the Gujarat earthquake in 2001.

Tid-bits for travellers
1. There's a lot to see in Jamnagar and places nearby such as Dwarka, so plan your trip accordingly. Pirotan, Rosi and Bedi ports and Khijadia Bird Sanctuary nearby make for good picnic spots.

2. Jamnagar is known for its Bandhini sarees, kachoris, masalas and brassware items.
3. Cricket is not just a sport but a culture here. People actually debate over the choice of shots used in Saurashtra versus Mumbai Ranji matches in the wee hours of the morning.
4. You won't see the sea at Jamnagar. Yes, it is a port town but the port is three kilometres away.
5. The summer's too hot, so the best season for travel is between October and March.