1 Vijay Vilas Palace. View as you enter. Well maintained & lovely. Tourists can see the palace. It was built for Maharao Vijayrajji in 1929. Centre is central dome. Side are Bengal domes and bastions are at the corner.
2 East facing view. Shows palace entrance. It is an “eclectic blend of architectural styles. Umbrella-domes like those seen in palaces of Bengal, cupolas that would not look out of place in Mughal buildings, jarokhas and cusp-arches like those seen in Rajput palaces of Rajasthan, Victorian Gothic arches and classical columns make up the ensemble.”
3 View from second floor of that part of the palace that you saw in the previous pic. It is close to Mandvi beach and the summer palace of the Maharaja of Kutch. Palace has a 2 kms private beach.
4 Going clock wise side view of the palace. It was built in red sandstone in Rajput style.
5 Palace incorporates Rajasthani design as you see.
6 West side view of palace. Palace spread over a 450 acre plot. You will find peacocks, camels and chinkaras here.
7 On west side ground floor is a verandah that you see. Palace often seen in many Hindi movies.
8 View of second floor of that part of palace that you saw in pic 6. You might have seen in many Hindi movies.
9 Close up of palace windows. For a senior & super Kutch guide call Pramod Jethi 91 93742 35379. For car hire call Narendra Bhai 91 9925440072 or Meet Bhai 91 88661 94748 or 87803 77140. Used them. Both very good and trustworthy.
10 Fort is 8 kms long. This is watch point and marks the entrance to old Mandvi. It was built by in 1549 by Rashori Bharmalji.
11 View of fort wall just to give you an idea. In Patan, Vadnagar, Bhuj, Udaipur and here saw similar city walls. This was a watch point.
12 Back to palace. In corridor is pic of the Jadeja rulers of Kutch for the past five centuries. Bound spiritually to Desh Devi Ma Asha Pura and direct descendants of Sri Krishna.
13 Living room on ground floor of palace.
14 Dining hall. After seeing the one in Rambagh Palace Jaipur will say not impressive.
15 First floor of palace is Maharaj personal residence. Second floor is a huge open area.
16 Side view. U see central dome. Do go to top most floor for a great view and lovely breeze.
17 View of arches and motifs on second floor.
18 Cannon in palace garden.
19 Mandvi was an ancient port from where ships sailed to Africa and Arabia. “Vessels would take fine cotton, alum, grains and sugar from Mandvi port to Zanzibar and Arabia and have treasures of dates, timber, hides and silks on their return.” Boats are made from sal wood.
20 Building a ship. “In the 18th century the ship building skill developed to an extent that a shipyard to anchor and repairs 400 vessels was established during the reign of Rao Godji.
21 Rukhmati river is where the river meets the ocean. On river banks is where ships are built. To read more about shipbuilding at Mandvi http://gaatha.com/mandvi-boat-making/
22 Mandvi Beach is awesome. Do not miss. There is a Vijay Palace Heritage Resort that you can stay at. Tents are also offered.
23 Close to the beach is Vivekanand Rural Development Institute (VRTI) that makes and sells shawls, salwar suits, saris, bed sheets, bags etc. Bought salwars for my wife, she loved them. Contacts 02834 230651 & vgsbatik@rediffmail.com. You see different type of salwar. Bandhni and batic stuff very good.
24 Second floor of palace. Just loved this design so sharing, as an afterthought, hence comes at end of album. Mandvi deserves a visit. Do have Thali at OSHO restaurant. Mandvi is 1 hour from Bhuj so better to stay at Bhuj.