Glimpses of Mahatma Gandhis Home in Porbandar

Porbandar - a coastal city located on the seashore enroute between Dwarka and Somnath. As per Indian mythology, it is considered to be the birthplace of Sudama, a friend of Lord Krishna . A long coastal shoreline greets you as you travel towards it. Its highly recommended that you travel during evening for a picture perfect Sunset. An isolated shoreline is a welcome sight and you will find this area devoid of tourism hustle as there is no single hotel in the vicinity

A busy shopkeeper in the bylane

Porbandar offers few places of interests for a visitor with its traditional Havelis and Temples and then obviously the Mahatmas birthplace, an Old World Haveli tucked in a narrow by lane. 

 

Gandhiji was born here on 2^nd October 1869.   There is always an endless stream of visitors on a given day and we were greeted by a long queue of school students who had come in for a study tour.  A serene calm can be sensed as you enter the premises taking you back to a different era. This 3 storied structure where the Mahatma spent his childhood is spacious with multiple rooms on the Ground, 1^st and 2^nd floors. On first sight you notice a multitude of elegantly carved Doors and Windows within the house. 

The House has been maintained well. The place where Gandhiji was born is marked in an upper floor room with a Swastika.

Adjacent to this is the Kirti Mandir which has a small museum displaying photographs of Gandhiji from the time of his birth and his Charkha. It has also photographs of his family, associates and the multiple freedom movements and activities arranged in a chronological order as well as some of his childhood toys and trivia.  Lifesize portraits of the Mahatma and his wife are kept in the centre of Kirti Mandir

Looking at them reminds you of an era gone by and the obvious rarity of some of these artifacts can be easily felt. There is a bookshop selling Gandhi literature with nominal prices. Closeby is a small library and a prayer hall. Kasturba Gandhis ancestral home is a short walk from here and is also worth a visit   

 
  

  

 

At the end of it you get a feel that the pilgrimage was worth its time spent 

v  Time to visit – all days from 9am to 6pm

v  Distance from Porbandar station – short 5 minute drive with nominal auto fare

v  Duration – an hour at least  to see the Photographs in the Museum at leisure

v  Few places of interest close by, some time can be spent on the sea shore

Of Aryans and Apricots

Of Aryans & Apricots

Jammu and Kashmir (India) - August 2013

Ladakh– A Barren Paradise Hanging in the Skies! And the splendid route to heaven connecting Kargil and Leh, lets you cruise like never before. The Pitch Black Carpets, real tarmacs. While presented with some of the Grandest and Magnificent views en-route, one can only wonder about the Greatness and Majesty of The Lord Almighty.

But hey, let’s take a detour from this journey to the Land of High Passes (Ladakh) and head towards a village not so known but sill known for its ancient historical relevance.

Dhah and Da-Hanu, two tiny villages located in a very remote corner of Leh have a long standing association with Alexander the Great. It is rumored that when Alexander was returning back to Greece after completing his conquest in India, a select group of his Soldiers stayed back in Gilgit from where they migrated to India over a period of time. They have been staying here for generations since.  I recollected hearing about them in an earlier visit and there was always this desire to see them. This second visit to Leh offered an opportunity

We started our journey from the nearest town Kargil which is still close to 100kms away. Orchards full of Apricots are a common site enroute and the locals welcome you to gorge

After a long journey from Kargil we finally made it to the Da-Hanu at high noon to find it desolate. The village elders were out farming and we were greeted by this enthused set of kids – our first sighting of Aryans. Their facial features are most striking and noticeable as one encounters them.  You may find them bold and forthcoming in their interactions. They speak a local dialect which is different compared to the Ladakhi tongue which they say has evolved over a period of time being a blend of multiple languages.

 The villagers are friendly and welcome strangers, courtesy our local guide “Rexine” we were able to visit a local house. A short tea break later we continued our journey to Dhah which is a 10minutes drive from here. Dhah is considered to be more prosperous than Da-Hanu. There is a Military check post enroute and you have to get a Permit done in Leh to cross this. The Soldiers did a double check on our credentials as we were very close to the Border

Once into Dhah, we loitered around the village for some time before meeting up with a Ladakhi lady from a Government Medical institute who had come for a periodic health checkup of the villagers.  As she was showing us around, we sighted an Aryan lady and her husband sorting and cleaning Apricot seeds.  It appears that Apricot Oil is a big Industry here and the lady welcomed us to her home to check her ware.

  

The local houses are spacious and well maintained; you will find them being made entirely of wood. There is also a Guest House nearby in case you may want to spend a night. We mistook a small girl loitering around her as her daughter; she corrected us that the girl was “Nepali” and not of her breed, her pride of her Aryan antecedents being evident 

They have maintained their lineage, she claimed, by always marrying within these villages, marriages to Ladakhi locals are never heard of. The village folks sometimes seek alternate occupation such as teaching in Leh but always return back to their homes. Our guide Rexine also hinted that these villages were frequented by females from abroad, who desired Aryan offspring’s, though no such visitor was to be seen around. A round of tea followed and she showed us her traditional attire which is worn during festivities.

And then she produced her ware of Apricot Oil. The Oil is famed less for cooking than for its medicinal value to relieve pains. A small bottle will set you back by Rs. 600/ though it is cheaper and reliable compared to the stuff from the Leh market. The local Military personnel are regular customers and she has managed to sustain her family through this source. We bought a couple of bottles as a token before departing.

As luck would have it, we had a chance encounter with her Mother in Law as we were exiting the village. A glimpse of an Aryan in her traditional attire was definitely the high point of this visit.  Next time though we are planning for a longer stay here to check on their history and more on Alexander

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