Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PALITANA
AND
LOTHAL
IN
BHAVNAGAR
The small city of Bhavnagar, founded in 1723 with its population of 1 million, would be
the next stop for two nights. (India calls any city under 3 million a "small city.") Bhavnagar
was a major port for almost two centuries, trading commodities with Africa, Mozambique,
Zanzibar, Singapore and the Persian Gulf. It was once the capital of Bhavnagar State, the
first princely state to merge with the democratic Indian Union in 1948. The current royal
family of Bhavnagar still lives in the Nilambagh Palace.
The first 100 kms/62 miles was on a god-awful road. It took over 1-1/2 hours just to go
50 kms/31 miles. Fortunately, there is always something of interest along the roads. Whether
it was small fishing boats that resembled a dugout canoe; men wading in a swamp picking
water chestnuts; overladen trucks and taxis with people casually sitting on the roof, hanging
off sides and packed inside (how do they even mange to
breathe
); women carrying wood on
heads; and even a Hindu saint statue standing in the middle of a traffic roundabout.
Almost in Bhavnagar, my favorite, quirky roadside sign - "Contact Krishna" - a good name
for a communication company since Krishna is a central figure in Hinduism.
