In Frames | Porbandar trail

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi, take a walk through the birthplace of the Mahatma and the unique heritage buildings that continue to flourish in this town

Porbandar is best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, but its heritage architecture and traditional way of life also draw tourists to the town in Gujarat.

“ Rano... Pano... Bhano!” goes the local saying to describe this beautiful coastal town. “Rano” refers to the last king of Porbandar Natwarsinhji Rana Jethwa; “Pano” is the local limestone and “Bhano” refers to Bhanji Lavji Gheewala, a firm still in business with its founding family’s sixth generation managing its operations. In yesteryear, they exported ghee, says Vinodkumar Sadiya, who is in charge of the Kasturba Gandhi Memorial House.

The local limestone finds a place in most of the 200-year-old houses that flourish in the town. These houses have high ceilings and are furnished in wood, says resident K.K. Samani, who himself lives in a 200-year-old building. “Our limestone can last for about 500 years,” he added. Rainwater harvesting systems are part of the buildings.

Gandhiji’s birthplace, Kirti Mandir, is in the heart of the town. Most houses around it also have stone carvings of animals such as elephants and lions. A fine example is Kasturba Gandhi’s parental home with its stone carvings and wall paintings.

“We maintain our heritage buildings very well,” says Bhargav Bapodra, owner of a restaurant in Porbandar. A unique aspect of these buildings is that they have rounded corners. Residents hope the municipality will do more to keep the streets of the old part of the town clean.

The Victoria Jubilee Madressa Boys and Girls High School, established in 1887, is also housed in a heritage building. Its secretary, Faruq Suria, says the town is special because it has never seen communal violence. “We have very good brotherhood till today,” he says.