Morbi
Morbi a city and a municipality in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India.
Understand
[edit]Morbi was the capital of the former princely state of Morbi. It is dotted with Indo-European buildings in planned town. The city is known for watchmaking and ceramic industries. It is locally nicknamed as the "Paris of the East".
It was affected by two major tragedies: 1979 dam failure and 2022 bridge collapse.
Get in
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Get around
[edit]Autorickshaws are other main local mode of transport. Shuttles are available for transport in the city.
See
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Map of Morbi
- 1 Mani Mandir (Willingdon Secretariat). The former residence of the queen and later converted into the Willingdon Secretariat in 1936. After independence of India, it served as the local government office. It is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture which fuses Rajput, European Gothic and Islamic architectural elements. It has fine carvings on walls, ceilings, exteriors, windows and doors. The courtyards are open for public but to visit inside requires permission.
- 2 Nehru Gate (Nagar Darwaja, Lloyd's Gate). The city gate was inaugurated in 1925 by Sir George Lloyd, the then Governor of Bombay. It was then known as Lloyd Gate. Subsequently post independence, it was renamed as Nehru Gate. The structure has also Indo-Saracenic architecture. The gate was partly destroyed in the earthquake of 2001 and later restored in 2007 by the municipality.
- 3 Jhulto Pul (Swinging Bridge). The pedestrian bridge was built by Sir Waghji Thakur (then the Thakur Sahib of Morbi) to connect Darbargadh Palace and Mani Mandir to Nazarbagh Palace in 1880s.
- 4 Nazarbagh Palace, Nr. Lukhdhirji Engineering College. The new two-storey palace has beautiful Art Deco architecture and Art Nouveau interiors.
- 5 Green Chowk. The town square and the main market of Morbi. You may see several shops of watchmakers who are at work here. It is approached by series of three gates.
- 6 Green Tower. Green Tower is built in European architecture and is topped with a three-floored cast iron frame structure with a dome.
- 7 Pada Pul (Mayur Bridge). The old bridge known as Pada Pul because the large bulls are erected on the entry too the bridge. It is a 700-m long masonary arch bridge. The arches are built with white stones while the piers and closed spandrel walls are built with dark stones. It has wrought iron rails. The bridge was damaged during the 1979 dam failure. A new bridge is built parallel to it.
- 8 Machchhu Mata Temple. A temple on river bank dedicated river deity.
- 9 Rafaleshwar Mahadev Temple. A large Hindu temple topped with Rajput architecture elements in its design.
- Khokhra Hanuman Temple.
- Bhimnath Mahadev Temple.
- Shobheshwar Mahadev Temple.
- 10 Darbargadh Palace. The old palace of erstwhile royals of the Morbi State.
- 11 Mahaprabhuji Bethak. An religious place of Hindu Vaishnava Pushtimarg tradition.