The Beach At Mandvi Palace

What travelers say:

This port town was set up by the Maharao of the princely state of Kutch at the estuary where the river Rukmavati meets the Gulf of Kutch. It was a major trade centre of the time. The town was built within a walled fortress to house the Kharva families who specialised in making ships out of wood. The fortified walls were built in the mid fifteenth century. Though not much of the fortress stands today, remnants of it can still be seen.The town, in its heyday, was a major trade centre. It was said that the merchants of Mandvi owned a fleet of 400 ships, collectively. They were engaged in trade with Africa, along the Spice route and with the Persian Gulf countries. This port was also a point of entry to the states of Marwar, Sindh and Malwa. The traders had brought in so much wealth, that the town was more prosperous than the capital Bhuj.