There is nothing more exotic than a private beach. Set out for Mandvi beach in Western Kutch, Gujarat, and book for yourself a private beach owned by the royal family of Kutch at the Vijay Vilas Palace. Thanks to the good roads, you can cover the entire leg of Mandvi from Ahmedabad in just half a day. Mandvi is one-and-a-half hours (including a recommended halt at 72 Jinalay) from the city of Bhuj by car. The calm sea and pristine, relatively unpeopled beaches, are perfect for long walks or to simply laze in the sand, listening to the waves make music.
Centuries ago, this historical town harboured great ships that would set sail to destinations all around the globe. To travel across time, go to the Tower of Wagers, where shipowners and traders once used to gather and scan the horizon, waiting for their ships returning from Africa, betting on whose would return first. Listen to the echoes of history by eavesdropping on ghostly conversations between traders, stories of magical voyages, of unseen lands and riches, of pirates, spices, gold, emeralds, gambling dens and beauties.
Once the region’s leading port of entry, Mandvi still boasts of a 400-year-old ship building yard, where even today ships are manufactured. Large wooden blocks float on the silent waters. Mandvi had always been known for its sailing prowess. Centuries ago, it used to be a trading centre between India and the Middle East and Zanzibar in Africa. It is said that even Vasco De Gama took help from Mandvi sailors in his voyage to Zanzibar. The ship-building techniques that developed here are still used in the making of any new ship here. Today, these ships are used for fishing. The usual carrying capacity of these ships ranges from 250 tonnes to 1,000 tonnes.
Mandvi is Gujarat’s well-kept secret. The first sights, as you cross the wooden Rukmavati Bridge—one of its kind in India—are probably of a desolate ship-building yard, reminding you of a bygone era, when Mandvi used to be a trade city. Another five kilometres on, you reach Vijay Vilas Palace, where the royal family of Bhuj moved to after the 2001 earthquake. The palace exemplifies a potpourri of cultures, with an elaborate fusion of depictions. It stands as an eclectic combination of umbrella-shaped domes as seen in palaces of Bengal, cupolas that belong to Mughal architecture, cenotaphs and jharokhas from Rajput times, and columns and arches signifying the Victorian Gothic style. Situated on 450 acres, with a two-kilometre private beach and a well-maintained sanctuary, Vijay Vilas palace was built as a summer retreat of the king. It is said that craftsmen from every corner of the country were invited by Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the king of Kutch, to build the summer palace, and hence the splendid mix of different architectural designs. The first Mercedez Benz imported to India was Maharao’s, in which he rode on these very streets.
The palace rose to fame when the Bollywood movies Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Lagaan were shot here. The sheer grandeur of the palace is well complemented with an uninterrupted 360-degree view of the surroundings from the roof top. On the horizon, the blue of the Arabian Sea blurs with the green of the surroundings.
Mandvi’s quiet beaches is a haven for birders and photographers. The delta of River Rukmavati is also a lesser known halting grounds of flamingos.
Stay: Vijay Vilas Heritage Palace. More options available in Bhuj.
To eat and shop: Osho is probably the best place to eat in Mandvi. This small restaurant serves Kutchi cuisine and Gujarati snacks. Try Mandvi’s local double rotis, also known as dabeli (similar to vada pao). The town is famous for Kutch handicrafts, especially the famous Bandhani tie-dye craft.