- Location: Western India, Gujarat
- Founded In: 1698
- Best time to visit: October to May
- Local Transport: Non-metered auto rickshaws
- Places to See: Darbargadh, Halvad, Dhrangadhra
- Souvenirs: Grit, Determination
Morbi – The Tale of the city
This former capital of the States of Morbi was once ruled by the Jadeja Rajput clan. The Morbi house had more seniority position over the Jadeja of Jamnagar and Kutch. Sir Waghji brought Morbi to the fore. Waghji became in charge of Morbi at the tender age of 13. The Britishers took control over the city. When he was 18, Waghji started taking over and increased the prosperity of the city. He built schools, colleges, hospitals, and increased the city’s worth. After Sir Waghji died, Prince Lakhdhirji took over and he continued putting Morbi on the path to progress. He built temples, and engineering college, which is known as the L.E college today.
This city on the banks of the Machchhu River was destroyed in 1979, when the Machchhu dam burst after the heavy rains. There are folk songs sung for this too. The city was planned and built by Sir Waghji who ruled this city from 1879 to 1948. When India became independent in 1947, Morbi was merged with India.
Morbi – Down the Ages
Down the Ages, Morbi, the earthquake city became a prosperous town under the able administration of Sir Waghji and respects the services rendered by him. The railway network of seventy miles connected Wadhwan with Morbi. The two small ports at Navlakhi and Navlakhi and Vavania were used to export salt and cloth. Morbi Railway station is a wonderful piece of architectural elegance and has some beautiful European style constructions also to its credit. Today Morbi is the centre of ceramic and wall clock industries.
Morbi – A Rendezvous
A rendezvous with this city gives us an insight into the city that was. The exquisite work in the structures and the amazingly magnificent monuments lend proof to the city’s grandeur, which has been there since long. It is said that there were rivers of milk and butter. Morbi, the Machchhu Dam city was one of the strongest Indian states. It has been ruled by Mughals to Rajputs and the Britishers from Qutb-ud-din Aibak to Lakhdhirji Thakor.
Morbi – Travel kitty
Morbi, the Waghji city was getting more and more progress and it was on the path to getting the best travel kitty when it met with two disasters. The first was the Machchhu Dam burst of 1979 and the second was the earthquake in 2000, the biggest in the history of India. This ensured that the city took a setback in progress, yet the city is still bouncing back to steady development.
On 11 August 1979, one of the Machchhu dam fell down and within a couple of hours whole of Morbi got submerged. Morbi took 3 years to recover from this.
On 26th January 2001, a quake of 7.9 ruined Gujarat and was just 80 kms from Morbi. Morbi got reconstructed but lost most of its historical proofs.
A tourist can take these facts as his travel kitty.
Places to Visit in Morbi
With a martyr’s nod and a soldier’s pride, Morbi is a picture of elegance and charm amidst a lot of diversity and adversity. This city tells a tale that no one would have heard of. Time and again destroyed but with a diehard attitude, the city has come back each time. This grit and determination is unbelievable and one can see the following here:
Palaces:
Darbargadh: This is the actual residence of the rulers of Morbi. A huge gate and a decorative façade take you into the construction.
Art Deco Palace: This is an excellent example of how the art deco movement in Europe occurred. This is actually poetry in granite. It has fenestration, curves and bays. They resemble the London underground stations. The palace is beautiful with six drawing rooms, six dining rooms, and fourteen bedrooms. The erotic murals and the bathroom of seashells are really worth a visit.
Temples
Mani Mandir: This is a temple, which is located in the Willingdon Secretariat. The temple has the images of Laxmi Narayan, Mahakali, Ramchandraji, Radha Krishna etc. This temple is made out of Jaipur stone and has exquisite workmanship with elegantly carved elements. These include the arches, brackets, jails, chhatris, and shikars.
- Must Read: Famous Hindu Temples in Gujarat
Buildings:
Wellingdon Secretariat: This is a beautiful piece of architectural excellence. The principles of Rajput kind of architecture can be seen in these constructions. It has been done by experts.
L.E College: This is in Nazarbaug Palace and was the former residence of the Morbi rulers.
Constructions:
Suspension Bridge: This is another example of engineering marvel. It shows the forward thinking of the Morbi rulers. This bridge today is a unique feature of Morbi, is 1.25m wide, and extends over 233 m on the Machchhu River. This bridge connects the Darbargadh Palace and the L.E. College.
Green Chowk: This is the town square. One can approach this place through the gates. The principles of European town planning have been applied here. The gates are major landmarks in the town.
The Nehru Gate: This has been made out of stone using the Rajput kind of architecture. It has a central clock tower and has applied western architecture. It looks resplendent with its three storeyed structures and a dome.
Besides these, Morbi also has the V.C High School, the railway station and the Nazarbaug railway station, which are also worth a visit.
Nearby Spots:
Dhrangadhra: This is 75kms away and is known more for its royal palaces.
Wadhvan: this is the royal palace and the bazaar and the step wells also add to the beauty.
Halvad: This is 48 kms away from Morbi. It is famous for the EK Dandia Mahal and the Zalawad Darshan. It also has a wooden palace and lovely cenotaphs. The tourist would be intrigued and enthralled by these.
Rajkot: This land of princely architecture houses some of the best constructions. The Watson Museum, The Rajkumar College, and the Ramakrishna Mission and Kaba Gandhi no Delo are all places not to miss here.
Thus with a history to mull over and the simmering embers of the natural calamities still reverberating in the memories, the city of Morbi surely is a masterpiece in the annals of Indian history.
As we leave we think, “Old wine in a new bottle. That’s Morbi for us.”
