Jamnagar
Jamnagar the Jewel of Kathiawar, is a sleepy town on the coast of
Gulf of
Kutch. It has unspoilt Islands & Beaches, Hills, Temples, Palaces, Forest,
Fantastic Bird life in the Bird Sanctury & Marine Sancturies and Facinating
Corals and Marine Life in the Marine National Park.
The founder of the princely state of Jamnagar was the Great Jam Rawal, who
descended on the northern coast of Kathiawar in 1535 A.D Jam Rawals father
Jam Lakhaji ruled in Terabanu in Kutch.
According to bardic chronicles, Jam Lakhaji had two cousins
Tamachi Deda
and Hamirji Jadeja, they envied his reputation for valor. Their envy was
hightened by the fame of Jam Lakhaji at the siege of Pawagadh. So largely
did he contribute to its capture by Bahadurshah, the Emperor of Gujarat,
that he was bestowed 12 villages by him. As Jam Lakaji was going to take
possession of his new fef, he was treacherously killed by his cousins
Tamachi Deda and Hamirji Jadeja. Jam Lakhajis son Jam Rawal escaped and
on growing up, took vengance of his fathers murder in the same manner
by killing Hamirji Jadeja.
Hamirjis two sons Khengarji and Sahibji fled to Delhi and after twelve
months of waiting to meet the Great Moghul Emperor Humayun, they got the
chance to join the crowd goingalong with the Emperor for lion hunting.
During the lion hunt, they got the chance to kill the lion just when
it was going to attack the Emperor. As a reward, an army of 1,00,000 was
sent with them to regain back their kingdom.
When Jam Rawal heard of the two princes coming back to the Kutch with
the imperial army, he started getting ready for the battle. On one night,
Goddess Ashapura came in his dream and told him that as he had broken
the oath taken on her name about not killing Hamirji, even though, he
was the person responsible for the death of his father. She should have
punished him, but as he had at all other times honored her. So he should
no longer dwell in Kutch but cross the sea and take Kathiawar as a dwelling
place.
Upon awakening he called his counselors and discussed the dream, they
agreed that he must leave Kutch and found for himself a Kingdom across
the Gulf. So Jam Rawal along with his soldiers and many traders marched
out. On the way he killed and conquered the territory of King Tamachi
the other conspirator in the killing of his father, and he also conquered
the town of Dhrol and its dependencies and gave them to his brother Hardholji,
who was later killed in battle during that period, and the State of Dhrol
was given to his eldest son, Jasoji.
Thus Jam Rawal made himself master of a great territory and the
need
for a capital arose.
The story goes like this, that once on a hunting trip on the land of
present day Jamnagar, a hare was found to be brave enough to turn on the
hunting dogs and putting them to flight. Deeply impressed by this, Jam
Rawal thought that if this land can breed such hares, if his capital was
built on this land, the men born here would be superior than other men.
He counsulted his astrologers and wise men, and the day chosen for laying
the foundation stone was the 7th day of the bright half of the month of
srawan, VS 1956. (August 1540 AD) on the banks of two rivers Rangmati
and Nagmati and named it Nawanagar meaning new town.
Nawanagar eventually came to be known as Jamnagar meaning the town of
the Jams.
Jamnagar Tourism Reservation Form
