My Life My Pictures: JAMNAGAR

Jamnagar is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat in the Gulf of Kutch.It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar District.
Area: 20.58 mi²
Weather: 84°F (29°C), Wind SW at 11 mph (18 km/h), 76% Humidity
Population: 443,518 (2001) UNdata
Local time: Sunday 6:59 PM
Number of airports: 1
Colleges and Universities: Gujarat Ayurved University, M.P. Shah Medical College, Government Dental College

According to the 2011 census Jamnagar district has a population of 2,159,130 roughly equal to the nation of Namibia or the US state of New Mexico. This gives it a district population ranking of 212th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 153 inhabitants per square kilometer (400/sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 13.38%. Jamnagar has a sex ratio of 938 females for every 1000 males. It had literacy rate of 66.4% in 2001 which rose impressively in a decade to literacy rate of 74.4% by 2011.

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.

One can visit the:

City Lake full of 75 varities of Birds...
Islands full of sea shells, corals, birds, octopus,...
Unspoilt Beaches, both white and golden sands...
Hills with temples on top...
Forest with leopards, jackals, wolves, jungle cat, blue bulls,hyena, snakes ..
Temples ranging from the ancient to the new, also includes a Guiness World Record holder...
Bird Sanctuaries with 250 varities of birds...
Marine Sanctuaries with dolphins,octopus, turtles, dugong, fish ...
Marine National Park....

Jamnagar people love to eat, so here one finds quite a many food joints scattered all around the city, they maybe a hawker with foods on display in his larry or a small shop selling food to the huge waiting list of people.

Sundays are the days when mostly people go out to have fun in Jamnagar. Fun in Jamnagar means going out for a long drive or making an 8 around the city,.(going around the lake & Pratap Palace Area). and visiting this larrys and eating the hot & tasty food. On the lake thre are so many joints for this kind of junk foods. There are also Fresh Fruit sellers who juice them in front of you and if you specify, then serve them without adding the spices and ice.

The Local Favorite Junk foods are :

Gathiya
Bhajia
Pakwan
Gughra
Dabeli bread
Bhel puri
Pani puri
american makaai
Katka Bread
Jotta Bread (very very spicy)
Bhaji Cone
Dhokla
Ras Patra
Khandvi
Daal Puri
Chana Masale
Dry Fruit Kachori

Paans of Jamnagar

Betel chewing is a part of many Asian cultures, and preparation techniques vary from region to region. The nut is either slivered or grated, often flavored with spices according to local tradition and usually wrapped in a betel leaf ( betel leaf comes from the betel pepper plant, Piper betle, which is not botanically related to the betel palm, Areca catechu), along with some lime (calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide) to better extract the alkaloids. Some people also chew tobacco with betel nut. After about 20 minutes of chewing, the fibrous residue which remains of the nut is spat on the street, where it remains visible due to its characteristic bright red color. Trails of bright red sputum lining the sidewalks are a sure indication of the popularity of betel chewing in an area.

In Jamnagar, betel (called paan ) chewing is as popular as tobacco smoking in the whole world. Paan is often served wrapped in a betel leaf,

In Jamnagar, infact in the whole of India, paan has been playing an important part in social life and customs for hundreds of years. In the courts of Medieval Rulers, the betel leaf or pan was offered as part of hospitality, friendship and love.

In the templeof Lord Venkatesh at Tirupati in the south, the butter from the forehead of Lord Venkatesha, wrapped inside a pan leaf, is given to devotees as a special blessing from the Lord.

In olden days wives offered betel leaf to their husbands to seduce them and to wean them away from the 'Other Women' after reciting the Vashikaran mantras 108 times. The thugs, in the olden times, poisoned their victims by offering a poison filled pan after a heavy wining and dining session

In the underworld, even today, the word 'supari' is used as a cue for murder.

A paan can be offered to guests at any time.

The Different types of paans are:

'Saada paan:Just a filling of cardamom, betel nut and cloves

Chutney paan: Has a filling of cardamom, betel nut & spicy mint paste.

Meetha paan: Its filled with grated coconut, dates, gulkand (rose petal & sugar syrup) & jellied fruit.

Tobacco paan: is filled with tobacco of different brands and betel nut.

Eating pan continuously and with tobacco can cause cancer but then anything is bad in excess. Moreover, the tobacco users also need to spit it out which they do everywhere. you will see the landing of many buildings covered with the stains of pan spit making the place very ugly.

Regular betel chewing also causes the teeth and gums to be stained red; however, it may also reduce cavities.