Moniya in Rajkot - In memory of Mahatma Gandhi

On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead. Today we remember this fateful day as Martyr's Day. His philosophy continues to be relevant today. Let's take a look at the influences that shaped his ideas and views.

From Porbandar, a sleepy little port town, Gandhiji's family moved to Rajkot when he was four. Through his mother and the people in the neighbourhood young Mohandas learnt about Vaishnavism and Jainism, faiths that held all creatures as sacred. He would later record in his autobiography “Jain monks would pay frequent visits to my father”. He grew among people who would not kill or harm any wildlife, animals or birds, even if they destroyed their crops. There were also Muslim and Parsi friends of his father dropping in. These many influences combined to give Gandhiji an understanding and tolerance for all faiths.

It was in Rajkot that Moniya, as Gandhiji was called by the family, came face to face with the British Raj. Rajkot was the headquarters of the Resident, the official representative of British rulers. He went to Alfred High School where the students learnt in English medium and played cricket. Gandhiji realised the difficulties in learning through a language that is not your mother tongue. He called this “the tyranny of English”. Not only language, in other aspects also, such as dress, Gandhiji supported things Indian and despised the craze for western habits.

During his first year, an Inspector of Schools visited his class and gave a dictation. Gandhi misspelt the word “kettle”. The class teacher standing behind Gandhiji asked him to take a peek at the slate of the next student, who had written the word correctly. Gandhiji refused to do so and faced the consequence. Even as a student he had a strong sense of honesty.

Much of what we know about Gandhiji, his weaknesses and mistakes, we know through his own words.

When he was 12, he along with a few friends, gathered cigarette stubs thrown by an uncle and began smoking. Then they started stealing coins from the servants to smoke.

However, Gandhiji all along felt he was doing something terribly wrong. He had an urge to confess to his father. He wrote what he did clearly on a piece of paper and gave it to him, asking for forgiveness. The father, who was in his sick bed, did not get angry but shed tears, moved by his son's honesty.

Many years later, Gandhiji recalled it as an act of ahimsa on the part of his father. Mahatma Gandhi began thinking about non-violence. He recorded that he did not think killing bugs and scorpions in the house was wrong.

In 1926 in a textile factory campus in Ahmedabad, the management destroyed about 60 stray dogs. Some people complained to Gandhiji. He supported the action of the factory and said that stray dogs should be put down.

He wrote articles in his magazine Young India, explaining the decision and his idea of ahimsa. Many ideas of Gandhiji began to take shape even when he was a school student.

Essar Projects to commission Ro Ro facility to connect Saurasthra with south Gujarat

The state government kicked off the commissioning of Ro Ro facility between Gogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in South Gujarat. The state authority Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) awarded contract to build the Ro-Ro Ferry Service to Essar Projects. The project is scheduled to be completed in 15 months and will cost Rs 225 crore. On Wednesday, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ro Ro facility between Gogha and Dahej.

Proposed Ro-Ro Ferry Service will reduce distance between Gogha & Dahej by 360km land-route to a 31km sea-route. The government of Gujarat and Essar Project are claiming that the project will reduce 80% distance besides saving in fuel costs and travel-time.

Commenting on the project, Essar Projects president & CEO Alwyn Bowden said, "It is a matter of pride for us to associate with this prestigious project. The vision of Gujarat to provide a strategic connectivity through this project will go a long way in boosting trade and industry in the region by substantially reducing travel time. Essar Projects can contribute to making this vision a reality with its four decades of experience in marine construction."

According to 'Origin Destination' survey conducted by GMB in November 2008 , a large number of passenger and cargo traffic is available and demonstrated a potential to develop a ferry service in the Gulf of Cambay. The strategic locations of Gogha and Dahej in the Gulf of Cambay offers the planned ferry service a great potential to develop, given the easy crossing of the Gulf.

In order to keep up with the recent advances in technology and ship size, the Ro-Ro terminals are planned so that RO-RO vessels of larger sizes could load and unload at the terminals, read the media statement issued by Essar Group.

In order to develop this service, the government of Gujarat has constituted a "Gujarat Coastal Area Development Board (GCADB). This project, initiated by the GMB, is part of the government of Gujarat's effort to develop a 1,600-km coastline as a means to develop trade and transport between Southern Gujarat and Kutch.

The GMB along with the GCADB will primarily focus on tourism, forest & environment, fisheries development, industrial development and natural calamity management.

The scope of Essar Projects contract includes designing and construction of Ro Ro Service terminals at both Gogha and Dahej. It will constructing an approach bund of total 609 meters, of which 497 meters will be at Gogha and 112 metres at Dahej besides constructing an approach trestle of total 562 meters at two locations among others.

The boys who believed

Saurashtra and Orissa.

"We were wary of Saurashtra because they had beaten Punjab outright in Mohali," Hrishikesh Kanitkar says. The plan was to get a first-innings lead in that first match and then go all out for victory against Orissa, even if that would not be sufficient to stay in the race for the knockouts. The objective back then was to not get relegated.

Rajasthan lost the toss on a green wicket against Saurashtra. Vineet Saxena got a century, and Puneet Yadav, playing only his second match, followed suit. The fast bowlers knocked Saurashtra out twice, led by Sumit Mathur, who picked a fine time to take his second five-for in five years.

The goal now was to aim for maximum points against Orissa. "There was a glimmer of hope of qualifying [for the knockouts], provided the results in the other matches went our way," Kanitkar says.

Three other teams - Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Saurashtra - were in the fray for the knockout spot Rajasthan had their eyes on. Punjab only needed a first-innings' lead against Mumbai, but they failed and stayed on 15 points. Saurashtra needed six to get to 17 points against Railways but only got five. Rajasthan managed six points against Orissa. In that game and against Saurashtra, Rajasthan did not lose 20 wickets, which proved crucial in keeping their quotient ahead of those of the other two teams.

As defending champions they got to play their next match against the Plate team that qualified for the knockouts, Hyderabad. "You can call it luck, destiny," Kanitkar says about the way his side made it past the three other teams that were tied on points going into the last round.

You also need to credit the men who stood up when it mattered. Rituraj had gone wicketless in the first innings against Orissa, but he returned to take his maiden five-for, 6 for 75, bundling Orissa out quickly after Rajasthan enforced the follow-on. In the semi-final, with the new ball in hand, on a seaming pitch, in bowler-friendly conditions, Rituraj finished with a match haul of 12 wickets.

He had been raring to go for the last two years, after his Under-22 performances, where he was the highest wicket-taker in the 2010-11 season. He got a call from the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) operations manager before the game against Saurashtra. Deepak Chahar, who shot to fame last season, was down with jaundice, and Rituraj at first thought he was being called to help in the nets.

For Pankaj Singh, the leader of Rajasthan's fast bowling attack, the difference in the campaigns between the two years was that last year they did not expect to be champions. As defending champions this year, there was a bit of pressure, he says.

After five games, the fielding was hurting the team's chances, Pankaj says. Against Mumbai, Rajasthan made 530. "We got two early wickets but then we dropped Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Nayar early on." Both scored centuries - Rohit a double. "Against Uttar Pradesh we dropped a lot of catches again. Somewhere we knew that we are doing well, but it was not enough to win the match."

Personally for Pankaj, when Rajasthan lost to Railways on first innings, it was gutting. He had taken eight against Karnataka and Mumbai, so to go down to Railways was a blow. "They had lost two matches in a row. We all knew we had to make a statement that we were not champions by fluke," he says. Railways got a four-run lead, having lost eight wickets. "I felt that I had to deliver. It hurt me," Pankaj, who went wicketless from 38 overs, says. It was Rajasthan's second match in a row where the batsmen had put up 500-plus totals but the bowlers had failed to get the opposition out.

In the next match, Punjab made 597. Ravi Inder Singh, one of four players who made centuries in that innings, said the Rajasthan bowlers were not up to the mark. It was the first game for the former South Africa fast bowler Meyrick Pringle, who had been drafted in as a bowling consultant for three matches by the RCA. Pringle asked the Rajasthan quicks to go all out in the second innings. A fired-up Pankaj troubled not just Ravi Inder, he also was on a hat-trick in the 18 overs Punjab batted. By the end of the season Pankaj had 35 wickets - the fourth-highest wicket-taker this season, with six fewer than the leader, TP Sudhindra of Madhya Pradesh.

For Robin Bist this season was all about proving he is not a fifties-only man. Bist, who moved to Rajasthan from Delhi, made five half-centuries last season, when he scored 454 runs in all. He didn't make the best start this year, with only 67 runs in Rajasthan's first match, against Karnataka, but Kanitkar told him he had never seen him hit the ball so fluently and asked him to come back unbeaten as often as he could.

	Rituraj got a call from the RCA operations manager before the game against Saurashtra. Deepak Chahar, who shot to fame last season, was down with jaundice, and at first Rituraj thought he was being called to help in the nets

By the time they got to the final, Bist was 115 adrift of 1000 runs in the season. He made 57 in the first innings against Tamil Nadu, and wanted to ask Kanitkar if he could be promoted to No. 3 in the second, but he didn't have to: the captain himself asked him to go up the order. Though Bist missed out on his fifth hundred of the season by eight runs, he became only the 12th man to get to four figures in a Ranji season. And he was not out four times in ten matches.

Another key contributor was Mathur, who had been in and out of the squad till Kanitkar took over. Against Baroda, before last year's final, Kanitkar and the team management decided to keep Mathur out for an extra spinner. Mathur nearly broke down in his room when he was told. "Maybe God did want me to play, I thought. I went to Hrishi's room to express my disappointment. He told me [Rohit] Jhalani [the wicketkeeper] was not in form with the bat. That did not allow him to play an extra bowler."

As soon as Mathur stepped into Chepauk this time, the ghosts of the past came back to haunt him. "The pitch was similar and I was afraid, but I was told I was playing," he says, smiling, holding his daughter Angel in his arms, after Rajasthan were crowned champions.

In the end the story of Rajasthan's success this year was built by individuals who never lost faith in their team. They knew that they belonged, that they had the drive, determination and patience to quell their doubts and work as a team.

****

Statuettes of deities encircle a lamp on the dressing-room table. Pop music pipes through Aakash Chopra's iPod. Chopra says he is more settled now, after marriage, even if he is a loner by nature. In contrast to his more reticent captain, he is voluble, eloquent.

He sums up the season as a rollercoaster ride, marked by "the belief that no matter how dire the situation there will be someone who will stand up and get counted".

"I never saw that kind of spirit and conviction when Delhi were defending champions," says Chopra, who played for Delhi for 12 years before moving to Rajasthan last season.

In the final Rajasthan stayed calm and relaxed even as the critics and the Twitterati pelted abuse at what they saw as the team's tortuous approach on the first two days. "There was one guy who wrote: 'I have bought your Out of the Blue [Chopra's book on Rajasthan's victory last season], but I will not read your hypocrisy.' Chopra says. "I just shut my laptop."

The first day, Rajasthan were anxious and understood the toss would be the most important thing, he says. "We [knew we] must, must bat them out of the game, especially with our apparent weakness in the spin department."

The match started on a painful note for Chopra, when he tried to pull a short delivery from Jagannathan Kaushik, hurried into the shot and was hit in the face. "It was the first time in my career - the ball getting through the visor," he says. He still has a black eye from it.

The second day the visitors grew confident, even if they only made 183 runs. "The third day we knew that we had one foot in the door," Chopra says, after Rituraj and Pankaj packed off the Tamil Nadu top order in about an hour.

Chopra has seen Rajasthan transform itself from an insular team, where the senior players would rest on their laurels and clip the wings of their ambitious younger team-mates.

It is to their credit that Rajasthan won despite all the politicking in the RCA set-up. There are 37 districts in the state, which cast votes to decide who comes into power in the association. Rajasthan had about ten managers during the season, as against one last year. They did not have a video analyst. One of their assistant coaches, Harish Joshi, was sacked this year. Pringle, who proved influential in the fast bowlers' success, was not asked to extend his stint.

After the final, the administrators turned up to stake claim to the trophy, getting themselves photographed holding it, almost elbowing the players out of the way. On the bright side, Kanitkar has made certain that only he, the coach, Amit Asava, and the senior players have a say in selection.

Humility has been a hallmark for Rajasthan. In his media briefings during the group stages, Kanitkar stressed on the fact that they were new kids on the Elite block, looking to learn.

"Ranji Trophy is not won easily. We keep reminding the players to expect a fight," Chopra says. Last year Kanitkar was the team's highest run-scorer, Chopra was ten runs behind. The third professional, Rashmi Ranjan Parida ("Paddy bhaiyya"), was the Man of the Match in the final. "This is his stage," Chopra said then. "He will not play for India ever. He will not play for the IPL. But he is the Man-of-the-Match in the final. There were only 76 people before him to earn that reward."

	Pankaj Singh used the hurt from the first five games as a spur to push Rajasthan towards the final © Kamal Sharma Enlarge

This year Saxena became the latest to join that band. The squad lifted him aloft after they won. A bunch of individuals with their varying back stories, working to get the team ahead while enjoying each other's success.

When they won the trophy two years in a row, Rajasthan became only the fifth team in Ranji Trophy history to achieve such a feat. Chopra, who has played in three Ranji finals - for Delhi in 2008 and now twice for Rajasthan - has won all three. "It is not like winning a Test series in Australia, but if anything comes close it is winning the Ranji Trophy."

"As a player you want to play for the country. But after few years we might realise the importance of being the Ranji champions. You can be a member of the Indian side, but alone you can't be a champion. You need a good bunch of players. And that happens only once or twice in a decade," Pankaj says.

Bist reckons that the youngsters have played their part, backing up the guidance the professionals have provided. "They have shown the character and the fire inside them to perform. It is every cricketer's dream to win, to touch, the Ranji Trophy."

For Rituraj the team's unity has been special. "After being part of this team, after performing, after playing with these seniors, I can say I am a capable bowler now," he says.

Nearly two hours after Rajasthan have been crowned champions, the players and their families bask in the afterglow, out on the Chepauk lawns, when the sprinklers come to life. There is a loud cheer. There's no champagne to spray about but this will do.

Attack on Rajkot Cong leader: Court summons cops

Rajkot Chief Judicial Magistrate V D Barot on Tuesday summoned Pradhyumannagar police with details of the threat case against Congress city President Jaswantsinh Bhatti after he accused police of violating human rights by arresting him without evidence.

Bhatti, who had refused to apply for bail and instead opted for jail custody after being arrested by Pradhyumannagar police on Monday, had filed a plea with Rajkot court alleging he had been arrested without any evidence on a “false” charge of threatening BJP leaders against him, which is “violation of human right laws”.

In response to his plea, the court on Tuesday summoned investigating officer of Pradhyumanagar police Ajitsinh Zala with all details.”

“The officer has submitted details and the hearing is scheduled for Wednesday,” said Bhatti’s counsel Ashok Vaghela.

Meanwhile, Rajkot Bar Association, in a general board meeting held on Tuesday, passed a resolution to file a writ petition in Gujarat High Court to quash complaint against Bhatti, who is also a lawyer.

Representatives of Rajkot Bar Association also met Bhatti at jail requesting him to take bail. “Bhatti has maintained that he will not opt for bail until Rajkot police apologise for ‘false’ case against him,” said Congress leader Kashmira Nathwani.

The Congress also staged a dharna in front of Commissioner of Police Geetha Johri’s office on Tuesday.

Bhatti, on complaint filed by former Rajkot Mayor and BJP councillor Uday Kangad, was booked for issuing life threats and causing property loss.

Modi, Guj Guv unfurl flag at Bhavnagar

Continuing the practice Chief Minister Narendra Modi started a decade back, the State-level Republic Day celebration was held at Bhavnagar.

Soon after taking over the reins in Gujarat, Modi had started celebrating the Republic Day, Independence Day and the Gujarat Foundation Day (May1) at different district headquarters by turns so that people in all parts of the State get a chance to participate in these programmes.

Governor Dr Kamala Beniwal and Chief Minister unfurled the national flag at the Jawahar Maidan and inspected the parade by the police forces.

Chief Minister announced Rs 1,900 crores development package for Bhavnagar district. This fund would be spent on a ship-building park of the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), a new industrial estate of the GIDC and various other projects.

Padma Shri award for Daman doctor

SURAT: On receiving the Padma Shri award, the family of Dr Shrinivas Vaishya had just one thing to say - his life's work had finally borne fruit. The special secretary, health, of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli retired after 35 years of government service in 2008 and takes credit for improving the health services in the Union Territory (UT).

Vaishya is first person from the UT to be awarded Padma Shri after independence of Daman & Diu in 1961. Former student of Surat Government Medical College (GMC) Vaishya is awarded for his contribution in field of health and healthcare .

"I was first student of the science college of Daman in 1966 and since then my journey to improve the health infrastructure started. When I started working in the region around four decades ago the health scenario was very poor and now we provide health facility to villagers as well as a large number of industrial labour," said proud Vaishya, who currently heads Indian Medical Association of the UT and vice president of south zone Gujarat IMA.

Vaishya joined MBBS course in Goa Medical College in 1968 and later joined MD in Surat GMC. He did his masters in preventive and social medicine and joined the health department as medical officer in Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. He worked for eradication of leprosy, guinea worm and carried out health activity extensively in rural areas of the UT.

"My team's focus was to bring the health indicators at par with national services and we did it successfully," said Vaishya. When he joined was one primary health centre (PHC), four sub health centres (SHC) and one hospital in the region. Today, there are three PHCs, 30 SHCs and three hospitals catering to the rising numbers of industrial labourers.

Vaishya has two sons and a daughter and all are medical professionals.

World of Kites

AHMEDABAD: Sturm Rolf, a kite flyer from Germany, was busy making a new kite to suit the wind direction and speed - a kite that would fly high at the festival. While fixing his designer airplane-shaped kite, Rolf said, "I visit Rajkot, Bhuj, Vadodara, Jamnagar while I am here for the festival but flying kite at the riverfront is altogether novel experience. It is different due to the suddenly-changing wind direction. This is the fifth time I've come back to participate at this festival in Ahmedabad as I simply love flying kites at this venue."

The changing wind direction, relaxed flying zone times, enthusiastic crowds and tasty food, were the major attractions for many international kite flyers at the festival. With huge crowds of enthusiastic onlookers constantly cheering the kitist, there was a festive ambience at the venue. About 87 kite flyers from 24 countries, 70 from nine Indian states and about 200 domestic kite flyers from Gujarat participated by flying kites of different shapes, sizes and colours at the festival in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Kite flyers were from 24 countries including US, UK, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Holland, France, Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Turkey, Cambodia, Japan and more. Many of the kite flyers who came, have attended Kite Festivals in many other countries including England, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Mexico and France. "The experience at the Indian Kite Flying Festival beats them all," said Gadis Robin, flyer from Singapore who is attending the event for the tenth time. A group of eight flyers from Austria chose to fly 'smile' kites. "I give nine points out of ten to this festival," said Loki Tes, a flyer from Austria, who flew a hand painted 'ankhedaar' kite. "My granny hand painted this Indian design kite especially for this festival," he said.

Proposal for nuclear plant at Bhava nagar

Jan. 10.

Talks can be expedited now between the government’s Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) and Westinghouse Electric for the proposed 6,000-Mw atomic power station at Mithi Virdi in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district.

NPC chairman and managing director S K Jain said: “The US nuclear safety regulator has given its certification for the AP1000 reactors of Westinghouse. This paves the way for NPC to pursue techno-commercial talks.”

US companies Westinghouse and GE are supposed to supply equipment for Mithi Virdi. Westinghouse had suggested these reactors.

Jain said the certification was crucial, in the wake of the safety review and tests across nuclear power generators after the Fukushima accident in Japan last year. Balendra Sutharshan, director, India Business Development of Westinghouse, had told this correspondent last year that the AP1000 reactors made the most sense for India, for diverse reasons.

“We are the leading supplier of commercial nuclear technology worldwide and nearly half the world’s 441 nuclear plants are based on our technology. Our AP1000 technology is the most modern and advanced anywhere. It is also a lot simpler to construct, which reduces the construction time and cost, not to mention less maintenance after the plant is up and producing electricity,” he’d said.

The US nuclear regulator has said the AP1000 design contains many features not found in current reactors. "A variety of engineering and operational improvements provide additional safety margins and address the Commission’s severe accident, safety goal, and standardisation policy statements,” it has said. Also, the facility is designed for a 60-year life, which exceeds the projected 40-year combined operating licence period.

Saurashtra panchayat poll draws voters from Mumbai

SURAT: Panchayat polls in around 10,000 villages of Saurashtra are drawing voters from places as far away as Surat and Mumbai. A large number of Saurashtrians headed to their native villages on Wednesday evening from Mumbai and Surat. An estimated 1,000 buses from Surat will leave for Saurashtra on Wednesday evening while around 500 buses will come from Mumbai.

Saurashtrians will leave on Wednesday night and reach their villages in the morning. All the buses were booked by the supporters of candidates to bring and drop the voters back to Surat or Mumbai. At their villages they are provided accommodation in a community hall or the temple. Voters avoid going home as that will mean arranging for food and water in a locked house.

All will be provided hot bath water and morning tea. "In breakfast we have arranged fafda, marcha and jalebi, favourite of all Saurashtrians. Similarly in lunch all the guests will be offered popular potato-brinjal vegetable with puri and sweets," said Mansukh Patel of Khopala village in Bhavnagar district. The afternoon time is leisure time for the group of voters to meet their relatives or rest at their home. At night the same bus again leave for Surat in which the voters will be brought back to the city.

"Through the arrangement we can assure voting as high as 90 per cent which would remain around 70 per cent otherwise," added Patel.

"This model of transport and voting is preferred by the voters as they don't want to stay out of their business or job soon after the Diwali vacation. That's why the arrangement has been done by the candidates to meet the requirements of the voters," said Jaysukh Parsana, a diamond broker in Varachha.

"There will be a partial affect on diamond business as large number of people going to Saurashtra. Due to relatives in villages people have to go to vote and minimum three buses to each village will go from the city," said Dinesh Navadiya, president of Surat Diamond Association (SDA).

Oshwal global meet held in Jamnagar

JAMNAGAR: Oshwal Shikshan & Rahat Sangh, Jamnagar, held a three-day global meet for the Oshwal community in the city. More than 1,000 NRI Oshwals participated in it.

The Oshwals are a business community and all of them have migrated from Saurashtra region. According to convenor Parag Shah, there are only 84,000 Oshwals and outside India, they live in eight countires -- Africa, Canada, UK, Australia, Tanzania, Kenya and the US.

During the meet, discussion was held on various issues like development of a city, social infrastructure, education and medical facilities. On January 3, chief minister Narendra Modi had a video conference with members of the community.

Oshwal Shikshan & Rahat Sangh have developed a sports complex, international school, heart hospital in Jamnagar and houses for the needy, hostels, dormitories and other basic infrastructure in various cities of India, sangh president Ashokbhai Maru said.

Hot air balloon crashes in Rann Utsav

RAJKOT: More than eight tourists were injured when a hot air balloon at the Rann Utsav organized by the state tourism department in Kutch crashed at 8.30 am on Sunday. Authorities said the balloon could not land properly in a dust storm and fell to the earth from a height of about 10 to 12 feet.

The injured have been identified as Dr Naresh Cheda, 52 (Mumbai), Nagin Parekh, 52, (Mumbai), Ramila Cheda, 46, (Mumbai), Deepa Ramchand, 43 (Mumbai) Arunaben, 43 (Mumbai), Ritu Yadav, 40 (the pilot) and Punita Yadav (40) (the co-pilot).

Sources say that more than eight tourists were injured. Some of them were given primary treatment and eight of them were taken to the government hospital in Bhuj. Pilot and co-pilot of the balloon are among the eight people who were injured and were hospitalized.

Kutch district collector M Thennarasan said none of the injured is serious. Asked if the balloon was overloaded, he said that it has a capacity of 16 people and there were 14 tourists in it when the incident occurred. "There was no issue of overloading but it could not land smoothly,'' he added.

The state government has been promoting Kutch's White Desert as a tourist place and organizes the 'Rann Utsav' every year to attract tourists to boost local economy.

Recently, CM Narendra Modi, during his Sadbhavna mission in Rajkot said that Kutch and Saurashtra region are only two regions that are getting the most benefit of tourism promoted by the state government.

Modi announces 3,500 cr package for Jamnagar

JAMNAGAR: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced Rs 3,500 crore for the development of Jamnagar at his 13th Sadbhavana Mission fast held in the city. He said plans would be drawn for all round development of the district.

Energy minister Saurabh Patel said an additional 4,000 mega watt would be produced from Jamnagar within the next two years.

Many senior BJP ministers and leaders were present on the occasion. Among those were finance minister Vajubhai Vala, agriculture minister Dilip Sanghani, higher and technical education minister Vasuben Trivedi, Gujarat Pradesh BJP president R C Faldu, Parshottam Rupala and Vijay Rupani. Satrusalya Sinhji of Jamnagar royal family welcomed Modi. He described the chief minister as a promising leader of Gujarat.

Congress leaders did not hold any rival fast. However, some Youth Congress leaders showed black flags to Modi and at least 130 of them were detained by the police.

Seeking Buddha in Gujarat, Saurashtra

Known more for Hindu and Jain religious places, Gujarat is now hoping to play host to Buddhist pilgrims too.

While in January this year, Chief Minister Narendra Modi shared the dais with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the International Seminar on Buddhist Heritage at Vadodara, the state's tourism department is now trying hard to promote the "Buddhist Footprints in Gujarat" through its website.

The earliest archeological evidence of Buddhism in Gujarat dates back to Emperor Ashoka's reign (269-232 BC). Saurashtra (known as Surashtra/ Saraostes/Syrastene in the past) finds a mention in early Buddhist literature such as the Indriya Jataka, Milinda Panha, Petavatthu, etc. In the sixth century, Bhattarkka, a general of the Gupta Emperors, established an independent principality around Valabhi (Vallabhipur). He was a devout Shaivite but the Maitraka rulers that followed him, though Hindus themselves were great patrons of Buddhism. On his visit to Gujarat in 640 AD, Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang noted the presence of 200 monasteries housing 10,000 monks at Bharuch, Atali, Kheta, Valabhi, Anandapura and Surashtra. Both Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism were prevalent in Gujarat.

The following are some of the main Buddhist archeological sites in Gujarat:

Vadnagar, Mahesana
Nearly 128 km from Ahmedabad, the archeological site between River Banas and River Rupen, has a 12-cell structure that belonged to a Buddhist vihara or monastery and housed monks from the 2nd to 4th century AD. Hiuen Tsang, who visited Vadnagar (then known as Anandapur) in the 7th century, reported that the city had some 10 sangharams (resting places for Buddhist monks) with a 1,000 Buddhist monks. Archaeologists found around 2,000 artefacts including a Buddha idol, an amphora, figurines, a crucible, a grinding stone, seals, a terracotta head wearing a turban, shell bangles, necklace beads, copper and silver coins that are housed at the Museum of Archaeology at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara.

Perched atop the Taranga Hills nearby, is a shrine dedicated to Devi Taranmata. The idols of Taranmata and Dharanmata are of Buddhist Goddess Tara, the "Mother of all Buddhas," which usually refers to the enlightened wisdom of the Buddhas. In the Dharanmata Temple, over the halo behind the head of the marble sculpture of the Goddess Tara, is a lotus on which rests the Amitabh Buddha. The lower register of the sculpture also displays the symbolic representation of the Buddha in form of an elephant, a horse and a chakra.

Devnimori, Sabarkantha
Better known for its hotsprings, Devnimori located 132 km from Ahmedabad has a large Buddhist establishment that dates back to the period between 2nd and 7th centuries AD. King Ashoka is said to have erected as many as 80,000 stupas across India. He unearthed the ashes of Buddha from their original place and distributed them across the country, building stupas accordingly. One such stupa, from the 4th century was excavated in early 1960s at Devnimori. Close to the major trade routes of Mewar and Dungarpur, Devnimori was the site of an important Buddhist monastic centre 1,600 years ago. The mahastupa's still there but the relics including a casket containing Buddha's ashes and 17 terracotta statues of Buddha are now housed in the Department of Archaeology at The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara.

Junagadh District
A prominent Buddhist centre since Ashoka's reign, Junagadh district is sprinkled with rock-cut-caves, monasteries and stupas at 15-odd sites such as the Ashokan rock edict at Girnar, Baba Pyara Caves, Khapra Kodia caves, Upparkot caves, Panheswer Caves, Mai Gadechi, Matri, structural monastery at Intawa, brick stupa at Bordevi and Vajrapanat, Sana caves, caves around Prabhas Patan, Mandor Caves and Savni-Gir.

Buddhist caves, about 2000 years old, are among the oldest monuments at Uparkot. Carved out of monolithic rock, these three-tiered caves are famous for their exquisite art.

Getting there:
Gujarat has one of the better developed road networks in India. State transport and private buses are the best and the cheapest modes of transport. Ahmedabad is well-connected to all major cities and towns by road, rail and air.