Glimpses of Rajkot & Morvi

Jignesh Computers - "We Need You Because You Need Knowledge"

Outside Watson's Museum Rajkot. The main building is a an imposing structure, located right next to the school where M.K. Gandhi once studied. It houses the artifacts collected by the then British agent in Saurashtra, Sir Watson, in the late 1800's. Like all state-run museums in the country, this too is a picture of callous neglect. Poor lighting and displays, missing labels, ancient sculpture dabbed with pink plastic paint, and a pathetic section on natural history.
Entry to the museum costs Rs.2/head, and there is a special sarkari form through which you have to declare and pay Rs.2 for each photo taken within the museum premises!

'The queen is wearing enough for the both of us': - A grumpy Victoria in her tin-pot crown and toy globe, at the rear end of Watson's Museum, Rajkot

Perhaps the only 10th century sculpture without broken appendages.



Masala-chai Katiawari ishtyle. Every roadside teashop in Rajkot uses mechanical bellows.


A close shave: Aftermath of an accident on Gondal Rd.. A truck ploughed through four cars before smashing into this electric pole. Amazingly, nobody was injured!


Outside College St., at 7:30AM, these guys serve the best Sev Khamni and Dokla in town. The best place for a Gujrati Thali is Bhaba Dining Hall near the Panchnath temple.


90% of ceramic and vitreous products manufactured in India comes from the industrial cluster around Morbi (~60km from Rajkot). Tiles, bathroom fittings, pipes, etc.. This new factory is all set to produce large-size floor tiles. The production line has eight kilns and is 106m long; the drying line is 86m long and the whole operation is run by 50 workers/shift!


The spectacular Darbargadh Palace or "Mani Mahal"at Morvi built in the 1880's by Thakur Sahib Waghaji. It was damaged in the 2001 earthquake. Wonder why the enterprising Gujrati's don't see it worthwhile to turn it into a heritage hotel , a museum or any other money-spinner to save it from falling apart...