People

Veraval has a predominant Gujarati population. Amongst Gujaratis, the Kharwas and the Kolis form a sizable part of the local population. In addition to the local Gujaratis, there are also a large number of Turks, Lohana, memon, patnis and Sindhis and a sizable population of Malayalees. Gujarati and Hindi are the most popular languages in the town.

Veraval is a city and a municipality in Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is located 6 km from Somnath.


History

Veraval was founded in 13th or 14th by Rao Veravalji Vadher, a Rajput .Veraval was once a fortified port town of the royal family of Junagadh. ace till 1953 when the district of Junagadh was merged with India. The city still bears some remains of the old Nawabi heritage, the beautiful Nawabi summer palace being one of them. There are ruins of the old Nawabi fort and Nawabi Gates in and around the place. The old walls of the port are now ruined, but the impressive Junagadh gate and the Patan gate are still seen, but are in a very bad state.

The Nawabi Palace with gothic features which is one of the main attractions. It is popularly known as Somnath College (the palace was converted into a college after it was abandoned by the nawab).At present it is the building of a Sanskrit university. The town is often known as the gateway to the magnificent temple of Somnath and the pilgrimage centres of Prabhas Patan and Bhalkha. Veraval is also the nearest town to the Gir National Park (42 km away).

Before the rise of Surat, Veraval was the major seaport for pilgrims to Mecca. Its importance now is as a fishing port which is one of largest in India. Sea going dhows and fishing boats are still being built by the sea without the use of any instruments other than a tape-measure. Traditional skills are passed down from father to son. about 25km from the veraval the historical place is located, which lies in savani village, is known as pandav gufa. According to mahabharta during the vanvas pandvas stayed there.

Transport

Veraval is an important railway station of Western Railways. The trains connect it to major cities like Ahemedabad, Rajkot, Ratlam, Ujjain, Vadodara, Pune, Bhopal, Jabalpur, etc.

The nearest airport is Keshod and Rajkot