The surroundings of Jamnagar have about half a dozen ports, all minor ports operated by Gujarat Maritime Board. They also have Lighthouses at many of these places. Despite knowing that we will not be allowed to enter either places, we start off to explore them and their surroundings. We are rewarded with rich experience of things we had not seen earlier.

The first destination is Rozi port. Rozi, New Bedi and Bedi are located in close proximity to each other and Jamnagar town. Travelling is not an issue. Roads are good.

Rozi has Diwadandi, Lighthouse.

The port is for dry bulk cargo. Right now, they told us, it is handling ‘mitti’. A little prodding revealed it is Bauxite. As expected we were sent away from the port and the Lighthouse as the same required permission from ‘authorities’. Rozi also happens to be the place to access the island of Pirotan which is major tourist attraction within the Marine National Park. Of course they cannot prevent us from taking photographs from afar.

Before you speculate about the name Rozi, let me clarify that the port is not named after the girl you met in Goa some time back. It is named after the Goddess Rozi Mata under whose jurisdiction the port falls. Rozi Mata Mandir is a curious place. As you approach the place, it appears like an old fortress. Inside is the dilapidated structures of temples.

 

The entrance:

Birds abound in the salt pans and the roadside ponds in the entire area even in August. In winter it should offer a more spectacular avian scene. Here is a dramatic Darter.

Among the odd scenes is that truck. There are plants growing under it as well in the load body, quite an environment-friendly vehicle.

Here is the New Bedi port. The ‘security’ advised us to visit Rozi port and not to waste time there. ‘The port is importing coal and the dust is not god for health.’ Thank you.

From New Bedi we proceed to Bedi. The refusal here is the most polite and with a smiling face. Here is myself,being sent away.

There are better places in this world than those dirty ports.

We then go to a small village nearby and visit the Fish Market. People are friendly and the fish cheap by Mumbai/Pune standards. We are salivating but no hotels in the area serve non-vegetarian food except one in Jamnagar.

The refusal to allow to enter ports gave us enough time for birding. The bird pictures are posted on ‘Facebook Birders’, a closed group and also on our Facebook Page ‘The Blue Drive’. Please visit.

Suryakiran & Veena Naik

suryakiran.naik@gmail.com

25.08.2016

Posted on 28.08.2016