That happy souls, premitted, evercame
To soothe the mourner---her's was there with me
"Taj Mahal kya hoga! Wo to Rani ke naam, ek kabr hai. Ek premi ke liye, wo bhi das … uske liye to sirf Mandir chalega! "
[What is the Taj Mahal before this? That is a mausoleum of love, for a queen. For a beloved, and that too a maid … only the most sacred will do.]
Morbi [also called Morvi ] This beautiful city is located on the Bank Of Machchhu.It is 67 Kms away from the Rajkot and 245 Kms away from the Ahmedabad. Morbi was founded in the year of 1698. Morbi was the Capital of Rajput Jadeja‘s State. Untill 1947 Morbi was a princely state. .The prosperous city Morbi has much of the built heritage and town planning is attributed to the efficient administration of Sir Waghji, who came to the throne in 1879 and ruled till 1948. It's said once in Morbi there were rivers of Milk and Ghee (Butter) indicating the prosperous state of Morbi in its heydays and was among the strongest states of India.
Sir Wagh Ji caught the pulse of time, rode on its wave, modernized his state. "Ben, pacchaas saal… Fifty years he was the father of this land. He made trams, roads, schools, reservoirs, bridges, ports. Worked endlessly for thier's. Our rulers today, these politicians … they are all beggars, begging for votes. Our Bapu, he was a maharaja!" acted as the Ruler, Manager, Patron and Policemen of the state with great authority, always keeping the citizens’ interests in mind.
Mani Mandir Built by Thakur Saheb Sir Waghji to immortalize his love for a girl named Mani, [ Mani Ba Saheb]
Bapu had four queens -- daughters of the Thakore Sahibs of Palitana, Sayla, Tharad, Chuda. Each queen brought with herself an agreement with her father's kingdom -- economic, political ties and a robust dowry. Palitana queen's dowry, however, included a special little jewel, a young maid named Mani.
No one knows how it happened. But, it happened. The maharaja, the king of kings, the Bapu of Morbi, fell in love with a dasi, a common woman. No clout. No agreements. No lineage. In the railway station, the cricket field, noisy roads, paan shops -- the story of his love is recounted with a factual ease: "Mani Bapu ke lover the. Ben, have you seen her temple? You must …"
Mani died young. She could never have a palace. He made her a temple. The world's only temple to a dasi, a lover.
Mani Mandir is one of the great examples of the Temple Architecture in India. Mani Mandir was also one of the hidden places for the King. To this date no one has been able to count the total number of cellars in this building! The Mani Mandir of Morbi is an excellent example of Art. Though Mani Mandir is not a temple but Palace Complex named after Her Highness Mani Ba Saheb. It's a large palace complex and within the palace complex are temples for the royal family. It's still a private property owned by present Her Highness Rajmata Vijay Kuverba and her 3 daughters.
Mani mandir is a stunning piece of temple architecture, situated in the courtyard of Wellingdon Secretariat, in Morbi, Gujarat. Built in 1935, this magnificent structure took shape in Jaipur stone, adorned with exquisitely carved elements-arches, brackets, jalis, chhatris and shikhara. The Radha-Krishna temple enshrines the images of Lakshmi Narayan, Goddess Kali, Lord Ram and Lord Shiva.
The Manimandir of Morbi reflects the wonderful mental capacity of Shah Jahan as he built his Taj Mahal. This manimandir was also built with such sharp and unusual emotions at work. The history says. It is a symbol of Love in the history of Saurashtra.The King of Morbi, Vaghji Thakur had built this manimandir in the memory of his beloved first wife Manibai, and is no less than a royal palace in its beauty of design and sculptures.
Mani Mandir stands as a testimony to the excellent dexterity of its master craftsmen and architects, who had conceived and materialized the structure at the turn of 20th century. it is an excellent piece of temple architecture and a palace belonging to the erstwhile princely state of Morbi is going to be renovated and converted into a first of its kind museum showcasing the socio-cultural heritage of the Saurashtra region.
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| Manimanidr : Picture by: Harish Gohil |
Mani Mandir is a structure adorned with exquisitely carved arches, brackets, jalis, chhatris and shikhara.it is famous for its beautiful architecture, which is a harmonious blend of Rajput Architecture with Gothic, Saracenic, and Mughal styles.
At the centre of the temple complex, overlooking the river Machhu is the temple of Radha Krishna. A rectangular double-storied complex with over 130 rooms surrounds the temple. Waghji had completed the structure at a cost of Rs 30 lakh in 1922 and died the same year.
After the 2001 earthquake, unfortunately most of the mandir fell down but is back to its noble stature again. The building is a symbol of love that stands testimony to excellent workmanship:-
"Where echoes of a nameless love from a mythic past come as waves across time to make real the highest possibility of human union, again and again"
