Page 427 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

GUJAR A T  425

built in the 17th century, in the
Dutch cemetery has an enormous Festivals of Gujarat
double cupola. Uttarayan (14 Jan).
Modern Surat is known for Coinciding with Makar
its flourishing textile industry Sankranti which marks
which produces the famous the height of winter, this
tanchoi (brocade) silk. It also colourful festival fills the
specializes in jewellery and is a sky all over Gujarat with
major diamond-cutting centre thousands of beautifully
for suppliers from all over the crafted kites.
world. During the 1980s, the Modhera Dance Festival
city had, unfortunately, become (Jan), Modhera Sun Temple.
a byword for urban squalor, This three-day festival of
and in 1994 suffered an outbreak Indian classical dance is a
of plague. This galvanized the Gateway to St Jerome’s Fort in unique opportuniy to enjoy
city’s administration into a Nani Daman these dance forms in the
massive clean-up drive, which setting in which they were
has resulted in the revival which was built in 1603, which originally performed.
of Surat as a prosperous has a richly carved portal and
com mercial centre. an ornamental altar. The smaller
Rosario Chapel, outside the
fort walls, has exquisitely carved
q Daman wooden panels, depicting
scenes from the life of Jesus.
Daman Union Territory. 390 km
(242 miles) S of Ahmedabad. The lighthouse, to the north
* 35,750. £ Vapi, 10 km (6 miles) of the fort, affords fine views
SE of Daman, then taxi or bus. @ of the Gulf of Cambay.
n Nani Daman, (0260) 225 5104. St Jerome’s Fort, in Nani
∑ damantourism.com Daman, is less grand than Daman
Fort but it houses the lovely
Tucked away in the southern tip chapel of Our Lady of the Sea.
of Gujarat, adjoining Maharashtra, The chapel has a delicate,
is the tiny enclave of Daman, classical façade of 12 columns
which was a Portuguese colony crowned with a cross. Bangles on sale at Tarnetar Fair
until 1961. The Damanganga Liquor flows freely in Nani
river, which flows into the Daman’s dingy bars, attracting Tarnetar Fair (Sep), Tarnetar,
Arabian Sea, divides the town crowds of tipplers from the rest 8 km (5 miles) from Thangadh.
into two distinct parts – Nani of Gujarat, where alcohol is This unique matchmaking
mela sees prospective grooms
Daman (Little Daman), which prohibited. Those who want to promenading the fairgrounds,
is dotted with hotels and bars, take in local colour would be well holding colourful umbrellas,
and Moti Daman (Big Daman), advised to avoid the bars and as young women wearing
the old Portuguese township. explore the farmers’ market or multi-pleated skirts swirl around
Moti Daman is enclosed within the riverside fish market instead. in dance. A girl indicates her
the massive Daman Fort. Its ten The Devka and Jampore preference by approaching
bastions and two gateways date beaches, 5 km (3 miles) a youth for a chat, leaving
to 1559, and it is ringed by a moat north and south of Daman it to the elders to settle
linked to the river. Daman’s well- respectively, are not spectacular, matrimonial details.
preserved churches include the but offer tranquil retreats Navratri (Sep/Oct). Navratri
large Bom Jesus Cathedral, among casuarina groves. or “nine nights” is celebrated
throughout Gujarat and is
marked by nine nights of
dancing in honour of the
mother goddess. Women
perform the garba dance,
whirling around in a circle,
clapping their hands. The
highlight is the exhilarating
dandia ras, when men
and women strike small
lacquered batons to a beat
that gets faster and faster
until it finally breaks in a
frenzied crescendo.
Harbour below St Jerome’s fort in Nani Daman, Daman

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