Porbandar Tourism: Top Places to Visit and a Travel Guide
Porbandar is a historic coastal city in Gujarat, famous as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and of Sudama, the childhood friend of Lord Krishna. Its top sights are Kirti Mandir, Gandhi's birthplace memorial, and the unique Sudama temple with its maze, along with Sandipani's Shri Hari Mandir, the beaches and the Jambuvan cave. It is best visited October to March.
Set on the Saurashtra coast midway between Dwarka and Somnath, Porbandar is a city of history and devotion, the birthplace of the Father of the Nation and of Krishna's beloved friend. This guide, from the team behind Somnath Dwarka Tour Package, a unit of Experience My India, covers the top places to visit in Porbandar, the best time to go, how to reach and how it fits into a Saurashtra trip.
About Porbandar
Porbandar is a historic port city on the Arabian Sea coast of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, best known the world over as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, who was born here in 1869. It is also revered as the birthplace of Sudama, the humble childhood friend and devotee of Lord Krishna, whose story of friendship is one of the most beloved in the Krishna legend. Beyond these two great sons, Porbandar is a pleasant coastal city of old havelis, temples, beaches and markets, with a relaxed seaside character. Lying conveniently on the coastal route between Dwarka and Somnath, it makes a natural and rewarding stop on a Saurashtra pilgrimage, combining the heritage of Gandhi, the devotion of Krishna and Sudama and the gentle charm of the sea. Though quieter and less visited than the great temple towns, Porbandar rewards the traveller who pauses here with a real sense of history and a slower, more reflective pace.
Porbandar at a glance
City | Porbandar, a historic coastal city |
Famous as | Birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama |
Top sights | Kirti Mandir, Sudama temple, Sandipani, beaches |
Location | On the coast between Dwarka and Somnath |
Best time | October to March, the cool winter months |
Known for | Gandhi heritage, Krishna devotion, Bandhani textiles |
Top places to visit in Porbandar
Porbandar packs a rich variety of sights into a compact city and its surroundings. The top places to visit are:
Kirti Mandir. The main attraction of Porbandar, Kirti Mandir is the memorial built beside the ancestral haveli where Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869. A three-storey house and museum, opened by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, it holds life-size portraits of Mahatma and Kasturba Gandhi, a library, a prayer hall and a spinning room, tracing the life and philosophy of the Father of the Nation. It is a moving and essential stop for anyone interested in Gandhi.
Sudama Mandir. A unique white-marble temple built between 1902 and 1907, Sudama Mandir is one of the very few temples in India dedicated to Sudama, Krishna's friend. Its simple, elegant carved marble reflects Sudama's humility and its famous feature is a maze in the courtyard, which pilgrims walk through, believing that completing it cleanses them of their sins. It is a beautiful tribute to the purity of friendship between Sudama and Krishna.
Shri Hari Mandir at Sandipani. A short way from the city, the expansive and beautifully maintained Shri Hari Mandir, part of the Sandipani Vidyaniketan ashram, is a grand temple complex of red sandstone and white marble, set in peaceful gardens. Named for the sage Sandipani, Krishna's guru, it is a serene and uplifting place to visit.
Huzoor Palace. An early 20th-century seaside palace, the Huzoor Palace or Raj Mahal, built by the ruler Rana Natwarsinhji, is a grand European-style mansion facing the sea, with sloping roofs and tall windows, a reminder of Porbandar's princely past.
The beaches. Porbandar Beach and Chowpaty Beach offer scenic Arabian Sea coastline, popular for peaceful evening walks and sunset views, while the pristine Madhavpur Beach, about 45 km away, is a lovely, quiet escape with its own Krishna legend.
Jambuvan Cave. About 15 to 20 km away at Ranavav, the Jambuvan or Jambuvant, cave is a deep cavern associated with the Ramayana and Mahabharata and with Krishna's battle with Jambuvan over the Samantaka Mani jewel. With its many natural Shivlings, it is an atmospheric site for the devout and the curious.
The Tara Mandir planetarium. Porbandar is also home to the Tara Mandir, one of the first planetariums in India, with a domed screen projecting the stars and planets, a popular and educational attraction, especially for families.
Porbandar and the story of Sudama
For Krishna devotees, Porbandar holds special meaning as the birthplace of Sudama and its Sudama Mandir is a cherished pilgrimage site. The tale of Sudama and Krishna, of a poor friend who visited the king of Dwarka with nothing but a humble gift of beaten rice and was repaid with boundless love and prosperity, is one of the most beloved stories of friendship and grace in Hindu tradition. Because of this, the Sudama temple at Porbandar is counted among the sacred Krishna sites of Gujarat and some traditions include it in the wider circuit of Krishna shrines, the Nava Dwarka, alongside Dwarka and the other holy places. A visit to Porbandar thus adds the deeply human story of Sudama to a Krishna pilgrimage of the Saurashtra coast, a story of friendship and grace that resonates with pilgrims of every background.
Best time to visit Porbandar
The best time to visit Porbandar is the cool winter season, October to February, when the temperatures are pleasant, from around 10 to 28 degrees, ideal for sightseeing, coastal walks and the birdwatching for which the area's wetlands are known, in line with the best time to visit Gujarat. The summer, March to June, is hot and humid, with daytime temperatures peaking around 35 to 40 degrees, making sightseeing tiring. The monsoon, July to September, brings heavy rainfall, though it is a popular time for local temple experiences, such as the Bileshwar Mahadev temple during the sacred month of Shravan. For a comfortable visit to the sights and the coast, plan your trip in the winter months.
How to reach Porbandar
Porbandar is well connected and easy to reach. By air, Porbandar Airport has flights to Mumbai, with wider connections via Ahmedabad. By train, Porbandar railway station connects the city to major hubs in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Jamnagar and to Mumbai. By road, Porbandar lies right on the Saurashtra coastal highway between Dwarka and Somnath, well served by state and private buses and a Somnath Dwarka taxi service can bring you to Porbandar as a stop on a wider tour. Our how to reach Dwarka and how to reach Somnath guides cover the coastal route on which Porbandar lies.
Shopping in Porbandar
Porbandar is a good place for some traditional shopping, especially for Gujarat's famous textiles. The city is known for its traditional tie-and-dye works, including Bandhani, Gharcholu, Odhani, Laharia and Chunari prints, in bright colours and intricate patterns, which make beautiful souvenirs and gifts. The popular shopping hubs include MG Road, Manek Chowk, Soni Bazar and Bhatia Bazar, where you can find the textiles along with silver and Kundan jewellery, handicrafts and brass and clay items. A browse through these lively markets is a pleasant way to round off a day of sightseeing and to take home a piece of Saurashtra's craft traditions. The Bandhani work of the region, in particular, with its tiny tied-and-dyed dots forming intricate patterns, is prized across India and a sari or dupatta bought here makes a lasting and beautiful memento of the trip.
Combine Porbandar with Dwarka and Somnath
The great advantage of Porbandar for a Saurashtra trip is its position: it lies right on the coastal road between Dwarka, about 100 km to the west and Somnath, about 130 km to the east, so it makes a perfect stop on the drive between the two great temples. Many travellers break the Dwarka to Somnath journey at Porbandar, pausing to see Kirti Mandir and the Sudama temple before continuing. It pairs naturally with the temples and with a Gir lion safari to the south, so Porbandar fits beautifully into a wider Saurashtra journey of pilgrimage, heritage and the coast, adding the story of Gandhi and Sudama to the trip.
Tips for visiting Porbandar
A few pointers make your visit better:
Visit October to February for the most pleasant weather for sightseeing and the coast.
Do not miss Kirti Mandir, Gandhi's birthplace and the Sudama temple with its sin-cleansing maze.
Break the Dwarka to Somnath drive at Porbandar, which lies midway on the coastal road.
Enjoy a sunset walk on Porbandar or Chowpaty beach and visit nearby Madhavpur beach if you can.
Shop for Bandhani tie-and-dye textiles and handicrafts in the Manek Chowk and bazaar markets.
Combine Porbandar with Dwarka, Somnath and a Gir safari for a full Saurashtra trip.
Plan your Porbandar trip
Experience My India can plan a Saurashtra trip that includes Porbandar along with the temples and the safari. Combine Porbandar's Gandhi and Sudama sights with Dwarka and Somnath, add a Gir lion safari, book Somnath Dwarka hotels and let the Experience My India Somnath Dwarka tour packages or the wider Gujarat tour packages include Porbandar and the coastal route in your itinerary, for a journey that blends pilgrimage, heritage and the sea across the Saurashtra coast.
Related guides
To plan the rest of your Saurashtra trip, these related guides help:
Related guide | What it covers |
What to see in Dwarka, west of Porbandar. | |
The sights of Somnath, east of Porbandar. | |
The Jyotirlinga near Dwarka on the route. | |
The drive to a Gir lion safari nearby. | |
When to visit the Dwarka coast. | |
The sacred mountain and fort city inland. |
Plan your visit
Experience My India can arrange your Porbandar and Saurashtra trip. Browse more travel guides, message us on WhatsApp or call +91 73006 20809.
Harsh Rawat
Somnath–Dwarka circuit planning
Harsh Rawat runs Somnath Dwarka Tour Package on the ground in Gujarat, part of Experience My India. Since 2018 he has been planning and driving the Somnath–Dwarka circuit — the darshan timings, the road hours between temples and the stops worth adding — and the routes, fares and timings published across this site are the ones he maintains.
