Tuna Port
Encyclopedia
Tuna Port is a port-cum-town in Anjar
Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat State of India
.
Economy of the Kingdom of Kutch, largely depended on sea-trade and the kingdom had many ports such as Mundra
, Mandvi
, Tuna, Lakhpat, Jakhau
, Sandhan, Sindri on its coast-line. The various Kutchi community were known for their trades with Muscat
, Mombasa
, Mzizima, Zanzibar
, and others, and also for their shipbuilding skills.
Fateh Mohammad (1786–1813), a shepherd-turned-king, had further developed the existing facilities at Mandvi, Tuna and Lakhpat ports, when Rao Raydhanji III of Kutch was his prime minister. There is a village by same name Tuna near the port from which Tuna Port got its name.
In year 1900-01 during the reign of Jadeja
King Maharao Shri Khengarji Bawa
(1875–1942), the first railway lines from Tuna Port to Anjar were laid by narrow gauge line of Cutch State Railway
,a railway promoted & owned by Princely State of Cutch. The first train from Tuna Port to Anjar ran in year 1905. The line was in 1908 extended to Bhuj
, then the Capital of Princely State of Cutch. This rail-line from Tuna to Anjar, no longer exists. However, there are plans to again revive the railway link again.
Later, during decade of 1930, Tuna Port lost its importance, when Maharao Shri Khengarji III of Kutch, identified the location of present the Kandla
Port and developed it as a new port. A new railway line connecting Anjar
to Kandla were also laid by Cutch State Railway.
After the partition and independence of India
and merger of Princely State of Cutch into Union of India in 1947, in 1950 Kandla Port was selected by the Government of India
to be developed as major port to replace the loss of Karachi
, which was annexed to Pakistan
. The Kandla Railway Station was later renamed Gandhidham
after the new town of same name was developed for the re-settlement of Sindhi
refugees, who migrated from Pakistan upon Partition.
run by Adani Group
. This is the second port after Vadinar
Port to be developed by Kandla Port Trust.
The nearest Airport is Kandla Airport
and Rail-head is Gandhidham
.
Anjar, India
Anjar is a town and a municipality in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The country is dry and sandy, and entirely depends on well irrigation for its water supply. The town is situated nearly 10 miles from the Gulf of Kutch. The town was third time made capital of Kachchh on...
Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat State of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
History
Tuna Port was developed during mid-eighteenth century by Kingdom of Kutch, later known as Princely State of Cutch.Economy of the Kingdom of Kutch, largely depended on sea-trade and the kingdom had many ports such as Mundra
Mundra
Mundra is a census town in Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Mundra Port is the largest private port in India.-Geography:The town of Mundra is located about 50 km from Anjar which is one of the major towns in the district of Kutch in Gujarat. The other important towns in this...
, Mandvi
Mandvi
Mandvi is a city and a Municipality in Kachchh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was once a major port of the region and summer retreat for Maharao of the Kachchh. The old city had a surrounding fort, and remains of the fort wall can still be seen to this day...
, Tuna, Lakhpat, Jakhau
Port of Jakhau
The Port of Jakhau is a fair weather port on the Gulf of Kutch, Kutch District, in the state of Gujurat, India. Situated on Godia Creek, and from the village of Jakhau, it provides an anchorage port...
, Sandhan, Sindri on its coast-line. The various Kutchi community were known for their trades with Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
, Mzizima, Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, and others, and also for their shipbuilding skills.
Fateh Mohammad (1786–1813), a shepherd-turned-king, had further developed the existing facilities at Mandvi, Tuna and Lakhpat ports, when Rao Raydhanji III of Kutch was his prime minister. There is a village by same name Tuna near the port from which Tuna Port got its name.
Jadeja
Jadeja belong to the Yaduvanshi rajputs or Chandravanshi rajputs. They are one of the 36 royal dynasties of old tracing their origins to Lord Krishna...
King Maharao Shri Khengarji Bawa
Khengarji III of Kutch
Maharajadhiraj Mirza Maharao Sri Sir Khengarji III Sawai Bahadur, GCSI, GCIE, KIH was a progressive and one of the longest ruling, Maharao of the Princely State of Cutch from 1875 to 1942....
(1875–1942), the first railway lines from Tuna Port to Anjar were laid by narrow gauge line of Cutch State Railway
Cutch State Railway
The Cutch State Railway also spelled as Kutch State Railway was an isolated Indian narrow gauge railway in Princely State of Cutch.The railway ran north from the port of Tuna towards Anjar in the Kutch. The railway was financed by the Maharao Khengarji Bawa of Cutch, and the initial section to...
,a railway promoted & owned by Princely State of Cutch. The first train from Tuna Port to Anjar ran in year 1905. The line was in 1908 extended to Bhuj
Bhuj
Bhuj is a city and a municipality in Kachchh district in the state of Gujarat, India.-History:It was established by Rao Hamirji in 1510 and was made the state capital by Rao Khengarji I in 1549. Its foundation stone as state capital laid formally on Vikram Samvat 1604 Maagha 5th...
, then the Capital of Princely State of Cutch. This rail-line from Tuna to Anjar, no longer exists. However, there are plans to again revive the railway link again.
Later, during decade of 1930, Tuna Port lost its importance, when Maharao Shri Khengarji III of Kutch, identified the location of present the Kandla
Kandla
Kandla is a seaport in Kutch District of Gujarat state in western India. Located on the Gulf of Kutch, it is one of major ports on west coast. Kandla was constructed in the 1950s as the chief seaport serving western India, after the partition of India from Pakistan left the port of Karachi in...
Port and developed it as a new port. A new railway line connecting Anjar
Anjar, India
Anjar is a town and a municipality in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. The country is dry and sandy, and entirely depends on well irrigation for its water supply. The town is situated nearly 10 miles from the Gulf of Kutch. The town was third time made capital of Kachchh on...
to Kandla were also laid by Cutch State Railway.
After the partition and independence of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and merger of Princely State of Cutch into Union of India in 1947, in 1950 Kandla Port was selected by the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
to be developed as major port to replace the loss of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, which was annexed to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The Kandla Railway Station was later renamed Gandhidham
Gandhidham
Gandhidham is a city and a municipality in the Kachchh District of Gujarat state of India. The town was created in the early 1950s for the resettlement of the refugees from Sindh of Pakistan in the aftermath of the partition of India....
after the new town of same name was developed for the re-settlement of Sindhi
Sindhi people
Sindhis are a Sindhi speaking socio-ethnic group of people originating from Sindh, a province Formerly of British India, now in Pakistan. Today Sindhis that live in Pakistan belong to various religious denominations including Islam, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity...
refugees, who migrated from Pakistan upon Partition.
Present Status
At present Tuna Port is run and managed by Kandla Port Trust. Kandla Port Trust (KPT) is now coming up with a project in Tuna Port to be developed as satellite port in Kutch, Gujarat. The Development of Tuna Port is crucial for Kandla Port's survival in face stiff competition from the newly-developed privately owned Mundra PortMundra Port
Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited manages the largest privately owned port in the country. The port project was initiated in 1988 by the Adani Group as a logistics base for their international trade operations when the sector was opened for private sector...
run by Adani Group
Adani Group
The Adani Group is a Gujarat based Indian conglomerate with the industrialist Gautam Adani as its CMD and promoter. The core business of the group is Commodities Trading, edible oil Manufacturing, Mundra port operations and distribution of Natural Gas. Adani group has more than 50 companies under...
. This is the second port after Vadinar
Vadinar
Vadinar is small coastal town located in Jamnagar district of the state of Gujarat, India. The offshore oil terminal of the Kandla Port Trust is located in Vadinar and contributes in a large way to the total earnings of this major port...
Port to be developed by Kandla Port Trust.
The nearest Airport is Kandla Airport
Kandla Airport
Kandla Airport or Gandhidham Airport is located north of Kandla and Gandhidham in the Kutch District of the state of Gujarat, India.-External links:*...
and Rail-head is Gandhidham
Gandhidham
Gandhidham is a city and a municipality in the Kachchh District of Gujarat state of India. The town was created in the early 1950s for the resettlement of the refugees from Sindh of Pakistan in the aftermath of the partition of India....
.