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Sightseeing Highlights:
Dandi, a historical place located about 16 km from the district of
Navsari is where the Saifee Villa Museum has been established to
commemorate the Dandi Salt March. Built in 1961, the museum attracts attention
to the pictures and artifacts of Gandhi's life and contribution to the
independence of India.
Somnath Mahadev Temple is
one of the tallest Mahadev temples in Gujarat.
It is situated in the Bilimore Taluk.
Dastur Meherji-Rana Library is
rich in literature of the earliest Parsi or Zoroastrian settlements in Navsari
and has many pictures of the old town. It is located at the Tarota bazar.
Another important library is the Sayaji Vaibhav Library. Ubhrata sandy white beach 20 km away is a perfect picnic spot. The VansdaNational park
has a variety of flora and fauna to see.
Other activities:
The Mota bazaar and the Tarota bazaar
of Navsari are known for their jewellery, silk garments and zardosi (intricate
embroidery with gold thread). Navsari is one of the major centers for the cutting and polishing of
diamonds. Dudhia Talao, once a lake, is now another
major market and commercial center.
Lunsikui, the city's
main residential area, is named after a large park where the children of the
city come to play cricket and eat in the evenings, and is found filled with
vendors displaying different kinds of food.
Navsari is seen as the
headquarters of the Parsis ever since they settled in Surat. A large number of Parsis are seen to
visit Navsari through the year as this was their first dwelling place in this
state. The excellence of the Parsi architecture can be well understood from the
various monuments built in the authentic Parsi style. The Parsi Vad is one such
structure that has become a heritage site and attracts a lot of tourists.
Navsari is also popular for its various types of Zoroastrian arts, crafts and
cuisine.
Navsari has many different renditions of its origin and
history. The Greek philosopher Ptolemy's writings show Narispa,located on the very same geographical point
as today's Navsari and is perhaps one such account telling us that we need to
look as far back as 150 A.D. for the foundations of this town.
The
legendary name of Nag Vardhana, which is well associated with this town owes
its origin to Shayashray Shiladitya who ruled over this settlement in the
seventeenth century, in honour of his Guru. The name changed to Nav Sarika, Nag
Shahi. Nag Mandal and Nav Sareh before it came to be called Navsari as we know
it. It corroborates the dynamic changes that have impacted this city in the
course of different reigns, one of them being that of the Chalukya
dynasty. Later on, the Persian Zoroastrians, from a place called Sari in North
eastern Iran,
virtually ruled this small town.Perhaps
that is how Navsari came to be - new Sari - Navsari. The reign of the Parsis
ended as the Muslim rulers took over. For the last one hundred years, until India's
independence in 1947, Navsari was the property of the Gaekwads of Baroda.
Navsari is also recognised as the birthplace of Dadabhai Naoroji, Jamshedji
Tata and Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy.
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